With this post, I am switching to a new style. I will write my comments on other people’s posts as a post, rather than a comment. The idea is that this will make it easier for everyone to see what I am writing without having to read through all the comments, comments on comments, etc.<\/p>\n
Today my job is easy: I have only Peter’s post of 21 October, and Anton’s comment to it.<\/p>\n
Peter asks with respect to the exercises for Unit 3: “What is awareness?” And also, “What is pure experience?” He raises these questions because the exercises ask us to “swim in awareness” and “practice toward pure experience.”<\/p>\n
The term “awareness” is used more in Buddhist texts than in TSK, but it does get discussed at some length in KTS. Here is a very interesting passage (pp. 313-14) that seems related to the questions you raise:<\/p>\n
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Suppose that awareness were not owned by the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbystander\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, and so were available \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwithin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 experience, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 experience. In that case awareness would operate \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwithin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 each mental capacity as well. Available at the outset as well as the outcome, such awareness could be understood as the expression of a deeper knowledge, alive with a vitality prior to distinctions and determinations. . . .<\/font><\/p>\n <\/font><\/p>\n <\/font>Understood as active within <\/font><\/em><\/font>the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfield\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, rather than specified by the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfield\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, awareness would lead directly to knowledge. But when we act in accord with position and character, treating awareness as response, we are merely accepting the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoutput\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcinput\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 put forward by knowledge. if we can \u00e2\u20ac\u02dctake out\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 what has been \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcput in\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in a way that stays true to knowledge as the source, our acceptance will not specify awareness in a restrictive way. <\/font><\/p>\n Jack<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With this post, I am switching to a new style. I will write my comments on other people’s posts as a post, rather than a comment. The idea is that this will make it easier for everyone to see what … Continue reading