Awakening

  Spiritual awakening is an organic process of uncovering layers of perception. It also has to do with realizing what one really is.
  The short answer is just awareness. But what exactly does that mean? well to answer that many traditions find out what one is not first, while others use a different approach. For instance, in the advaita vedanta school they go through a process called neti neti " i am not this, i am not that" " i am not my mind, i am not my thoughts". In theravada buddhism spiritual awakening is approached by way of the three characteristics, which are impermanence, suffering and no-self. I my self have used this approach along with  a couple others for a great deal of my own awakening which is still in process but has made irreversible progress.
    In the practice of the three characteristics, one is settling there mind and then observing all the tiny quick little fleeting sensations that make up their experience. One is particularly noticing how all sensations are very quick and gone in an instant. One also can notice that there is awareness of all sensations that one is aware of ( obviously but very tricky none the less). Noticing all sensations as objects of awareness is also the basis of other methods of enlightenment and very powerful. However when one is noticing sensations as objects of awareness, it has a much different feel than noticing impermanence and suffering. Suffering is not the most pleasant aspect to be aware of but will none the less come up whether one wants it to or not (at least it was for me). Suffering has to do with the fundamental or underlying tension in duality. Obviously if you are meditating, and trying to notice sensations there will be sensations implying a subject (or self) and sensations implying object (things and others). So especially when "trying" to meditate is suffering much more obvious but  can be subtle, as it is just a tension caused by duality. There are very good descriptions of all three characteristics on dharmaoverground.org . When observing a sensation there is a tension that feels like it is in the mind between subject and object, this is suffering.
   No-self has been extremely powerful for me. There are many strong no-self instructions such as " turn awareness onto itself" " anything you can be aware of is an object of awareness. your sense of self is an object of awareness. awareness cannot see itself, so anything you can perceive is an object of awareness." Which eventually leads one to pure awareness. Now, know that pure awareness comes in pieces. Stages of uncovering identity and awareness take place, and there are many of them. Some are similar to others and some phases call for something very different. which is what I am currently dealing with right now.

    Another extremely effective path of awakening, that crosses paths with the 3c's often, is the path of I am.  This became popular with advaita vedanta and is extremely connected to no-self. In Iamness meditation, one notices the sense of self,or  sensations implying subject and becomes absorbed into this. The ever famous question is " who am I" and "what am I" or alternatively " what notices me". Because even when we think of ourself or are aware of our self there is something that is aware of that. Coming to the source of awareness is the basis of  I am meditation.
      Now eventually one might come to a place where their I amness meditation or meditation on the 3c's seems to take a halt in progress (speaking from my own experience). This is when practice becomes much carefuller, and awareness is fine tuned and made subtle. When that occurs new layers will be pealed in awareness and practice will take on a different feel. I myself like to combine the two practices often. while becoming absorbed in i am, I will notice what sensations imply I am or subject or awareness. when becoming very quick moving and fluid with my concentration and noticing things start to pulse back and forth, from subject side to object side, and yet this arising and passing away is also known.
Il come back to this but I need to go to bed so..... to be continued another day