#4644 - Wednesday,
July 4, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
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In this issue you'll have
the opportunity to read the Introduction,
Chapter One, and Index to Colin
Drake's new book, Awakening and Beyond.
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Comments for
the writings of Colin Drake, which
areВ part ofВ his new book:
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Great article (Love
loving Itself). Thanks. Love, Isaac
ShapiroВ
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Superb article.
Fantastically well put. So simple any
'one' could get it! – Piers
Mooreede
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As usual, this is an
exceptionally lucid and practical
discussion of the ephemeral “I”
and the changeless Reality which
underlies all. Well done! – Don
Wolfe
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Introducing a new book by
Colin Drake: Awakening and Beyond: Self
Recognition and its Consequences.
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Colin now has three books
in the series. They are available as e-books
or in hard copy.
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The Introduction and Index
to Awakening and Beyond are featured in this
issue.
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For complete details and
ordering information please visit
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Awakening and
Beyond, by Colin Drake, is a series
of articles written since the publication of
the Author's second book A Light Unto Your
Self. It is the third in the trilogy which
started with Beyond the Separate Self. Each
book deals with Awakening, from the dream of
being a separate object on the earth, and each
is written so as to stand alone Â… not
requiring the reader to have read the other
works.
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Introduction to
Awakening and Beyond
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This book is the follow up
to Beyond The Separate Self and A Light Unto
Your Self. All of these books deal with
self-identity, Г‚вЂ˜Who am I?Â’; which is
vital, for without a clear idea of oneÂ’s
essential identity one cannot relate to the
world, and others, in an appropriate way. To
give a stark example: we have all heard of
people who are incarcerated because they
believe they are Jesus Christ, or Napoleon
Bonaparte say, and it is fairly apparent that
any relationship to such a person will be
somewhat unusual to say the least! In the same
way whilst we believe that we are separate
objects, in a universe of separate objects,
then we will naturally treat ourselves and
others as objects, which I think we can see to
be an unsatisfactory arrangement. For this
tends to lead to blatant self-interest and
exploitation of our fellow beings, the outcome
of which is apparent in the modern world.
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So the quest is to inquire
and discover that which is beyond
objectification, the deeper level that is the
perceiver, the subjective level in which
objects (thoughts and sensations) come and go.
This is easily achieved by directly
investigating our moment to moment experience,
and the previous books provided a simple
framework in which this investigation may be
easily carried out, see appendix 1. Beyond The
Separate Self also included a series of
contemplations delving more deeply into what
is discovered, and chapters on how to live
from this deeper subjective level. A light
Unto Your Self continues this whilst
concentrating on the need to discover for
oneself so that no outside authority is
necessary. It also provides a series of
contemplations on how to cultivate the first
awakening which is the outcome of the initial
investigation, and on how to Г‚вЂ˜applyÂ’
this awakening to our day to day existence.
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This book continues this
theme whilst providing pointers as to what can
be expected when one is Г‚вЂ˜awakeÂ’ and
some of the outcomes of awakening. It also
stresses the need for continued cultivation of
this, for we have all lived for so long
misidentifying as a separate being that we
readily Г‚вЂ˜nod offÂ’ again requiring
another awakening. The author knows this only
too well and makes no claim to Г‚вЂ˜lack of
sleepÂ’! However, when one is awake one is
awake Â… so that anything that is
discovered, or encountered, in this awakened
condition is a valid topic in the smorgasbord
that is Awakening and Beyond. For more on this
see chapter six: Г‚вЂ˜Are there Different
Degrees of Awakening?Â’
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Much of the information in
the following articles relies on the discovery
that our body/minds are instruments through
which Consciousness can sense, contemplate,
experience, act in, engage with and enjoy Its
manifestation. The chapter from A Light Unto
Your Self , which deals with this, has been
included as appendix 2 and it would be
advisable to read the appendices first.
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Chapter one considers the
concept that staying awake is like
Г‚вЂ˜walking along a razorÂ’s edgeÂ’ as
has been defined in The Upanishads and was the
topic of a famous novel by Somerset Maugham.
