Welcome to Day three of our 40-Day Retreat. 

Recap
We have been dealing with the subject of “Shifting awareness” and of “Learning” in the last two days.  We have been saying that it is so important in the human experience to be able to expand the awareness of who we are, of the nature of the space in which we interact or act, and the awareness of the interplay or interaction in this field. 

We also spoke about the process of learning and how important is learning. In the process of learning we spoke about being aware of our limitation in knowledge and the pain that it sometimes brings. We spoke as well about how to shift from this position of ignorance to the position of knowledge, and knowing more. We spoke about the awareness of this limitation and the tools of learning so that we can learn more and improve on the way we use the tools.  We saw life as a learning process and that learning is a lifelong process, happening in every moment in our interaction with our world.

Expansion of awareness
Today I want to speak about awareness. It has become a very important subject of the last two days and, of course, it will be throughout the entire period because fundamentally, we are beings of awareness.  The reason we need to grow in awareness or to expand the awareness is because there is limitation of awareness in the human experience, and life is really about expanding the awareness from the limited to the unlimited or  infinite. So life is about an expansion of awareness, or what we may refer to as an evolution in consciousness.   By evolution we mean expansion.

Understanding the nature of consciousness
Consciousness is a fundamental quality of our being, so it is extremely important to understand the nature of this consciousness. Your individuality arises out of this consciousness but your consciousness is greater than your individuality or the ego.  This consciousness can be experienced in limitation or in expansion. When it is experienced in limitation, we say that you are just human.  When it is experienced in its infinite quality or its expansion, however, we begin to experience a divine quality of being, an expanded experience of awareness where we see more and experience more. This state is referred to as a state of enlightenment or self-realization. That is the experience of the consciousness in an expanded state.

In the learning process, therefore, we need to become aware of this quality of consciousness that we are. We need to be aware that we human beings operate at different levels of consciousness. We move from the limited to the unlimited consciousness, and we manifest varying degrees of this consciousness expression. We see that in terms of human communication.  When we communicate we may do so from different levels and there needs to be adaptation or compromise in the communication, an understanding at the different levels. So as seekers of Truth, we need to really understand the nature of this quality of awareness and to seek to expand it because as it expands it makes our learning experience so much more powerful.

Present-moment expanded state of awareness
This consciousness can express itself in the present moment, and when it is directed to the present moment it is termed “present-moment awareness”. But present-moment awareness need not mean expanded consciousness. It means being here and now with your attention. However, if the consciousness is expanded, you see more and experience more in the here and now. So the goal is not only to be present-moment aware, but the goal also needs to be being aware in the present moment in the expanded state of awareness.  The level of consciousness has to be expanded.

How to expand the consciousness?
When you seek to be more aware, I will say, try to be aware of the moment and everything that is happening in the moment. If your consciousness is limited you will be aware only of that limited view even though you are in the moment.  Like a human being who is very much into limitation and is in a survival mode of food, shelter and pleasure; he can be in the moment but his awareness will not be in expansion.

We need to understand how to expand the consciousness.  Consciousness in an expanded form comes as a result of effort and grace.  It is not that you can say, “Well, I want to experience infinite or expanded consciousness in this moment” and it will just come to you.  You have to understand where you are. You have to create a desire to want to expand to experience expanded consciousness. You have to work intelligently with your Universe to do that.  If fact, all of life’s experiences are really directed, consciously or unconsciously, to the evolution of this consciousness. 

Therefore, when I invite you to become more aware of all that you are experiencing in the moment, I am also asking you not just to be present-moment aware, but to seek to shift to your deeper centre. This is that you may be more aware of all the levels that may be possible in the communication or the awareness.

A multi-dimensional experience
We said that the human experience is a multi-dimensional experience.  There are different levels at which we operate. And when we are more conscious we are more aware of these different levels in operation: the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. So we become more aware. In this consciousness experience or journey we need to be aware of what level we are operating from. We need to be aware of the possibilities of experiencing an expanded level of consciousness, and to understand where we are centered inside when we view the world.  Where is our individuality centred, our self-awareness. And being aware of where we are centred, and by ‘we’ I mean where the individual, the ego or the sense of “I” is centered. We call that the witness - the one who is witnessing.

Expanding the view of the witness
The whole process of consciousness development is about expanding the view of the witness. A very  powerful way of expanding your awareness is being able to witness and observe where you are centred as an individual,  and seeking to expand the view that the individual witnesses. In other words, grow in the state of witness awareness.

Therefore, level of consciousness, present-moment awareness or giving attention, and where you are centered in your witnessing are all important on the journey. It is extremely important to understand and to explore these because your evolution in being is based on this consciousness. The whole process of learning is based on the expansion or the evolution of this consciousness.  When the consciousness is limited you experience very intensely the humanity or physical part of your existence. When the consciousness is in expansion, however, you experience other levels of your being.  And when you reach at the highest level of awareness or being, we say that you are experiencing the spiritual side of your being. Then we see wonderful qualities expressing from the expansive state.

Contemplate the concept of awareness
I want you to contemplate this: that you experience consciousness at a certain level in every moment  of every day, and you interact with your world from this level. Your view of seeing your world and interacting with it depends on the level that you are experiencing.  The goal is to move from limited or normal human awareness, material, physical or gross awareness to the expanded state of spiritual awareness, which is the awareness of your total being,  your deeper being or Self.