Being Aware of Being Aware by Rupert Spira
“Cease being exclusively fascinated by whatever you are aware of and be interested instead in the experience of being aware itself.”
I recently enjoyed this as part of my Voyage of the Dawn Reader series, where I read a few pages of a book before my day starts. Usually something contemplative, and ‘Being aware of Being aware’ by Rupert Spira fit the bill perfectly.
Firstly, if you are looking for a meditation manual, best look else elsewhere. There are no techniques to follow, breaths to count - this is a meditation on non-duality, to become aware of being aware. I don’t want it to make it sound more complicated that it is, because the language is simple and easy to understand. If you are new to meditation, it may be more difficult to comprehend but the opposite might also be true - if you are not familiar with the various concepts used in meditation, it may resonate even more clearly with you.
"There is no difference between our own being and the knowing of our own being, just as there is no difference between the sun and its shining."
Though it may seem like there’s a lot of repetition in the book, every sentence points to the same thing - that awareness is the true resting state of our mind. Awareness is always present - we just don’t notice it.
"A mind that is accustomed to repeatedly dissolving in its source or essence becomes progressively saturated with its inherent peace. When such a mind rises again from the ocean of awareness, its activity makes that peace available to humanity."
One of the things I would say about this book is that I ‘read’ it in Ruperts voice. I’m a subscriber to his excellent YouTube channel (and I’ll all soon be joining one of his online retreats, which I’m looking forward to) and I automatically heard him speaking the lines. I wouldn't say that there were parts I struggled with, as the language is concise and direct. But hearing Rupert made it even clearer and added life to the book. I’ve included a meditation below.
I have been reading a lot recently about non-dualism, and as I’ve shown in this post on the best books on meditation and mindfulness, I have a lifetime interest in the subject. But I think that anyone can find something useful in this compact and short book, that I certainly will be returning to.
Book review - Being aware of being aware by Rupert Spira
104 pages published by New Harbinger on November 30, 2017