Or as Jesus is purported to say: “Strait
is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it.” (Matthew 7 v.10) The thrust of this
chapter is that awakening is actually
remarkably simple, see appendix 1
(Investigation of Experience) which outlines
the framework for investigating oneÂ’s
moment to moment experience. It also
highlights how easy it is to fall asleep again
and in this respect staying awake could be
said to be like Г‚вЂ˜walking a razorÂ’s
edgeÂ’. Luckily however, re-awakening is
even easier than the first awakening and so
Г‚вЂ˜nodding offÂ’ is not a problem
provided one continually wakes up again Â…
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Chapter two considers the
looming global environmental catastrophe and
posits that humanity can only overcome this by
solving the problems of overpopulation and the
unsustainable exploitation of the earthÂ’s
mineral resources. These are caused by those
old chestnuts - lust and greed - and this
chapter considers how these may be reduced by
awakening to our true identity.
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Chapter three is concerned
with debunking the myth that we need to
achieve union (yoga) or integration with the
Absolute, for when the subject is examined
there is no separation to be found, and thus
no union or integration is possible.
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Chapter four deals with
giving up our personal Г‚вЂ˜storyÂ’ of a
separate being (object) and seeing this as it
actually is Â… just a story.
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Chapter five is the answer
to a question I received, the gist of which
is: If I identify with Awareness why would I
want to do anything? The answer concerns the
function of conscious beings and the purpose
of life itself. This was the first article in
a set of four I wrote for the spiritual
Г‚вЂ˜blogÂ’ of Hanumandass.
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Chapter six is the second
of these which deals with the questions of
whether there are different degrees of
awakening, and whether awakening is gradual or
sudden.
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Chapter seven is the third
in the series and is my answer to the
question: Is practice necessary? The article
deals with this on three levels –body,
mind and awakening.
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Chapter eight is the last
in this series which deals with the problem of
identifying oneself as seeker, or
practitioner. It also highlights the essential
meaningless of labels that attempt to
categorize human beings, and deals with the
pitfalls of Г‚вЂ˜reading meaning into things
that have no meaningÂ’.
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Chapter nine is a dialogue
between myself and Hanumandass which resulted
from my answering his blogged question:
Г‚вЂ˜how to apply nondual Awareness to the
external world?Â’ The gist of my answer was
that one does not (need to) apply this in the
normal way, for once one awakens then this
changes oneÂ’s relations with, and
interaction in, the external world for the
better. To back this up I sent him a poem on
the subject - Awakening is Immensely Practical
– which had a profound effect.
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Chapter ten is an attempt
at a logical proof of the assertion that
Г‚вЂ˜I am AwarenessÂ’. It gives a set of
premises to back this up and also presents the
proof in the Aristotelian format – premise
one, premise two, conclusion.
Chapter eleven is a dialogue between myself
and a reader of Beyond The Separate Self who
greatly appreciated the book but was still
continually overcome by memories and negative
thought patterns.
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Chapter twelve was written
for a website called Г‚вЂ˜The Awakened
EyeÂ’ www.theawkenedeye.com
which is dedicated to the visual arts created
by those who have had some degree of
awakening, and also to the fact that creating
artworks can foster this awakening. It deals
with the general subject of Г‚вЂ˜Awareness and
CreativityÂ’.
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Chapter thirteen is my
response to a critic who questioned the fact
that awakening was freely available to those
who were prepared to investigate reality for
themselves, and who also asserted that one had
to renounce the world of form to achieve peace
(by awakening).
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Chapter fourteen is a
dialogue with a reader of A Light Unto Your
Self which concerns viewing oneÂ’s negative
emotions from (identifying with) pure
Awareness, how to allow the old thought
patterns (that create these) to just come and
go without buying into them. It also considers
the fact that as one awakens oneÂ’s
emotions gradually change, allowing for the
enjoyment of the positive ones whilst letting
the negative ones go.
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Chapter fifteen is a
dialogue with a German professor who had
enjoyed a first awakening but was unsure of
its veracity. So he asked a series of
questions concerning the link between
(identifying as) Awareness and awakening.
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Chapter sixteen is a poem
I wrote in praise of (Universal) Consciousness
in its two modes – at rest as Awareness-
and in motion as cosmic energy
(manifestation). In Hindu mythology the first
of these is denoted by Siva and the second by
Sakti.
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Chapter seventeen consists
of my answers to a set of questions posed by
Jerry Katz, my first e-book publisher, who was
writing a book on Г‚вЂ˜Life After
AwakeningÂ’.
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Chapter eighteen deals
with Г‚вЂ˜the universe and consciousnessÂ’
from a scientific point of view and attempts
to show how this agrees with the model of
nonduality: that there is only consciousness
existing in two states - still, as Awareness,
and in motion, as energy.
