Awareness cannot be taught, and when it is present it has no context. All contexts are created by thought and are therefore corruptible by thought. Awareness simply throws light on what is, without any separation whatsoever.
Interpretation
Awareness is innate and beyond intellectual constructs, illuminating reality without distortion.
This quote by Toni Packer emphasizes that true awareness exists independently of the thoughts and contexts we create. It highlights the idea that while our perceptions can be influenced by our thoughts, genuine awareness is clear and unobstructed, providing insight into reality without any judgments or separations imposed by the mind.
In practice
In a meditation class, this quote could inspire participants to focus on being present rather than overthinking.
The emergence and blossoming of understanding, love, and intelligence has nothing to do with any tradition, no matter how ancient or impressive-it has nothing to do with time. It happens on its own when a human being questions, wonders, inquires, listens, and looks without getting stuck in fear, pleasure, and pain. When self-concern is quiet, in abeyance, heaven and earth are open.
Life is a vast, unknowable movement of wholeness with no one separate from it and nothing outside of it.
Only in silence I find myself. Life in the city is so hectic that you lose the right perspective. It's important to know that our biggest resources are in our heart.
A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.
You are always a valuable, worthwhile human being - not because anybody says so, not because you're successful, not because you make a lot of money - but because you decide to believe it and for no other reason.
Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything.
Anyone who thinks hard work will never hurt you has never had to pay to have it done. Jesus now has many lovers of his Heavenly Kingdom, but few bearers of his cross.
It is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in it's place is a work extremely troublesome.
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