| We live in a TV/media/celebrity culture | | | | It is because of beliefs. |
| We live in a mind-based culture | | | | The beliefs we hold on to, believing that somehow |
| We live in fear culture | | | | they will alleviate our suffering. This is simply a habit |
| We live in a ‘knowledge is truth' culture | | | | formed of conditioning. |
| We live in a ‘I am right' culture | | | | But have your beliefs ever been successful at such |
| We live in a ‘Something is wrong' culture. | | | | alleviation? |
| We live in a ‘I must have a lot of money' culture. | | | | Let's take an example. Let's take fear. Has the belief |
| We live in a ‘Fame is good' culture | | | | in your fear about life (whatever specific fear you |
| We live in an ‘Emotions are embarrassing' culture. | | | | may have) ever led to an alleviation of that fear? |
| We live in a ‘There isn't enough' culture. | | | | Has the belief that ‘you need to have more |
| This list goes on. | | | | money' ever provided the fulfilment that you think |
| What we don't yet collectively live in, is an | | | | money can bring? |
| ‘awareness' culture, although this is building a | | | | Here's another example: Has the belief that |
| groundswell. | | | | ‘people should behave in a certain way' ever |
| So what is an ‘awareness' culture? | | | | ensured they behave in that way? |
| Ask yourself this question: When you are in pain, | | | | And another: Has the belief that ‘I am happy' |
| whether physical or emotional, what is it that is | | | | ever given you the experience of uninterrupted |
| aware that you are in pain? | | | | happiness? |
| When you are excited, what is it that is aware that | | | | Thus, can you see that beliefs are simply filters that |
| you are excited? | | | | try to control life that cannot be controlled by beliefs. |
| When you are happy, what is it that is aware that | | | | What would happen when you allow yourself to give |
| you are happy? | | | | up control? Would anything really change? |
| When you are looking forward to something, what is | | | | When we consider such questions, we give ourselves |
| it that is aware that you are looking forward to | | | | the opportunity to see that there is nothing that we |
| something? | | | | can do or say that will change this basic Awareness. |
| When you are in love, what is it that is aware that | | | | In this Awareness there is no suffering, or even |
| you are in love? | | | | excitement, yet we can experience all these feelings |
| The answer is: Awareness. | | | | in their purity and accept them for what they are. |
| If we take a moment to step back from the | | | | Even our ‘worst' emotions can be experienced |
| experience – any experience – we see that | | | | without undue ‘worst-ness'. When we become |
| awareness of all that is experienced, is occurring. | | | | aware of what it is that is aware that we are in pain, |
| Thus, if it is possible that we can be aware of the | | | | happiness, boredom, anger or whatever the emotion, |
| experience, are we then the experience, or are we | | | | then the emotion loses its bite. |
| the experiencer? | | | | By becoming so aware, an Awareness culture can |
| We are the experiencer. For, awareness of life is | | | | take over from the belief culture that we are locked |
| always present. | | | | into, and the basic state of human beings can begin |
| So, why is it that we are unaware of this | | | | to be realized. |
| Awareness, this Experiencer? | | | | |