What is Awakening?
Awakening is an entry or a falling back into a new domain of experience & orientation in life. It is a fundamental shift in who or what we view ourselves and the world to be. Deep awakening not only shifts our perceptions of our experience and the surrounding world, but it comes with a whole physiological, mental and emotional transformation. Awakening can come gradually or in a flash and contain within it information about the nature or laws of matter, existence, our-self and the universe. It can come with an immeasurable amount of energy and information that can be understood, felt and known. There can be such a powerful download of felt sense information that the momentary awakening can be seen as a microcosmic experience that the rest of our lives become the larger macrocosmic expression of. This means that the events that led us to awaken and the indescribable qualities, insights and energetic streams become imprinted on our soul. This imprint supports the continuous process of embodying what we wake up to, into our everyday lives.
The awakening experience is like a seed which comes from a completely different domain. This seed contains the whole blueprint of what it means for us to grow into our fullness as human beings. Emphasizing both our humanity and our being-ness equally, the finite and infinite dimensions of our existence.
The eventual embodiment of awakening is inevitable if we look at it from the vantage point of formlessness or spirit, yet in form there is no guarantee that it will blossom in our lifetime. For example if we awaken to our inherent Oneness with all existence, it does not mean that our actions, thoughts, feelings or responses to life will actually be coming from the depths of this realization. It may take both effort & effortlessness and a beautiful flowing atmosphere of both for us to come into a harmony where it really feels that our lives are an expression of our awakening.
Everyday ordinary life becomes the ground in which this seed can germinate and grow. Like anything else in our finite experience this awakening does require us to keep tending to its beauty. It is through our tending that our realization deepens, widens, and integrates. The shape and form of this tending is in a continuous process of change and refinement. The “how” of it is very unique to our own make up but no matter what form it takes, deep listening is a must. Through this process of discovering how it is that we are called to tend to our awakening these human vehicles become greater and greater transparencies through which our spirit can shine itself through.
The initial high of awakening can last for days, weeks or months but eventually the honeymoon ends. With all the inspiration and insight of awakening we are brought back down to the unintegrated and shadowed aspects of our lives. Although we may resist coming down, this is where the true work begins. Here, we’re shown where we are holding tightly to outdated values and orientations which aren’t in alignment with reality. This can be a rigorous and challenging process that shows our fallibility, humanity, wounded-ness and self-centeredness. Even with how excruciating and disconcerting this stage may be, it is a necessary step. This is an alchemical process which refines our human vehicles enough for the impetus of spirit to move through. In all of this we keep learning that tending to our realization is to be it, to come from within its vantage point. Simultaneously a deep study and competency of knowing how to work with our habitual patterns, shadows and traumas is imperative if we are to live out our realization.