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Chapter nineteen considers
whether Г‚вЂ˜sitting meditationÂ’, which
entails concentration on a mantra, or a
symbol, or the breath is of any use in
achieving freedom. Or, whether it is
counter-productive as it posits something (in
the future) to achieve when the concentration
deepens, thus positing that freedom is not
already here. Whereas, freedom is always
Г‚вЂ˜here and nowÂ’ just requiring the
recognition of its presence.
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Chapter twenty reflects on
Г‚вЂ˜good and evilÂ’ and attempts to show
that they both stem from the same motivation,
that of becoming happy, or fulfilled. Their
outward expression varies depending on the
state of comparative Г‚вЂ˜awakeningÂ’
exhibited by the doer.
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Chapter twenty-one asks
the question of whether a Guru, in the
traditional sense, is necessary on the path of
Jnana-Yoga (knowledge) or self-inquiry.
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Chapter twenty-two
attempts to show that Г‚вЂ˜LoveÂ’ can be
defined as the state of Г‚вЂ˜No
SeparationÂ’ between the lover and the
beloved.
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Chapter twenty-three is an
exercise using the body/mind as an instrument
through which the lover – consciousness at
rest, pure awareness – and the beloved
– consciousness in motion, the
manifestation – can Г‚вЂ˜knowÂ’ and
love each other.
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Chapter twenty-four posits
that the realization of the Absolute, by
investigation of experience, leads to nirvana.
Or you could say that nirvana is synonymous
with being totally identified as, and with,
Awareness - The Absolute Reality.
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Chapter twenty-five
considers how two nondual perspectives,
Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta, through the
Upanishads, reflect and inform one another.
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Awakening and
Beyond
В
$7.95 in PDF format
Buy Beyond the Separate
Self, A Light Unto Your Self, and Awakening and
Beyond, all 3 for $18
В
Order Colin Drake's books
as hard copy paperbacks:
В
В
В
Awakening and
Beyond, by Colin Drake
В
Chapter One
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The RazorÂ’s
Edge
It has long been held that following the
spiritual life to its goal, complete
awakening, is very difficult, like walking
along a razorÂ’s edge. This chapter
addresses this and attempts to show that,
whilst experiencing the first awakening is
very simple and easy, to live this awakening
requires great vigilance like walking a tight
rope.В
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Let the wise merge the
speech in the mind, and the mind into
intelligence (philosophical reason); let him
merge intelligence in the great self (pure
Awareness), and that self into peace.
Katha Upanishad – 1.3.13
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This signifies recognizing
that thoughts (mind), sensations and actions
(speech in this case) appear in (and are seen
by) Awareness i.e.В are merged in
that.В This is to be discovered by
Г‚вЂ˜direct seeingÂ’ which is informed by
intelligence.В Then by the same process
one can discover that Awareness, being always
totally still and utterly silent, is always
completely at peace.В This is all fairly
straightforward and easy to Г‚вЂ˜seeÂ’ as
appendix 1 (Investigation of Experience), from
Beyond the Separate Self (and A Light Unto
Your Self) attempts to show.В
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Arise, awake, enlighten yourself by resorting
to the great (teachers), for that path is
sharp as a razorÂ’s, difficult to tread
and hard to go by, say the wise.
 Katha Upanishad – 1.3.14
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This next verse says that
the path of Г‚вЂ˜direct seeingÂ’ is sharp
as a razorÂ’s edge and thus we should
abandon this and resort to the great
teachers.В However, this advice itself
is very difficult to follow for the modern
sceptical Western mind which does not trust
anything that lies outside its own experience
or Г‚вЂ˜direct seeingÂ’.В Also the
teachings of the great are often difficult to
follow being somewhat cryptic and needing
interpretation.В resulting in different
opinions leading to schisms and the formation
of sects.В From this also comes
tribalism based on Г‚вЂ˜our teacher is the
bestÂ’ or Г‚вЂ˜our interpretation is the
correct oneÂ’ and the whole sorry saga of
division and competition is perpetuated!
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So based on this I think,
on balance, we are better off following
BuddhaÂ’s final teaching which was that one
is to become Г‚вЂ˜a light unto
yourselfÂ’. Sankara agreed with this
when he wrote, in the Vivekachudamani (verse
54):
The true form of Reality
should be known through oneÂ’s own
bodhacaksu, clear eye of understanding, and
not through a scholar; the true form of the
moon should be known by means of oneÂ’s own
eyes only; how can it be known by proxy?
