Attributeless awareness is similar to the analogy of the cinema screen. It has no attributes of its own, yet any imagery can be projected onto it so that we can have the full experience.
Just as a cinema screen is a field of infinite possibilities in terms of creativity and drama, so too is our true infinite nature. Yet we remain as that throughout. There is simply a process of consent, one could say.
In Indian terms, there are five filters called the koshas. There is the body of bliss, the body of wisdom, the mental body, the emotional or etheric body, and the physical body.
When we first consent to an amendment to attributeless being, it happens in quite a subtle way. It is to do with infinite bliss. There is still the knower, the means of knowing, and the known. But rather than awareness being aware of itself, it becomes awareness aware of bliss.
The knower remains awareness. The means of knowing remains awareness. But what is known, rather than simply awareness, is infinite bliss.
We then consent to the next stage, which is called the body of wisdom, or effortless being.
Effortless being is where we are as young children. It is that sense of an open space within which everything is appearing, and we experience it in neutrality. There is no mental content and no emotional content at that stage. There is simply silence, peace, and whatever forms are appearing in the moment.
That field never really goes away because, even in this moment, there is still only an infinite field of awareness.
We have access to the adult human body and the mind and emotions are also available. Thoughts may arise effortlessly. Emotions may arise effortlessly. There may be awareness of light coming through the window, sounds outside the building, or awareness of the body sitting on the seat.
Self-realization is the recognition that what we truly are never actually went away. It is seeing that the human realm is simply a mode of experience available to us.
The body of wisdom, or effortless being, is a place from which we can consciously begin to function. This changes the nature of experience because it is a way of disengaging from the mind and emotions. It gives access to our infinite nature rather than keeping us within the dualistic loop of the mental, emotional, and physical realms.
Most importantly, it is available to everyone.
When we’re absorbed in the movie, it’s easy to forget the screen, even though it remains untouched by what appears upon it.
If you’d like to explore these teachings more deeply, we’d be delighted to have you join us at our online event.
With love,
David Bingham
