The Container That Nothing Escapes: Awakening to Your True Nature
Imagine a container so vast and expansive that nothing can ever escape it. Everything you experience—thoughts, emotions, sensations, dreams, even your sense of self—is held within this infinite, subtle presence. This container isn’t a physical place; it’s the awareness or consciousness in which every single experience appears and disappears. Recognizing this is a key step toward spiritual awakening.
Many spiritual teachings highlight the importance of becoming aware of this container. It’s known by different names, such as consciousness, presence, beingness, or simply “I amness.” This consciousness is always there, quietly underlying every experience you have. Think of it as the movie screen that shows countless films without ever becoming the films themselves. No matter how intense or varied the movie is, the screen remains unchanged and ever-present.
As you deepen your spiritual practice, whether through meditation, contemplation, or self-inquiry, you become increasingly aware of this subtle awareness. Initially, many practitioners anchor their attention by focusing on the body or breath. While this is helpful at first, it’s not the final step. Realizing the true nature of consciousness means understanding that the feeling of being in a body is just another sensation within the infinite container of awareness.
The real awakening comes when you grasp that no experience can exist separately from this consciousness. Without this awareness, you wouldn’t experience anything at all. Every perception, every thought, every emotion is inseparably linked to the knower—the consciousness that you truly are.
Interestingly, some ancient spiritual teachings refer to this state of pure consciousness as “Enlightenment.” However, more profound teachings suggest something even deeper: that both ignorance and enlightenment arise from the same fundamental illusion. They label this state as the root illusion, or Mula Maya. It means even the highest state of knowledge, pure beingness, is still within the container of awareness and not the ultimate reality itself.
This ultimate reality isn’t nothingness, although it’s often called that as a pointer. True nothingness can’t exist because “nothing” isn’t something that can be experienced. Instead, when spiritual texts speak of dissolving into nothingness, they mean dissolving into complete unity—into an absolute freedom that’s beyond both something and nothing.
Consider your deep sleep or moments of unconsciousness. Even in these states, a subtle form of consciousness remains. You’re just not aware of it because it requires very subtle realization. Yet, the awareness or “I amness” is always present, quietly holding even these unconscious experiences.
The goal of spiritual practice is to become more deeply aware of this subtle presence, eventually realizing its all-pervasive nature. When you truly recognize that consciousness is ever-present and inseparable from all experiences, a profound shift occurs. Life no longer feels separate from you; you understand deeply that everything is simply consciousness playing, unfolding, and expressing itself.
Realizing that everything, including enlightenment itself, arises from this foundational awareness changes how you engage with life. Experiences become something to savor, enjoy, and play with. Even though they appear substantial, they are essentially empty—beautiful illusions dancing within the infinite container of your true nature.
In the words of spiritual teacher Rupert Spira:
“Awareness is not something we do. Awareness is what we are.”
A beautiful reference to this wisdom can be found in the ancient scripture, the Bhagavad Gita (13:32):
“Just as space, though present everywhere, is untouched by all things within it, similarly, the Self, though present in all beings, remains untouched.”
By consistently exploring and recognizing this subtle yet ever-present consciousness, you align more deeply with the truth of who you are—beyond illusions, beyond experiences, as the infinite container in which all reality unfolds.
Diving Deeper with Bentinho – Advanced Awareness: A Journey Through Consciousness
For those who have delved deep into their spiritual practice, advanced awareness is a fascinating and profound topic. Bentinho offers unique insights into this journey, guiding us towards a deeper understanding of consciousness and its substrates.
In exploring advanced awareness, we consider the substratum of all that exists – a container from which nothing escapes. This substratum is the foundation of all experiences, the ‘Consciousness’ or ‘I amness’ that underlies everything. It’s a realization that no perception exists apart from the knower, the consciousness within us.
Bentinho explains that even what we might perceive as nothingness is, in fact, a form of unity. Absolute reality, or freedom, is distinct from nothingness. In spiritual terms, enlightenment is often described as a transition from ignorance to knowledge, or from unconsciousness to consciousness. However, some scriptures suggest that both ignorance and enlightenment are part of the same illusion, with enlightenment being the first and final delusion, the ‘root illusion’.
This root illusion, or Mula Maya, is seen as the foundation of all form-based experiences. Everything we experience, including the sensations of unity, oneness, and even separation, has its roots in this foundational consciousness.
Advanced practitioners are encouraged to maintain a subtle awareness in their meditation or contemplation. This involves realizing that even in states like deep sleep or unconsciousness, a formless, essential beingness persists. By recognizing this all-pervasive ‘I amness’, one vibrates at the threshold of the universe, experiencing the realm of consciousness and the cosmic dance of existence.
The ultimate realization in advanced awareness is to separate oneself from this beingness, understanding that even this pervasive consciousness is an appearance. In doing so, one transcends both oneness and duality, realizing a state of absolute freedom, untouched by any aspect of the cosmos or any dimension of existence.
This realization brings about a profound transformation, revealing the true nature of freedom. It’s a recognition that we are beyond everything, a state of being that transcends all experiences and perceptions.
Inspirational Quote by Bentinho:
“Separate even the root illusion of ‘I am’ from yourself, and you’ll discover the absolute freedom that lies beyond both oneness and duality.”
Summary Points:
- Root Beingness is the fundamental awareness (“I am”) that underlies all experiences. It’s the “container that nothing escapes.”
- This awareness is always present, even in deep sleep or unconsciousness.
- Experiences, including feelings of separation and unity, occur within this awareness.
- Even the experience of enlightenment is considered an experience within Root Beingness.
- Understanding Root Beingness can lead to peace, a deeper understanding of reality, and enhanced spiritual practice.
- The “I am” is not the body or the mind; it is the formless, all-pervasive awareness.
Actions:
- Practice “I am” meditation:
- Focus on the simple feeling of “I am” during meditation.
- Notice that this feeling is always present, regardless of thoughts or feelings.
- Cultivate Presence in Daily Life:
- Pay attention to the awareness behind everyday experiences.
- Recognize that this awareness is constant, even as experiences change.
- Differentiate “I am” from sensations:
- Understand that the body and thoughts are sensations within awareness, not the awareness itself.
- Explore the threshold of beingness:
- Try to feel the allness of beingness, and the threshold of the universe.
- Practice sensing that all sensations are the coloring in of the I am.
- Contemplate the nature of experience:
- Reflect on how all experiences, including those of separation and unity, occur within Root Beingness.
- Reflect on the idea that even nothingness is within the container of I am.
- Read spiritual texts:
- Explore resources that discuss the nature of consciousness and beingness.
- Consider the spiritual text provided in the prior response, Acts 17:28.