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This Г‚вЂ˜knowingÂ’ (of
Reality) requires the Г‚вЂ˜direct seeingÂ’
of our essential nature by self-inquiry or
Г‚вЂ˜investigation of our moment to
moment experience’ – see appendix
1.В Which results in an Г‚вЂ˜awakened
momentÂ’ when one sees that deeper than
thoughts (mind) and body (mind) one is pure
Awareness and the ramifications of this seeing
can be amazing.В However, due to our
habitual identification with the body/mind one
soon Г‚вЂ˜nods offÂ’ again requiring a
further awakening by self-inquiry or
investigation of experience.В So to
become Г‚вЂ˜totally awakeÂ’ requires
absolute vigilance and commitment, akin to
walking a razorÂ’s edge.В
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However, this is not a
problem, for as the periods of
Г‚вЂ˜wakefulnessÂ’ (which are totally
carefree) increase so will the commitment to
identifying with the level of pure
Awareness.В This will lead to more
reflection and investigation, resulting in
further awakenings which will continue the
process.В To call it a process may seem
a misnomer for when one is Г‚вЂ˜awakeÂ’
thereÂ’s no process going on, but the
continual naps keep the whole thing running.
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This does require us to be
more interested in awakening than in our own
Г‚вЂ˜personal storyÂ’, and to prefer peace
to mental suffering.В It is amazing how
many people prefer to identify with the story
and suffering, seeming to actually enjoy them
in a masochistic fashion.В Assuming that
this is not the case one can use mental
suffering to be a wake up call that one has
Г‚вЂ˜noddedÂ’ off again and return one to
Г‚вЂ˜Awareness of AwarenessÂ’.В So
although staying awake is like walking a
razorÂ’s edge it is very easy to see when
one has slipped off this and to hop back on
again!
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There is another danger
for those that feel that they have
Г‚вЂ˜awakenedÂ’ and that is spiritual pride
based on the thought that “now I’ve
really got it” and thus cannot fall off
the edge.В It is easy to see that this
thought “now I’ve really got it”
is dualistic involving a Г‚вЂ˜meÂ’
thatÂ’s got something (else). This
is the difference between thinking Г‚вЂ˜now
IÂ’ve really got AwarenessÂ’ and
directly seeing that one is Awareness
itself.В Any thought that objectifies
the Г‚вЂ˜IÂ’ is to be avoided, for
Awareness is not an object but the constant
conscious subjective presence.В Once
again vigilance is the key Â…
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Thirdly for those of us
who attempt to point to awakening there is
another greater danger, which is believing
that we are (separate individuals) pointing
Â… This belief can easily be strengthened
by the appreciation that we receive by those
who experience awakened moments based on this
pointing.В As Г‚вЂ˜awakeningÂ’ is the
most profound seeing that can occur, often
with momentous implications, the gratitude
expressed is often of the most lavish
proportions.В So we need to Г‚вЂ˜walk
the walkÂ’ by continually realizing that we
are ephemeral manifestations of That
(consciousness), through which pointing is
taking place, and that no separate
Г‚вЂ˜pointerÂ’ exists!
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In conclusion,
Г‚вЂ˜awakeningÂ’ is straightforward and
available to all, but is quickly countered by
nodding off again.В So we need to
constantly reawaken by becoming aware of, and
identified with, Awareness itself.В In
this respect it is like walking a razorÂ’s
edge, but it is not painful and hopping back
on again is simplicity itself by the relevant
shifting of attention from thoughts/sensations
to the Awareness that sees these.В
However, to become fully awake requires for
this repeated seeing to occur until we finally
no longer nod off again and this entails
utmost vigilance.В Papaji, Sri Ramana
MaharshiÂ’s direct disciple, was asked
whether he still had to remain vigilant and he
replied Г‚вЂ˜with every breathÂ’.
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~ ~ ~
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Read the index to
Awakening and Beyond:
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~ ~ ~
В
Awakening and
Beyond
В
$7.95 in PDF format
Buy Beyond the
Separate Self, A Light Unto Your Self, and
Awakening and Beyond, all 3 for $18
В
Order Colin Drake's books
as hard copy paperbacks:
В
