ALERTNESS IS NOT AWARENESS…..…….

We generally confuse alertness with awareness which is not true. Alertness is not awareness or being alert is not being aware. Alertness is of the mind which is rather needed for survival in the world. In fact, in terms of alertness we are nowhere close to the alertness of many other creatures, for example a dog; cat or a snake who happen to be far more alert than us. I want to differentiate the two with an example – while we sit in meditation, the whole objective is to be in the knowing i.e. to be aware of whatever that happens within or around us at the level of the body, mind (thoughts n emotions) and energy level. Hence to be on toes or being watchful for all these happenings is alertness and not awareness but to simply be in the knowing of such happenings if any, without reacting to or entangling with them, is what we refer to as awareness or meditation. Awareness is far more fundamental to our existence and to attain and sustain the state of pure awareness is the only objective of all the spiritual processes and practices. Alertness is like a watchman being alert to the movement of suspicious characters or one being alert to any specific danger etc. Alertness is thus a survival technique. Alertness and awareness are therefore two different dimensions altogether. If one is alert he may not be aware but when one is established in awareness then one is in the knowing of everything. Awareness means to be here in the PRESENT or NOW. One who is here in the PRESENT or NOW becomes a kshana or sunya as Buddha called it which means no mind or gap between two thoughts. While one is in kshana, he is free from suffering as opposed to a time, also a name for mind, which we are usually in and hence the suffering………….BeAware.