How does Culadasa explains be aware of awareness?

[RedLine]

In his model, the consciusness has 2 "functions": concentration + peripheral awareness. So for example, the basic meditation he propose consist of contration in the nose  + peripheral awareness of the background.

But, what if you are practicing "be aware of awareness"? Where is your concentration pointing to? Here, it seems like awareness and concentration are the same.

 

@ardacigin

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by RedLine

[The0Self]

He explains it in a fairly comprehensive way, but in short: get into the witness by allowing your attention to find the still point such that attention is essentially focused tightly and only on itself (easier said than done...). You will be in a state of pure metacognitive awareness, but the seat of the still point bas become metacognitive attention. The focus of your attention will be: the subjective experience of looking at the mind and the material world from a totally detached perspective. Then, allow attention to come back out of its shell and consume every ounce of awareness, such that the distinction between attention and awareness has disappeared.

Edited November 20, 2020 by The0Self

[RedLine]

13 minutes ago, The0Self said:

He explains it in a fairly comprehensive way, but in short: get into the witness by allowing your attention to find the still point such that attention is essentially focused tightly and only on itself (easier said than done...). Then, allow attention to come back out of its shell and consume every ounce of awareness, such that the distinction between attention and awareness has disappeared.

13 minutes ago, The0Self said:

He explains it in a fairly comprehensive way, but in short: get into the witness by allowing your attention to find the still point such that attention is essentially focused tightly and only on itself (easier said than done...). Then, allow attention to come back out of its shell and consume every ounce of awareness, such that the distinction between attention and awareness has disappeared.

so you mean you can maintain peripheral awareness without concentration object?

For example, walking meditation is explained as concetration on the feets + peripheral awareness of the scenario. Is it possible to do walking meditation using only peripheral awareness?

Edited November 20, 2020 by RedLine

[The0Self]

6 minutes ago, RedLine said:

so you mean you can maintain peripheral awareness without concentration object?

For example, walking meditation is explained as concetration on the feets + peripheral awareness of the scenario. Is it possible to do walking meditation using only peripheral awareness?

Peripheral awareness as a construct only makes sense as a counter to its distinction, attention. So no you can't really use only peripheral awareness, except in the case of the witness state, wherein attention is tightly bound into itself in a sense.

See my edited first reply.

Edited November 20, 2020 by The0Self

[RedLine]

4 minutes ago, The0Self said:

Peripheral awareness as a construct only makes sense as a counter to its distinction, attention. So no you can't really use only peripheral awareness, except in the case of the witness state, wherein attention is tightly bound into itself in a sense.

See my edited first reply.

Why can't you practice be aware of awareness while walking ( without concentration object)? Are you saying you can only do it in sit meditation?

Edited November 20, 2020 by RedLine

[The0Self]

Just now, RedLine said:

Why can't you practice be aware of awareness while walking ( without concentration object)? Are you saying you can only do it in sitting meditation?

You can do it whenever. I was just describing the constructs that Culadasa uses. He would say that before one should even think of attempting awareness of awareness, one should have very stable attention and very powerful mindfulness so that when one does attempt awareness of awareness, attention can actually attend mindfully to everything in awareness without getting overwhelmed, so that the distinction between awareness and attention can collapse.

[RedLine]

3 minutes ago, The0Self said:

You can do it whenever. I was just describing the constructs that Culadasa uses. He would say that before one should even think of attempting awareness of awareness, one should have very stable attention and very powerful mindfulness so that when one does attempt awareness of awareness, attention can actually attend mindfully to everything in awareness without getting overwhelmed, so that the distinction between awareness and attention can collapse.

Ok, I understand, thank you.

One more thing, in daily life would you prioritize your attention to "awareness of everything" or would you proritize focus on the object? For example right now that I am writing, should I hyper focus on writing and consider the background as secondary, or should I take the "aware of everything" as my main focus point and the writing as secondary?

[The0Self]

1 minute ago, RedLine said:

Ok, I understand, thank you.

One more thing, in daily life would you prioritize your attention to "awareness of everything" or would you proritize focus on the object? For example right now that I am writing, should I hyper focus on writing and consider the background as secondary, or should I take the "aware of everything" as my main focus point and the writing as secondary?

You're welcome.

I really don't know. I've since stopped thinking of reality in terms of attention and awareness; background/foreground; etc. Not that they aren't useful constructs. I'd probably just do more noting in daily life, tbh. Leave the attention/awareness stuff to the walking and sitting meditation. IMO.

[ardacigin]

On 20.11.2020 at 8:16 PM, RedLine said:

In his model, the consciusness has 2 "functions": concentration + peripheral awareness. So for example, the basic meditation he propose consist of contration in the nose  + peripheral awareness of the background.

But, what if you are practicing "be aware of awareness"? Where is your concentration pointing to? Here, it seems like awareness and concentration are the same.

 

@ardacigin

 

I've just seen this post. I apologize for answering so late.

'Be aware of awareness' is basically the same as 'concentrating at the mind'. Attention and awareness fuses into each other. The polar of its qualities are extremely strong where each becomes indistinguishable from the other. It is an advanced* stage in the practice. Don't mistake this sentence as vague sensations of attention and awareness fusing in a state of subtle dullnes.

Attention doesnt turn to ANY physical form (Body, emotions, feelings, thoughts etc) and only remains at the mind sense along with awareness (activities of the mind, the sense of separateness and the act of perception) which is just a fancy way of saying 'self enquiry' in samatha terms.

Hope this helps a little!