What Does “Being aware” Mean?

Being aware means the knowing or consciousness of my existence. Being aware is the realm of “me,” a me that exists.

Being aware can also be about awareness itself. Sometimes someone is suddenly thrown into awareness of awareness.

Because it is beyond the realm of presence, me-ness, or I-am-ness, awareness of awareness is a realmless realm.

Those who become aware of their existence may or may not become curious about awareness itself.

Years ago, I distilled the awareness of my existence to two words, “I am.” Then I investigated “I am” by thinking about it, remembering it, considering it as often as possible during the day, especially during stressful times.

After two years of remembering and thinking about “I am,” I was fixed in that. The fixing or establishment as “I am” was marked by the spontaneous utterance, “There is only one day.”

Being established in “I am” is a good place. It has no bearing on how successful I might become in life or how street-smart I am. It is an ongoing awareness of my fundamental nature: I am.

After some years, “I am” evaporated. It was a simple event that happened for no apparent reason. The “I am” was gone. Now my utterance was, “There is only this.” What is “this”? Awareness. Awareness of awareness.

The shift from realizing “There is only one day” to “There is only this” is a shift from the linearity of time and events within a perceived space of oneness to a non-linear, timeless, spaceless, event-less, indescribable presence that is no presence at all. Rather, it is that within which presence, time, space, and events appear to happen.

I can show the difference between the two utterances with photographs:

“There is only one day.” A man discovers the “I am,” the awareness of his existence.

“There is only this.” There is no one to know anything. There is only this: Awareness of awareness.

Perhaps you sense the differences between the two photographs. Two kinds of realizations of “being aware” are depicted.

You could value one kind of realization, the awareness of your realm of existence, and be ready to be thrown into the other kind, the realmless realm, awareness of awareness.

However, don’t forget to save 10% of your income, exercise regularly, stay away from junk food, and in all the many other essential ways, keep your body-mind functioning effectively and happily. It’s a lot of stuff to do, right? I know!