Foul Temper

Awareness And Relaxation

Awareness and Relaxation Are Almost Two Sides of the Same Coin

How relaxation is connected to awareness?

They are not only connected with each other, they are almost two sides of the same coin. You cannot separate them. Either you can begin with  awareness and then you will find yourself relaxing…because what is your tension? – Your identification with all kinds of thoughts, fears, death, bankruptcy, the dollar going down…! All kinds of fears are there. These are your tensions. They also affect your body. Your body also becomes tense because body and mind are not two separate entities. Body-mind is a single system, so when the mind becomes tense, the body becomes tense.

You can start with awareness; then awareness takes you away from the mind and the identifications with the mind. Naturally, the body starts relaxing; you are no longer attached. Tensions cannot exist in the light of awareness.

You can start from the other end also. Just relax…let all tensions drop…and as you relax you will be surprised that a certain awareness is arising in you. They are inseparable. But to start from awareness is easier; to start with relaxation is a little difficult, because even the effort to relax creates a certain tension.

Hence, in the East we have never started meditation from relaxation; we have started meditation from awareness. Then relaxation comes on its own accord, you don’t have to bring it – because if you have to bring it there will be a certain tension. It should come on its own; then only will it be pure relaxation. And it comes.

Awareness Is the Seed of Godliness in You

Risk everything for awareness, but never risk awareness for anything. This is the commitment of a seeker: that he is ready to lose his life but not his awareness; he has found a value which is higher than life. There is no other value which is higher than awareness. Awareness is the seed of godliness in you. When it comes to its full growth, you have come to the fulfillment of your destiny. As you go deeper, your actions may not be efficient but they will have a new quality, the quality of grace, which is far more valuable. No machine can have the quality of grace. Your actions, your words will have a beauty of their own.

The way a man of awareness lives, each moment is filled with tremendous grace and beauty. It is reflected in his actions, even in the smallest actions – just in the gesture of his hand or just the way he looks; in the depth of his eyes or the authority of his words or the music of his silence. His very presence is a celebration.

Awareness Functions Almost Like Magic

Let everything arise out of your awareness. And the miracle of awareness is that without your saying anything, without your doing anything, it simply dissolves all that is ugly in you into all that is beautiful.

Awareness is a transforming force. Whatsoever deepens with your awareness is virtue. Whatsoever disappears with your awareness is sin.

I don’t label any act as sin, virtue, right, wrong – acts don’t have that quality. It is your awareness. Just try it and you will be simply amazed that there are things in you which cannot stand in front of awareness, they simply disappear.

Awareness functions almost like magic.