What is Awareness?

You are walking. You are aware of many things - of the shops, of people passing by you, only unaware of one thing - and that is yourself. You are walking on the street, you are aware of many things, and you are only not aware of yourself? This is the awareness of the self, George Gurdjieff has called self-remembering. Gurdjieff says, "Constantly wherever you are, remember yourself."

The miracle of awareness is that you need not do anything except to be aware. whatsoever you are doing, go on doing one thing inside continuously, be aware of yourself doing it. You are eating- be aware of yourself. You are walking- be aware of yourself. You are listening, you are speaking - be aware of yourself. When you are angry, be aware that you are angry. In the very instant that anger is there, be aware that you are angry. This constant remembering of the self, creates a subtle energy, a very subtle energy in you. You begin to be a crystallised being.

Awareness is what makes you a master - and when I say a master, I do not mean a controller. When I say be a master, I mean be a presence, a continuous presence. Whatever you are doing, or not doing, one thing must constantly be in your consciousness, that you are.

The simple feeling of oneself, that one is, creates a center - a center of stillness, a center of silence, a center of inner mastery. It is an inner power. And when I say " an inner power", I mean it literally. That is why the Buddhas talk about the fire of awareness.- it is a fire. If you begin to be aware, you begin to feel a new energy in you, a new fire, a new life. And because of this new life, new power, new energy, many things that were dominating you just dissolve. You don't have to fight with them.

The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly, slowly one becomes alert about each gesture, each movement. And as you become aware, a miracle starts happening: many things that you used to do before simply disappear. Your body becomes more relaxed, more attuned, a deep peace starts prevailing even in your body, a subtle music pulsates in your body.

Then the second step is to start becoming aware of your thoughts- the same has to be done with the thoughts. Slowly the body and the mind will be in accord and not running in different directions. Then the third step is to become aware of your feelings, emotions and moods. Once you are aware of all three, they all become into one phenomenon, and then the fourth happens. Which you cannot do- it happens on its own accord, it is a gift from the whole. It is a reward for those who have done these three. And the fourth is the ultimate awareness that makes one awakened.

Source: The book "Awareness - The Key to Living in Balance" by OSHO