A W A R E N E S S

The two basic principles that are underlying the Inner Journey Work or as we also call it, the two wings of the Inner Journey are Awareness and Love.
Today I share some thoughts regarding ‘Awareness’.

The ‘concept’ of awareness is an eastern contribution to the evolution of human consciousness.
One rarely hears a Christian/Jewish/Muslim preacher/rabbi/imman use the word ‘awareness’.
Also in Western philosophy this approach is rarely used and if, it is used in describing one’s awareness of one’s environment thru our senses.

Awareness as a ‘spiritual practice’ was introduced to man/womankind about 2500 years ago in northern India when a new teaching arose, what is now known as Buddhism.

Gautam, the Buddha, the Awakened One, applied awareness within – awareness of one’s own inner world which consists of:

• Physical Sensations
• Emotions or feelings, which actually are again particular arrangement
of physical sensations
• Thoughts

The Buddha turned the flashlight of awareness on the mind itself.
This way of looking within was and IS still revolutionary.
Just look at yourself.
Have you examined your thoughts BEFORE coming in contact with the Inner Journey or some other likely eastern based teachings ?
Probably not.
In our culture thoughts are not examined, they are taken as the ‘Truth’.
If you doubt that, watch yourself in relationship with people. All our relationships to people and to the world is based on ‘thought’. ‘This one I trust’, a thought, ‘this one be careful’, another thought.
Most of our life is based on thoughts. What determines our thoughts ?
The modern thinking now is, that it is a combination of nature and nurture, meaning we bring in genetic predispositions and are conditioned by our environment.
How our genetics impact thoughts and beliefs is difficult to conclude compared to the obvious impact of our immediate environment.
Imagine yourself being born in several scenarios:
E.g. into a family of Australian bush people,
into a family of fundamental Baptist Christians in Texas,
into a family in Sweden……
Each family and culture would have an enormous influence on what thoughts would pass thru your mind now. Many of your values, that you treasure so much now, would be different.
Our belief systems, which are thoughts and our identity, which again is a collection of certain thoughts, are based on our conditioning,
YET people take it as fact, as truth, that their world view is the ‘right’ one – which in fact is all just conditioning.
If I could impact the economic and political system in the world, I would ensure, that all people in powerful leadership positions, truly understand, that their conditioning is impacting their world views and that the self examination of one’s thoughts is a MUST for the sake of one’s clarity and capacity to be objective.
(I know I am dreaming here…)

In the Inner Journey I liken awareness to a flashlight, which usually is turned outward.
The most profound revolution one can undertake is to turn that flashlight 180 degree around – at oneself.

What is so revolutionary about this ?
The simple answer is f r e e d o m .
Most people on this planet are born and die without
ever experiencing themselves as NOT being their body or their thoughts.
You are NOT this thinking ‘machine’ called mind.
That means you are NOT this ‘identity’, NOT this
personality with all its neurotics (as every personality is), NOT this little Ego, defending itself, attacking to get what it needs.
And with realizing that your are NOT your thoughts, feelings and the body, the greatest inquiry of all starts:
WHO AM I ?

And a sincere pursuit of this question has been at the core of all sincere human beings since the beginning of time.
WHO AM I ?
WHY AM I HERE ?
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE ?

The ‘job’ of a spiritual teacher is to guide and support the student in facing these questions – not answering them.