Hello! Tashi delek!
I would like to share with you a little bit of meditation instruction.
This time, I want to share about awareness.
I think many of you know awareness, right?
Awareness is... Anyway...
Maybe I will do my old trick!
Now I am remembering my old trick. Which one…?
OK!
So, how many of you know awareness? Raise your hand!
OK. I see!
How many of you don't know awareness? Raise your hand.
OK.
So this is the trick, right? The meaning of this trick is:
Those of you who think you know awareness and raised your hands,
of course you know awareness.
And those who said, "I don't know awareness,”
that means you know awareness!
You have awareness. You know awareness.
Because your mind is aware that you don't have awareness.
That is awareness!
So, basically, awareness is with us all the time.
Whether you have thought or not, whether you have emotion or not,
whether your mind is distracted or not, whether you become unconscious or not,
awareness is always there.
But the main point is that we have to realize our awareness.
Recognize our awareness.
That's what we call
"no meditation but no distraction," or "not getting lost."
Not getting lost but not meditating.
Maybe I will give you an example. What is the meaning of getting lost?
Getting lost is like…
It is like being mindless.
I think some people call it “mindless,” or unconscious.
Then thinking, thinking, thinking. You go to the past and the future.
You are not with yourself.
Mindless, unconscious.
As soon as you know you are lost,
in that moment you have already recognized your awareness.
So, for example, first you are lost like this, like…
“Oh, I'm lost!”
In that moment, you will feel like you are waking up.
There is a sense of waking up, or being back to consciousness.
Before that, your mind was unconscious. Now it has become conscious or mindful.
Not mindless. Before that, you were mindless.
"Oh! I forgot my meditation!"
As soon as you remember your mediation, your mindfulness is back.
There is a sense of presence, "presentness.”
After that, you don't have to do anything!
Be with that "presentness.”
So, again, you don't have to “meditate.”
There is no need to meditate, but don't get lost.
That's the essence of all mediations,
the fundamental practice of all meditations.
I know many of you did Joy of Living, Level 1.
In Joy of Living Level 1 there are so many meditation techniques.
Meditation with form, sound, smell, taste, sensation.
There are many other mediation techniques,
not necessarily from the Joy of Living levels, but also from other traditions,
like breathing meditation, body sensation meditation,
so many meditation techniques.
It looks like there are many but, actually, there is only one.
That one is awareness.
As long as you realize your awareness, and you cultivate your awareness,
you are fine!
You are safe.
OK, thank you!