Insight Meditation 34

Learning to observe the knowing quality of awareness as it functions autonomously, weakens the habitual identification of being the one who is aware, the one who knows.

• Develop understanding of the relationship between the mind and awareness.
• Decondition habitual grasping towards being the one that knows experiences.
• Disentangle awareness from the sixth sense field: knowing & mind.

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• Length: 60 min, 1-2 times daily.
• Developing Insight: Become familiar with the autonomous nature of the experience of the knowing function of awareness as it rests on different objects.

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Step 1: Sit in meditation, gently closing your eyes.

Step 2:  Establish mindfulness of your body as you sit in meditation.

• Develop sensitivity to the field of awareness resting within your body.
• Soften the effort to be aware and rest in the subtle pleasure of this release.

Step 3: Establish mindfulness of your hands resting in your lap.

• Develop sensitivity to the field of awareness resting within your hands.
• Soften the effort to be aware and rest in the subtle pleasure of this release.

Step 4: Expand awareness and establish mindfulness on your five physical senses in one field of awareness.

• Develop sensitivity to the field of awareness resting on this sense field.
• Soften the effort to be aware and rest in the subtle pleasure of this release.

Step 5: Bring awareness back to your whole body sitting and establish mindfulness of your body, softening until awareness rests within it. 

• Soften your minds grip on your body and allow it to function in its normal state as it wants, completely autonomously.
• Observe the floaty nature of attention and awareness when not controlled. Take interest in awareness resting within this experience and on any thoughts, memories or other sensory experience that arises.
• Soften the effort to be aware and rest in the subtle pleasure of this release.

Step 6: Observe the effort to be aware of these experiences and disentangle your awareness from being aware by developing nirvikalpa samadhi for the rest of your meditation session.

• Continue to incline your mind towards letting go of the base effort that supports being aware itself. 
• Investigate what it means to disentangle awareness by softening into the effort that supports this field of knowing.
• Observe the pulsing, impermeant nature of awareness and learn to incline your mind towards the gaps in awareness.

You are ready to progress to Insight 35: Mindfulness of Knowing 2 when:

You can clearly experience:

1. The autonomous nature of knowing in regard to contact, the sense object, the awareness field, and the habitual identification with being the one who is aware.
2. You can observe awareness of the knowing of awareness, and you understand what it means to soften the effort that supports that awareness.

• SoundCloud: Guided Meditation.
• Insight Timer App: Guided Meditation.