PURE AWARENESS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The objective of these exercises is to attain pure-awareness. 

We will employ observation, starting by observing gross 
objects right up to the observation of mental objects.

Start by placing an object in front of you,
eg, a pencil.

Look at the pencil. Are you aware that the pencil is outside
of you and not you?  Do you see that there are 2 parts,
the pencil is the object and you are the observer?
Fig 1 below illustrates this.


	Observer ------> Pencil (Object)

	
	Fig 1. Observing a gross object
	-------------------------------   


The important question:

	HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE PENCIL IS NOT YOU?

Answer:

	BECAUSE THE PENCIL IS AN OBJECT OF OBSERVATION. Something is
	observing the pencil.  That something is the Observer, therefore
	the pencil is NOT the Observer. 



The next exercise.

Look down.  You see your hands, legs, torso. By the same reasoning
as above, your body is also an object. Therefore,
your body is not you. Fig 2 illustrates this.


	Observer ---------> Body (Object)


	Fig 2.  Your body is Not you
	----------------------------


It is imperative that you need to gain the above realizations by your own 
personal experience, by observation and not by reasoning alone.
See it for yourself, you are looking out from your eye-sockets in your head.
You see your hands, bending your head down a little you see your torso, feet. Verify
this. It should be apparent that you are not your hands, your feet, your body.


Note:

	Your hands, feet, torso, body is as separate from the observer in the
same way as the pen in front of you is separate from the observer.


Next exercise:

By extension of this reasoning, everything that can be observed is NOT you.
If you can observe the thoughts, this implies that the thoughts are NOT you.
Your thoughts are as separate from you as the pencil is separate from you.
Fig 3 illustrates this.


	Observer ---------> Thoughts (Object)


	Fig 3. You are NOT your thoughts
	--------------------------------



Next exercise:

Think of yourself. You see an image of your face in your mind. That image is
also an object of observation. By necessary implication, the "I" is therefore
NOT you. Fig 3 illustrates this.


	Observer ----------> the "I" thought (Object)


	Fig 3.  You are not the "I"
	---------------------------


This begs the question:

	Who is the Observer?

Answer:

	PURE AWARENESS	


ie, awareness without an object, ie, Emptiness (empty of objects)


Pure Awareness cannot see itself just as the eye cannot see itself. It can only
see outwardly. Before phenomena/objects/Form can be perceived there must be the Pure
Awareness/Emptiness.  Therefore, Form needs Emptiness in order for Forms to be 
defined. Without Emptiness, there is no Form.



If you have succeeded in arriving at this realization, it will also be immediately
apparent that pain is not yours.  Pleasure is also not yours.  Pain and pleasure
belong to the body.  Your body is as separate from you as your friend is separate
from you. 

Pain has various intensity. The spectrum of pain ranges from the most subtle, eg,
from minor mental irritation to excruciating physical pain. All of them do not
belong to you. If you attach to them, then the attachment intensifies the suffering.


The physical body may tremble and shake in pain, but the real you is essentially
free, since the pain does not belong to you.