Recently, I’ve been reading The Recognition Sūtras by Christopher Wallis. It’s a commentary on Kṣemarāja’s Pratyabhijñā-hṛdaya, a Shaiva Tantra treatise. In comparison to the dualism of sāṃkhya philosophy (i.e Yoga Sutras of Patañjali,) this is a refreshing non-dualistic view — recognition of oneself as an expression of divine consciousness. The first sutra in the text is translated as: “Awareness, free and independent, is the cause of the performance of everything”.* Wallis goes on to qualify that first sutra, saying “… ‘when its independence is fully recognized, this Awareness becomes the cause of all attainments, i.e., both happiness and liberation. Furthermore, this Awareness can be ‘caused’through the ‘attainment’ [ie. the experience] of anything. That is, there is an opportunity to recognize Awareness whenever any objective perception— the color blue, the feeling of happiness, the body, the breath, etc. — enters and merges with any self-aware knower by ascending through the path of perception. Through this reading, the sūtra teaches that there is an easy means of realization.”**
I’ve been thinking about this in terms of the Awareness engaged in all yogic practices. For example, the sensitivity is enlivened in our āsana practice. Sensitivity can be emotional, physical, and sensory. Sensitivity is more about the intensity of experiencing and reacting to stimuli or emotions and therefore, it often involves a heightened response, which can be either positive or negative (ie., feeling deep empathy or being overwhelmed). From sensitivity, we can hone our perceptivity, which is the ability to notice and understand things quickly and accurately. It employs keen insight and/or discernment, which allows us to see the underlying meanings or patterns that may not be so obvious. It’s that ability to notice and understand subtleties and complexities.
Awareness enhances (or creates) sensitivity and perceptivity; it’s really the foundation upon which these are built. As Wallis says, with any objective perception, we have the opportunity to recognize Awareness. Think of how we do that when we perceive the body, the breath etc. Remember that objective perception refers to the ability to observe and interpret things without being influenced by personal biases, emotions, or subjective interpretations. It is seeing things as they are, based on factual and empirical evidence, rather than through the lens of personal feelings, prejudices, or preconceived notions. While the idea of objective perception may seem like a tall order, we develop this skill by cultivating Awareness (!), critical thinking, and a commitment to impartiality.
You don’t have to be perfect, just Aware. We can notice our sensitivity to subtle stimuli and how we perceive complex information and dynamics. While living in a culture that breeds attitudes of ‘you’re not good enough’, we may find ourselves compelled to do endless amounts of self-improvement courses, trying to ‘fix’ ourselves. But there are no judgements here. Both of these great realizers are telling us: hey, you don’t have to be calm, happy, successful, good-looking etc….just recognize the potential to recognize Awareness through the sensitivity and perceptivity available in every experience! Ha! It’s right there, all the time, hidden in plain view. In the modern yoga culture, where there can often be a mood of striving and dissatisfaction, but we can be aware of that, and maybe even ‘sense’ those sensations and ‘perceive’ where that might be coming from. Observe it all: how we get triggered, how we want to be ‘right’ etc. The longer you live, the more life experience you can accumulate, BUT the question is whether you have made that step from sensitivity into perceptivity and into the recognition of the foundation of Awareness. Throughout the ups and downs, successes and disappointments, pain and sorrow, joy and all the rest, there is an opportunity to be aware of body, breath, emotions, cognition, environment and spirit!
Everyone who is conscious can tap into this already present wellspring of creation: Awareness. “Awareness voluntarily causes all things to become what they are.” ***An easy means to realization, right? Be Aware of what creates your world. The ordinary, the extraordinary, the mundane and the cosmic…all woven together…
*The Recognition Sutras by Christopher Wallis. Mattamayūra Press. 2017 p. 35 His bolding, not mine.
**p.39 ***p. 44
