Resting as Awareness Doesn't Mean Getting Into a State

True awareness is not about achieving a particular state of being but about recognizing the ever-present awareness that underlies all experience. It's not about staying in stillness, feeling a certain way, or living impersonally. These are just points of view, just as thoughts and emotions are. The goal is to become familiar with awareness itself, the space in which all experiences arise.

The video uses the analogy of an electron microscope to illustrate this point: when we examine anything closely, we find that it's ultimately empty space. Similarly, our sense of personal identity and the labels we attach to things are just constructs, not fundamentally real.

Clinging to a personal identity creates inner and outer conflict. We become attached to our thoughts and emotions, trying to cultivate positive ones and eliminate negative ones. This creates a constant battle within ourselves and with others, as we try to prove our worth and make our points of view prevail.

Instead, resting as awareness allows all thoughts, emotions, and experiences to simply be. This allows the “clear light of wisdom” to dawn, leading to self-compassion and compassion for others. We realize that everyone is "in the same boat", struggling with their own thoughts and emotions.

True freedom lies not in achieving a particular state but in recognizing our true nature as awareness. This is not a robotic or emotionless existence, but one filled with warmth, compassion, and a sense of humor about our own self-importance.