Self awareness

What does self awareness mean to you?

To be cultivating an intimate relationship with Truth (with a capital "T").

Having a true and clear perception of myself in relation to others and the world around me, how I am influenced by others, and how I influence others in return.

It means that, like a flame that illuminates itself, the mind is conscious of itself. The self-aware mind is a subject that is debated about by Buddhists.
Take this example from a text, the Bodhicharyavatara, which refutes the Mind Only school, which believes that whatever we see is none other than the mind or substratum of consciousness itself, onto which we impose the duality of subject and object:

But if the mirage is the mind itself,
What, then is perceived by what?
The Guardian of the World [the Buddha] himself has said
That mind cannot be seen by mind.

In Just the same way, he has said,
The sword's edge cannot cut the sword.
'But,' you say, 'it's like the flame
That perfectly illuminates itself.'

The flame, in fact, can never light itself.
And why? Because the darkness never dims it!
'The blueness of a blue thing,' you will say,
'Depends, unlike a crystal, on no other thing.

'Likewise some perceptions
Come from other things, while some do not.'
But what is blue has never of itself imposed
A blueness on its non-blue self.

The phrase 'the lamp illuminates itself'
The mind can know and formulate.
But what is there to know and say
That 'mind is self-illuminating'

The mind, indeede, is never seen by anyone.
And, therefore, whether it can know, or cannot know itself
Is, like the beauty of a barren woman's daughter,
The subject of a pointless conversation.

'But if,' you ask, 'the mind is not self-knowing,
How does it remember what it knew?'
We say tht like the poison of the water rat,
It's from the link with outer things that memory occurs.

'In certain cases,' you will say, 'the mind
Can see the minds of others, how then not itself?'
But through the application of a magic balm,
The eye may see the treasure, but the salve it does not see.

What self?

Bryce

to me it is more about the awareness of the world around you. Self only comes into play as how your actions influence or impact the world.

IMHO, to be conscious that the learned mental construct of ego is more about my parents and culture than about me personally. Not identifying with my identity.

Lynn Seiser wrote: IMHO, to be conscious that the learned mental construct of ego is more about my parents and culture than about me personally. Not identifying with my identity.

that's a much better answer than mine

Bryce Montgomery wrote: What self?

LOL.

(Who's laughing?)

being responsible for your every action.

To be self aware means that you have been awakened to the fact that there is no self, no "you".

Mark Bilson
www.roleystoneaiki.com

Don J. Modesto wrote: LOL. (Who's laughing?)

That's funny.

Being aware of your own thoughts, feelings and actions and also your motivations for them.

To know that the person looking back at you in the mirror, is someone you like and and would feel priveledged to call a friend.

Mark Bilson wrote: To be self aware means that you have been awakened to the fact that there is no self, no "you". Mark Bilson

Thanks Mark.

Bryce

Self awareness is a natural trait that can be honed and sharpened in order to 'sense' things what may affect you. In that, if it doesn't belong there, it may or may not stay there for very long. Such as a person's presence, or a sudden shifting in the enviroment/within our own bodies. Naturally, It allows a person to react to whatever happens and maybe intercept the occurance before it's complete. (probably badly worded...but i'm kind of busy at the moment)

To be able to examine your thoughts, actions and emotions in an objective way, and make decisions in this way.

To look up from one's feet to see the road ahead.

To look up from one's feet to see the world behind.

To look at one's feet and know they are one's feet.

Mark Bilson wrote: To be self aware means that you have been awakened to the fact that there is no self, no "you". Mark Bilson www.roleystoneaiki.com

Could you explain this? or link me to where you got this?

Thanks

John,
My own personal experience. It is the result of my search for the essence of Aikido: Takemusu Aiki.

Cheers
Mark Bilson
http://www.roleystoneaiki.com

Could you explain this? or link me to where you got this? Thanks

It sounds like the buddhist view of the self, something non-existant.

Devin McDowell wrote: It sounds like the buddhist view of the self, something non-existant.

Interesting.

Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that self-awareness is the very opposite of "no self" = Self.

Not saying anyone is right or wrong, just what I have found.

WHEN I found it is rather interesting, and very personal. I can't go into details, but I will say that I was contemplating the completion of a task. Many others before me, that had finished this same task, often shared that they had found "their true self" and finally knew who they were... what they were. But when I finished, I felt no such thing... and it slapped everything I held to be true right in the face.

I was firmly grounded in the idea (and this is going to sound trite) that," I am a nice guy." That's it. That's me. But... I started out this journey already knowing that!

So... if I already knew it, who and what I was, what was I supposed to gain from my recent experience? What was I supposed to take away from all of this?

Acknowledgement.

While I sat and pouted and pondered, I was told by a very powerful friend... that I was right. I knew it all along.

" I am a nice guy." Didn't have to be any more complicated than that. And oh my GOD what a relief it was!! It truly was.

SO... now that I've befuddled and confused the hell out of everything here on this thread, I can grant that you believe one thing: " No self " At the same time, I would contend that knowledge of " Self " is self awareness. Not the body... Not the mind... JUST You, and not the baggage that human beings have been dragging along for eons.

Self Awareness is ... Awareness of Self.

Sounds simple... but it is anything but that.

2 more cents...

Okay, but which "self" are you aware of? The physical self or body? The mental psychological self, or mind? The social self, or role? Or the spiritual self?

Lyn
There is only 1 True Self and it is beyond thought, ego, beliefs and philosophy. It cannot be realised through or by the mind.

Cheers

Mark Bilson
http://www.roleystoneaiki.com

Mark Bilson wrote: There is only 1 True Self and it is beyond thought, ego, beliefs and philosophy. It cannot be realised through or by the mind.

And which is the self that thinks they know this and by what means do they think they know it? As long is there is self, there is separation. LOL (just messing with ya)