Principles of Buddhism: first principle P1/2 - Awareness

Principles of Buddhism: first principle P1/2 - Awareness

We can also look at precepts for developing awareness in terms of energy.
We avoid anything which dulls or diminishes our energy.
We try to do more of anything that stimulates or intensifies our energy.

To begin with let’s note.
Some say drinking alcohol stimulates energy.
In the short term maybe it does.
But the energy doesn’t last.
After the effects of the alcohol have worn off,
We can have a big hangover.

When we are truest energetic,
Our energy stimulates more energy again.
We feel very present,
Very concentrated,
Decades later we can remember what we did in a concentrated state,
With all the details,
As if it was yesterday.

Being truly concentrated,
Not just concentration by an effort of will,
All our energies are concentrated,
They flow together.

When all the parts of purse are conscious.
Conscious of everything we call good and call bad.
Nothing is left hidden or unconscious.
When we know who we really are.
Then all our inner conflicts,
Which drain and reduce our energy,
Are overcome and resolved.
We are able to act with the whole if ourselves.
We can act with commitment.

We develop our ability to act with commitment then,
Firstly by developing our awareness,
Especially our awareness of ourselves.
Integrating all the different parts of ourselves.

Part of this process of integration is
Turning towards what we think of as bad
And turning towards painful feelings,
Even physical pain.
Turning towards things we usually try to:
- Ignore,
- Make an abstraction of,
- Escape,
- Destroy by an effort of will.

But instead we are invited to open up to them,
With warmth and awareness,
With understanding,
Trying to find out why they are there.

If we can be supremely open to ourselves,
We will be supremely open to others.
Our attitude to others reflects our attitude to ourselves.
If we give ourselves the gift of allowing us to be who we really are,
We won’t be able to not want others to experience being who they really are too.

And this is the true goal of developing our awareness.