IF AWARENESS IS NOTHINGNESS, HOW CAN IT BE CONSCIOUS OF ITSELF?

Dear friend,

Thank you for your questions. I will reply to them in their sequential order. You asked...

My question is if awareness is conscious of itself, does awareness "feel" without being in form and if so where is this feeling? Does it feel joy or pain or nothing at all?

Also, if awareness is nothingness, how can it be conscious of itself?

Awareness is not a condition nor something you feel...it is you! For example, even as you read this email aren't you aware of it? Aren't you aware that it is little black dots on white space you are looking at? Aren't you aware that you are here and now present? Whatever you feel whether they are sensations in the body or thoughts or emotional feelings, they are all being experienced because you are aware of them. However, awareness itself is not an experience nor a thought nor an emotion...it is who you are!! When you see through your eyes and experience sound and know you are alive, this feeling, this knowing and this experience are because of awareness, however again, awareness is a nothingness (not a 'thing') it is spirit, it is infinite, it is intelligence of life. You are a human being. There are 6 billion humans on this earth but there is only One Being. This One Being is AWARENESS AND IT APPEARS AS 6 BILLION PEOPLE. Each human is a unique expression of this awareness which makes them believe they are their own experiences of thought, emotions and body but these things are merely what you are aware-of. Is that clear? You are awareness (divine essence) and it sees through your eyes and hears through your ears and smells through your nose...it is not the body that experiences but your awareness. However, since we as humans are memory, then we believe that what we are aware-of is real and that's how thoughts, emotions and feelings emerge. Awareness is always pure, timeless essence. You see, most people believe they are the body but when you ask them "When you were a baby, was it the same body?" "When you were a teenage was it the same body you have now?" Of course not. The body had recycles many times but it seems to be the same body because it is the same One Awareness that is always NOW. So when we combine memory and awareness we have the human being. However again, memory is the past whereas the awareness is ever fresh, new, alive, childlike and it innocent, pure and always known as LOVE. Imagine knowing that you are awareness then you'll also know that all 'others' are the same awareness and part of you...now, that's love!! 'Others' are only different in memory but the spirit-awareness is the same one often referred to as God.

Awareness is pure but since it is combined with memory then you feel pain or suffering according to your past experiences. However remember, what we call suffering is emotional and psychological and therefore is not real as far as awareness goes. It is only real to that individual. For example, let's say you are a dancer and you sprained an ankle then that could be suffering because you'll be confronted with the fear of not dancing anymore. However, if you knew that the sprain will be gone in a few days time, where's the suffering except some discomfort? All psychological suffering is in memory (mind). Awareness cannot suffer because it is Spirit that 'appears' human. You are aware of this writing and aware that you have a body and senses and experience your world simply because you are aware of them. Awareness in its pure essence is what knows that you exist and that's how it recognizes itself. Is it any clearer?

Here's your last question...Also, if awareness is nothingness, how can it be conscious of itself?

It is aware of itself because it is nothingness. It is nothingness (not a 'thing') that knowing is possible. For example, you know that you exist. Who is it that knows that? Is it a thought? Is it an emotion? Is it a memory? No, it is neither of them. It is KNOWING! This knowing is consciousness aware of itself. Your eyes see but they cannot see themselves. Similarly, your awareness sees everything but it cannot see itself. Therefore, it creates a self-image and says "well, I am a body and I am like this..." but in truth there is also a knowing that we are more than a memory -- we know that we know.

Ask yourself this, "Who are you right now?" and chances are you can't answer simply because there is no person except a memory...all you are is awareness and it cannot answer itself, however, if you become very still and really ask yourself, "who am I?" you will begin to glimpse that all there is at this very moment is just awareness. If all thought and memory were to stop functioning then all that remains is awareness. And yet, in this awareness you can still say 'I AM' -- you see, that awareness conscious of itself.

Now, if you have understood everything I have written here, congratulations. Most people do not grasp this utter simplicity because it is way above their normal thinking range. However, when we are intelligent and inquiring then something becomes alive in us and we begin to see what we couldn't see before.

I hope I have been of help.

With love always,

Burt