Expanding the vision (excerpt from an email exchange)

The vision will expand to the extent that you cultivate it, Roberta, and it sounds as though you are cultivating it very effectively. As you say, at first (or when in the throes of thick fog), it takes a monumental effort to step back and objectify the thoughts/see the filter as filter. Later (or while in a more expansive personal season), it is as easy as remembering to do so. I often use pointers to remind myself, e.g., "lights on, lights off." Just that little nudge is enough to remind me to take one step back from thought and see it as thought. Or to notice awareness itself, or consciousness as consciousness. It becomes a habit. But we are breaking an extremely entrenched and long-standing addiction---that of being embedded in our experience and thoughts, aka asleep. As with any addiction, it takes constancy and the passage of time to break out, to recondition the mind, and to learn to live comfortably in the new reality.

Over time, the center of gravity rises. Rather than dullness being our baseline, Awakeness becomes the default state. As far as I know, there is infinite potential for deepening, and I find this a delightful thought. As good as it is now, in your most enlightened moments, it just keeps getting better. The Advaitists talk about sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss) as being inseparable from Awakeness. When attention is absorbed in the knowing, there is no suffering.

Mudita,

Kenneth