The idea of “I” is absurd. Even “I” fades while Awareness still remains.
There can be no ego without attention. Attention is all of ego’s power, and ego does not exist without attention. Awareness, however, does exist without attention. One, therefore, is sentient and real, the other is an illusion.
Awareness is untouchable. Only the ego can be talked to or hurt. The ego is the cause of all suffering and pain in the world, but ego is also the recipient of all pain and suffering.
The solution to sadness is to choose to end the ego dream.
“I” can’t be ego. “I” can’t be true self. “I” can’t exist on its own. “I” doesn’t linger, “I” disappears. “I” returns from where it came. “I” changes. “I” is malleable. “I” is impermanent.
“I” is the prodding stick for the camp fire of awareness. Mind may identify “I” with true self, and may by doing so rightfully aid the quest in ending the ego illusion, but “I” is not true self and never can be. There can be no “I”. “I” is an ego illusion, dependent on attention. “I” comes and “I” goes. Awareness remains.
Q: Do I place attention on awareness, and never move my attention away again?
A: No. Attention is a tool the mind uses to focus on different external phenomenon. Attention is important because it allows the mind to perceive. Any time the attention is pointed towards a phenomenon, the mind is able to learn and process. It follows, placing attention on awareness would be helpful for learning and processing what awareness is. If learning is the goal, attention on awareness is helpful. Attention on awareness can lead to realization, clarity, wisdom, and discernment.
For the journey of entering into the “fire” of meditation and recognizing the true self, the source of mind becomes important to identify. The source of mind is “I.” The “I” is an impermanent, coming and going, transient pattern of internal movement. The “I” wields attention, and the “I” is responsible for all questions and all answers. (This is why attention comes and goes, and so do questions come and go). As a rule of things which change, the mind will never be settled. Using the mind to focus on attention would be helpful to still the mind and answer the mind’s questions – for a moment. Then, the mind will create new questions. In fact, because things which change are never settled, the mind may focus on awareness, but the mind will never stop moving attention. The mind will never exist in the same state long enough to ever melt into awareness.
To melt into awareness is to end the ego illusion and recognize the true self. The end of the ego dream is the end of pain, suffering, distraction, and identification. The true self is awareness. Through meditation, one can discover awareness as the only instant experience which never changes. The awareness is different from attention because attention is a changing tool of the mind, while awareness is unchanging and instantly, concretely present of its own accord. To awaken from the illusion of the ego dream and the false self, look truthfully to awareness and recognize the eternal, infinite position of awareness. Rest in the awareness. Notice awareness is present even when attention is placed away from awareness. Awareness is unchanging, so awareness does not depend on changing attention – awareness of awareness is not a product of attention. Awareness of awareness is an oxymoron. Awareness of awareness occurs constantly and consistently, because awareness is changeless and does not move, yet is infinite in every place, and eternal existing at every time.
To melt the ego mind into the “fire” of meditation, to meld with awareness and recognize the true self, placing attention on awareness and simply not moving it will not be enough. Attention will constantly move through questions and answers. If the mind is too loud to be still, and learning is helpful, then attention on awareness will lead to clarity and discernment. However, the end of the ego illusion and the recognition of the true self is a product of instant awareness. The mind, “I,” is not part of the solution. The changing actions of the mind are not part of the solution. The solution is already realized in the infinite eternal awareness