Awareness is Like Blood
If one could freely choose to be aware or unaware, then awareness would be something directly controllable. But in reality, awareness cannot be directly controlled. If it were possible, then when pain arises, one could simply choose to be unaware of it and not feel pain. Or if one were emotionally distressed, one could just stop being aware of that feeling. But obviously, this is impossible, isn't it? The reason is that awareness arises due to conditions—it is not something that can be directly manipulated. One cannot simply decide what to be aware of and immediately perceive it, nor can one decide to stop perceiving and eliminate awareness. As long as the conditions are present, awareness naturally arises.
Rather than cultivating awareness itself, one should cultivate the conditions that give rise to awareness. For example, observing the movement of one's footsteps might seem like a deliberate act of awareness, but in reality, awareness naturally arises simply because one notices the movement. So, if one continuously moves one's feet while focusing on them, awareness will inevitably be present.
However, people misunderstand this and believe that awareness exists independently within them, capable of perceiving various phenomena. They assume that by developing pure awareness, they can penetrate conceptual illusions, clearly perceive the nature of body and mind, eliminate ignorance, extinguish craving and aversion, and finally attain liberation (nirvana).
But in truth, this approach cannot completely eradicate ignorance, desire, or aversion, nor can it lead to genuine liberation. Why? Because people mistakenly assume that they are attached to the phenomena they perceive—the sights, sounds, emotions, and thoughts. If this were the case, then simply recognizing that these phenomena are impermanent, suffering-filled, non-self, and impure should be enough to cut off attachment completely.
However, what people truly cling to is not the phenomena themselves, but the ongoing process of awareness. This is like a starving dog gnawing on a dry bone. The dog's tongue gets cut and starts bleeding, yet it mistakenly thinks it is extracting bone marrow. Obsessed with the taste of blood, it continues gnawing more frantically—not realizing that the blood is its own.
Similarly, people appear to be attached to various phenomena, but in reality, they are attached to the awareness stimulated by these phenomena.
This applies not only to daily life but also to meditation practices that focus on awareness. People love watching movies—everyone knows that the images on the screen are mere projections, that the actors are not real, and that the storyline is fictional. Yet this does not matter, because what people truly love is not the movie itself, nor the light or sound, but the inner awareness that arises as a result.
Meditation that centers around awareness follows the same pattern—it is simply another dry bone to chew. People, due to ignorance of how awareness arises, and because of their craving for awareness, continuously cultivate conditions that generate more awareness. They mistakenly believe they are actively perceiving reality, seeing their awareness as a profound insight. Because they cherish this insight, they strive to generate ever-subtler forms of awareness. Even when they reach what they call "nirvana," it is still nothing more than an extremely refined form of awareness.
If one reflects carefully, one will realize that no matter how nirvana is defined—no matter how deep or peaceful the experience—it is still a form of awareness. This does not mean that at the time one consciously recognized awareness, nor that one retrospectively recalled it. Rather, a logical contradiction arises: If the experience was truly devoid of awareness, then one could not know one had experienced nirvana. If awareness was present, then complete cessation had not been achieved. This is why ancient texts describe that moment as having "path knowledge" and "fruition knowledge."
Awareness is not an independent phenomenon—it is simply the knowing aspect of form, sensation, perception, and mental formations. Whenever awareness exists, it must be rooted in these elements. Just as a flame is merely the visible effect of fuel burning, wherever there is fire, there must be fuel. In the same way, regardless of the form of awareness one experiences—whether sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, subtle particles, light, arising and ceasing, destruction, equanimity, cessation, or so-called nirvana—all are simply different manifestations of the five aggregates. They are not "insight knowledge," "path knowledge," or "fruition knowledge"—they are merely the blood flowing from the tongue after biting a dry bone, nothing special.
Some may still believe:
- "The nirvana I experienced is beyond comprehension, free of contradictions, beyond the five aggregates, beyond awareness—it is undoubtedly true nirvana."
- "You do not understand awareness as I do; my awareness is unique."
- "You do not understand true nirvana; real nirvana is unfathomable."
- "Awareness is just a tool—once insight reaches a certain level, even awareness will be discarded, leading to final cessation."
Yet afterward, they still seek confirmation—they read descriptions of nirvana by renowned meditation masters, study scriptures to see how nirvana is defined. If respected teachers discuss nirvana, they listen carefully to compare their own experiences. If there are discrepancies or if their understanding is challenged, doubts may arise.
Some may be highly confident and unmoved by others' opinions. They evaluate themselves—checking whether they have fewer emotions, greater wisdom, whether they still hold self-views or break precepts. They reflect on behavioral changes, questioning whether they may still harbor attachment to nirvana or cling to the Dharma, believing that within seven lifetimes they will attain final liberation.
Yet all of these thoughts and actions reveal a lingering assumption: "I once experienced nirvana. I perceived nirvana. I know nirvana. I experienced no-self. I am now without self. In the future, I will achieve full liberation and forever remain in the nirvana I previously encountered." This means one still believes in a continuous self—a personal identity spanning past, present, and future.
To truly eliminate ignorance, self-view, craving, aversion, and attain genuine nirvana, those who previously practiced awareness-based meditation must first stop giving special significance to awareness itself. This does not mean rejecting awareness or cultivating it deliberately. Rather, one must see that awareness is no different from form, sensation, perception, and mental formations—it holds no special status.
Secondly, one must realize that there is no entity that "knows" anything—there is no "knower" and no "known object." Awareness is simply a noun, not a verb—it is not an action. This applies to all phenomena, whether form, sensation, perception, volition, contact, craving, clinging. There is no agent, no subject, no receiver—just conditions producing phenomena, governed by causes and effects.
As the Saṃyutta Nikāya 372 states:
The Buddha said to Poqona: "I do not say there is an eater of food... a perceiver... a feeler... a lover... a grasping entity. If I were to say that there is grasping, you should ask: 'Who grasps?' You should ask: 'What is the cause of grasping?' I would answer: 'Craving is the cause of grasping. Grasping exists because of craving.'"
Seeing this, one might wonder: If I stop awareness, what am I supposed to do?
The truth is—you don't need to do anything. Instead, reduce unnecessary activity, quiet yourself, and simply observe.
If you do nothing, does awareness still arise? Each meditation session can start with this inquiry.
Naturally, you'll notice awareness continuing—hearing, smelling, touching, emotions, thoughts. The key is to recall what awareness just arose—"I heard something," "I felt a sensation," "I had a thought," etc. Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, one can observe in this way.
For more details, refer to my previous writings.