Hi Brent. During the path towards enlightenment there seems to be "mini" awakenings on the way to the full final realization. Could you go through these, and tell us what their implications are and maybe compare and contrast the different levels of awakenings? Adyashanti talks about three levels: awakening on mind, heart, and gut. Could you talk more about them?
Awakening implies something ongoing and incomplete. It’s a verb. There isn’t like a checklist of specific awakenings that one must go through. Everyone’s path unfolds differently at a different pace and the Truth is glimpsed from many different angles. So I can’t talk about specifics here.
Though there are many kinds of awakenings, some more profound than others, they are all awakenings to the same Truth. Essentially, they are all insights in some way or another into what is not True or what we are not. There are many things that aren’t True and many things that we are not, and so there may be many awakenings before one comes to know what actually is True.
For example, one may recognize that time is an illusion. This may be a profound awakening that sparks an inquiry into its implications. One can also see clearly that the voice in their head is not who they are. This sparks an inquiry into who one really is.
Adyashanti divides awakening into three final modes - heart, mind, and gut. This is just a model used to provide context for the process of awakening. It’s not fixed or even perfect, but it’s very useful for understanding the unfolding. As he says, these awakenings do not happen in any particular order nor are they the same for everyone.
I can do my best to express what I know from experience about these awakenings. If you’re really interested in these aspects of awakening, I recommend you visit Adyashanti’s work, because he really has this stuff covered well.
One awakens on the level of the mind after ignorance has been seen through. One can inquire into the nature of Reality, Oneself or Truth and let go of false beliefs until finally, Truth is known. Awakening on the level of the mind has to do with knowledge.
The awakening of the mind implies a realization of the infinite space between thoughts, out of which the thoughts themselves arise. With this awakening, there comes a vastness, a free open space. The mind is clearly seen to be an illusion and with this seeing, it feels as if it’s less contracted, spread open, more spacious. It’s much easier to be aware of thoughts coming and going and they no longer hold as much significance.
One awakens on the level of the heart after as emotional tension, trauma, and attachments are healed and dissolved until finally Truth is felt as unconditional love. Awakening on the level of the heart has to do with feeling.
The awakening of the heart is the awakening of the emotional aspect of our being. Any contracted energy within our body, specifically our chest area, comes undone, and we find our presence to move out of the head and deep into the heart center. It’s from that place that we begin to act, no longer from thought, but from feeling, from intuition. This is what it means to really follow your heart. A big open space becomes available in which emotions come and go.
Just like thoughts with the awakening of the mind, after the awakening of the heart, emotions are much easier to be aware of without falling into identification with them. As a result, we are able to respond from a deeper place of wisdom, rather than just reacting emotionally. With this awakening of the heart, one is able to tap into a holistic way of operating through life. One becomes whole with not only their full being, but whole with all of existence. An open heart implies love, and love implies oneness and unity.
One awakens on the level of the gut as fear of non-existence is transcended and Truth is what one is. Awakening on the level of the gut has to do with existence.
The awakening of the gut is no-self at its most fundamental level. Ego/self has a foundation that is the fear of non-existence, of death. The awakening of the gut is end of the fear of non-existence. With this end of the fear, the ego/self ends too. That’s all ego/self is - fear of non-existence.
Within the gut is where the final duality exists: subject and object; me and the world. As this duality falls away and the “me” comes to an end with the awakening of the gut, all that remains is everything, except “me”.
People often begin to approach awakening on the level of the gut when they begin to discover immense fear or horror, usually in meditation. It is as if they are before a vast abyss, void, or emptiness, which seems to be calling them into it.
However, on a very deep level, one knows that in that void, one’s idea of themselves (ego) can no longer exist. And so the fear arises as a defense mechanism.
Eventually, one must simply surrender, let go or swan dive into the abyss of no-self, despite the fear. Though it seems as if one can will such an occurrence on their own, in my opinion and experience, it simply happens by Grace at the right time.
However, that doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t approach this fearful state in meditation at all. Instead, one should continue to sit with it, to feel it and to get to know it. Eventually, often suddenly, though in some cases perhaps gradually, there will just be a simple release and it will feel as if the floor has been pulled out from under one’s feet.
With the awakening of the gut, one finds themselves in eternal free fall of non-existence of ego. Falling is scary, until one realizes that there’s no ground to ever land on. Then this eternal free fall becomes extremely spacious and liberating. Upon the awakening of the gut, one has merged their individual existence with the whole; the drop has merged with the ocean.
Just as the drop might fear its death as it falls into the ocean, upon its meeting of the surface, it is relieved as it discovers that it is now the entirety of the ocean.
One trades in the little me to know themselves as All of Existence. This is awakening on the level of the gut.
Remember, this conceptual idea of the three types of awakening - heart, mind, and gut, is only a framework. When you contemplate your path or the path of another, you may not necessarily be able to make clear distinctions between these three types, and that’s okay. What I’ve shared here is only meant to provide context for what your experience has been, currently is, or will be. This context comes secondary to your direct experience. If the context doesn’t fit with your direct experience, that’s fine. Your experience should always take precedence.
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