What is it to be Awakened, and Conscious?

[Green.Heals]

Hi,

I don't really know where to put this?

If you are awakened, what is it to live "consciously?"

What is it to be awakened for you?

If you're not awakened, can you not live a conscious life?

I typically see some forms of my life as being "conscious" and I've never seen myself as being, "awakened"

I am intuitive, and I know that I channel a lot of my information from "source" the "divine" - my "higher self" if you wish to put it as such..


Love & Light

Unfortunately this is a frustrating thing for me because I can't convey it to others because it is beyond the grasp of words so much so that at best is all I can do is make up a bunch of lies and stories that are not really it and you will just get the wrong idea about it. This is why it is something that has to be expected personally by each and every person in order to "get it" .

[Green.Heals]

I guess I have come to understand just as of late, that I get, that I am not going to get it.

There are sub forums on here that I've never even ventured into, and I likely never will. There are threads speaking about those who want to hone in on skills, that they may never have, and some of those I do, and it just is what it is. I was never taught it, I still never even seem to want to know more than what I do, it is just there.

Things happen, and I don't know why, and maybe I look into it a little bit, and I think well that's neat, and than sometimes I go out looking for people like me. Sometimes I find them, often I do not. Sometimes people pass me by and have a lot more knowledge than I'll ever have, and they tell me it is because they've awakened, and it was just last year... okay.

Some parts of me wish I could keep up to them, so I can have a better understanding. I don't right now, and I think that is okay, because I too, have had experiences that no one in my day to day life will ever understand.

I am still, always curious to know what it means to another. Even, if that means, I don't get it. :p I have just tried to be open to their beliefs & idea's because some of those people are the very people that have helped me throughout the years on this very forum.

I am greatful for that.

I've been thinking about it and although this is not exactly it because it differs from situation to situation nevertheless this is the feeling that I often feel in my interactions in life in the day today.

Do you know how if somebody shows you something rather be for fun or for work doesn't matter but you've never done it before or seen it before so you are trying to absorb what they're telling you and you might understand it but then it's your turn to do it or something like that and regardless of how hard it is you still feel like you need to absorb some more info on it or you need to practice it and so you practice more study about it more and eventually down the road one day it clicks and you go "I get it now" and it's almost like you get a sense of Stillness like you no longer have to go out and find something because you got it it's like you finished building it in your head and you can rest now because it's done kind of feeling if that makes any sense? Well that "ahh i get it" moment I feel is acquired at some point in the Awakening process to wear even though you don't know what somebody's talking about or somebody's trying to teach you something that you don't know you still have that feeling there with you about that situation about everything you do it's like you no longer have the desire outwardly foreknowledge because it's like you found something within that satisfies that craving and so that longing for an answer to the what if is gone .

At least that's the best way I can try to explain the vibe difference.

And if anybody comes across as intellectually more intelligent from you and has more knowledge than you remember that that doesn't have anything to do with true Awakening or as the loaded term goes "enlightenment" because knowledge is just information about the past and an intelligent person can acquire wisdom which is the ability to implement Knowledge from the past in the present in order to reach a desired outcome in the future but even with them is not true Awakening/enlightenment
If I had to label a strong characteristic of the authentic version I would say would be understanding and not knowledge .

[Unseeking Seeker]

***

Here is what awakening is defined as in one tantra text (translated and reworded):

The five fold enablements of Shiva

Supreme awareness (Chit)
Absolute power (Kriya)
Boundless bliss (Ananda)
Immeasurable creativity (Icha)
Infinite knowledge (Jnana)

Present as potentiality in every jiva

***

It depends what is meant by awakened. I've heard it equated to enlightened but I've also heard it used as the first step towards enlightenment. It seems to me the prior is more accurate because the latter is way too subjective. That is what exactly is the first step to becoming enlightened? So in terms of enlightenment and to quote Yoda: "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter".

It's understanding that to the point it changes one's life in the most fundamental of ways. It's a shift of consciousness away from body-mind and to awareness. It's liberation from suffering and fear of death because awareness does not suffer or die.

A very simple test I heard from a non-dualist swami goes like this. Close your eyes and quietly say to yourself "I". If anything related to body-mind comes to mind you're not awakened.

[Green.Heals]

Yes, an understanding. Thank you

For me it would be of knowledge, because I don't yet have the understanding, but it is not to say that I wouldn't or couldn't have the capacity.

That was very well said.

A depth of understanding. I've had experiences, and ah ha moments, but not an awakening. :)

[Green.Heals]

I have seen that as well, Unseeking Seeker. Thank you for adding it here.

JustaSimpleGuy, "It's a shift of consciousness away from body-mind and to awareness".

Thank you

Depersonalization comes to mind...lol...sorry, I know it's not. That's another conversation. :P

In reality it's a lot simpler than what is generally thought. In fact it's so deceptively simple it's mostly dismissed. That being said and even though it's so simple it's not a simple undertaking to realization because the knowing has to go beyond intellectual and the mind has to be tamed.

If you have the time and interest and since you asked about ego in the non-duality forum these two videos are probably worth a watch.

https://youtu.be/zQUDAWSlKs4?t=267

https://youtu.be/YYUXyqdHlog?t=261