How does one describe the indescribable? How does one use words to convey that which is beyond words? Words are a product of Consciousness and thus, they cannot reach beyond it but, as many have said, words are pointers that can lead you in the right direction. That direction, in this case, is inward to the very core of your being, to the source of all things, to the third and final fold: Awareness in its purest form, as its unbound Self.
The Absolute, the True Self, the Supreme Self, the Supreme Reality, the All, the Source; these are all names attributed to this pure Awareness but all are inadequate. As this Awareness exists prior to the appearance of Consciousness, it is beyond name and form. As mentioned in the beginning, it is the ever-present, changeless background upon which and before which all change and all appearance take place. It is the Source of all manifestation, yet it is devoid of manifestation. For this reason, it has also been called the Unmanifested. From the manifest side of the Cosmic Mirror, it appears as nothing; as void or emptiness, but that “nothingness” is anything but empty. That nothingness is actually “no-thingness” or the absence of things. It is pure potentiality, the potential to become and to be before the point at which manifestation occurs. When actualization of that potential happens, manifestation comes into being in the form of elements imbued with life energy and, along with that manifestation, Consciousness simultaneously appears. That is the point at which “no-thing” becomes “some-thing”. The Absolute is the point of origin for the appearance of Consciousness and its manifestation. Consciousness is the Absolute’s manifest expression or its reflection in the Cosmic Mirror.
As mentioned, the subjectivity of Consciousness is dependent on the manifestation. Consciousness requires an object to be conscious of and thus, cannot be pure subjectivity. That title is reserved for the Absolute. The unbound Awareness that is the Absolute is pure subjectivity, independent of any object. As it is unmanifested, the only thing that exists at that stage is the Absolute. It is Unicity, Oneness, or Non-Duality. In the absence of anything but itself, it is not conscious of its existence. There is nothing to provide a contrast for it to know what it is not, which would thereby enable it to have knowledge of itself. It is important to bring attention to the fact that the knowledge mentioned is of itself. As the Absolute is not an object, it cannot be “known” but it can be “known of” or there can be knowledge of it. One cannot “know” the Absolute; one can only “be” that.
The Subject-Object relationship of duality does not exist in the Absolute because Consciousness, which provides that relationship, also does not exist. The appearance of Consciousness is, in fact, the point of origin for duality. Consciousness plays a dual role as both the primary object to the pure subjectivity of the Absolute and also the subject to the entirety or totality of the manifestation. Consciousness is the bridge between the Unmanifested and the Manifested. Some might consider the Unmanifested and the Manifested to be mutually exclusive or separate but how can they be? As mentioned earlier, different does not mean separate. Awareness is always Awareness regardless of the different ways it may be perceived. It’s like the sun and sunlight. The sunlight is the expression of the sun, the sun being the source of the sunlight. The sunlight has no independent existence apart from the sun. In the same way, Consciousness is the expression of the Absolute, the Absolute being its source. Consciousness has no independent existence apart from the Absolute, so the duality perceived between the two does not separate them. They are One. Indeed all is One in the eyes of the Absolute. There is no distinction, nor separation. The appearance of Consciousness and the manifestation is just that; appearance. It does not affect the Absolute. Consciousness is simply the manifest expression of the Absolute. It is how Awareness appears on the manifest side of the Cosmic Mirror. In the presence of manifestation, Awareness temporarily gains the attribute of Consciousness for the duration of that manifestation. It may last for years, decades, even millennia but, when compared to eternity, that Consciousness is still temporary. When that manifestation goes, the attribute of Consciousness goes with it but the Absolute remains. As mentioned in the beginning, Consciousness will come and go, manifestation will come and go, but despite the comings and goings, Awareness remains constant.
The threefold aspect of Awareness or the three perceptions of the Self can be summed up like this:
- “I” is pure subjectivity. The Absolute. The independent source of all that is.
- “I am” is pure subjectivity coupled with the confirmation of its existence through the appearance of Consciousness and manifestation.
- “I am Danny” is the pure subjectivity coupled with the confirmation of its existence through the appearance of Consciousness and the manifestation but, in this case, that Consciousness has become identified with a particular form. By taking that form to be its own, it brings the Ego identity into existence along with all the trouble that comes with it.
The “I” or the Absolute or Awareness remains constant throughout as the changeless among the continually changing. One is always the Absolute or the True Self. In the presence of manifestation, that One appears as Consciousness. If that One, as Consciousness, identifies with a particular body, then they perceive themselves as a person, as an individual, separate from the rest. It is untrue of course but, as mentioned earlier, as it is perceived, so it is experienced. One need not “find” or “discover” the True Self. You are That always. It is more an uncovering; a stripping away of the layers of misinformation and conditioning that have brought about the distorted self-perception. All that is needed is a correction in that perception of who and, more importantly, what you are. This correction will remove the obscurity, allowing you to see clearly what is, was, and always shall be.
Thus ends the Threefold Awareness. This initial chapter is necessary to provide the groundwork, the basic understanding of the Self because all that follows will be based on that understanding. Might these words serve as adequate pointers to guide you inward so that they may lead you to the realization, to the understanding, to the “uncovery” of your True Self.