This week, we begin Chapter 9, ‘The Outward-Facing Path’, exploring pages 87–90.*
Having recognised awareness as our essential nature through the inward-facing path, we now turn towards the outward-facing path, where experience itself is re-examined in the light of this understanding. Step by step, the apparent distinction between awareness and its contents dissolves, revealing experience as a modulation of awareness itself. Thoughts, feelings, perceptions and sensations are recognised not only to be known by awareness, but to arise within awareness, and to be made of awareness.
*(The page numbers indicated here each week refer to the original publication of the physical book – they may vary slightly from more recent versions, owing to the publisher’s design modifications.)
The Completion of the Inward-Facing Path
The early movement of the spiritual path draws attention inward. Awareness is gradually disentangled from its contents, allowing it to stand revealed as the detached witness of all experience, ever-present, unlimited, self-knowing. Yet this recognition does not represent a final resting place.
At this point the discrimination between awareness and its contents has fulfilled its purpose; it has revealed both the presence and primacy of awareness, and its nature. This is the recognition that is traditionally referred to as enlightenment or awakening. It is not a special experience. Indeed, it is not an experience at all. It is the simple recognition of that which is always present and always known, although usually overshadowed by the drama of experience.
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