-59%

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

🌌 Mysticism −59%

Being Aware of Being Aware

Name: Being Aware of Being Aware
Price: 17.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781626259966

✍️ Spira, Rupert

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$17.95 ~~$44.00~~ Save $26.05 (59%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This insightful work delves into the foundational nature of consciousness itself, exploring the often-missed distinction between simply being aware and recognizing the act of awareness. Rupert Spira guides readers to the inherent "I am" experience, a pure knowing devoid of external attributes, which he posits as our most intimate and primary reality. He argues that the elusive peace and happiness we seek externally are perpetually present within this direct apprehension of our own being. By shifting focus from the content of experience to the experiencer, this book illuminates a path to profound inner discovery.

Spira, Rupert

📚 all books by this author (4) →

🌌

Mysticism

🏛 Sahaja 📅 2017 📖 128 pages 🌐 en 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781626259966

Fun Fact

Rupert Spira's *Being Aware of Being Aware* offers a remarkably clear and direct pointer to the essence of non-dual understanding. It excels at articulating the profound simplicity of self-inquiry, guiding the reader toward an experiential recognition of pure awareness. While not a practical guide with exercises, it will deeply resonate with serious seekers drawn to Advaita or direct path teachings. Those expecting elaborate rituals or easy answers might be disappointed, but for the contemplative mind, this book is a beacon.

📝 Description: Being Aware of Being Aware

Everybody is aware, all seven billion of us. We are aware of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions. All people share the experience of being aware, but relatively few people are aware that they are aware. Most people's lives consist of a flow of thoughts, images, ideas, feelings, sensations, sights, sounds, and so on. Very few people ask, 'What is it that knows this flow of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions? With what am I aware of my experience?' The knowing of our being--or rather, awareness's knowing of its own being in us--is our primary, fundamental and most intimate experience. It is in this experience that the peace, happiness and love for which all people long reside. The happiness we have sought so long outside of ourselves, in situations, objects and relationships, turns out to be always present and available in the simple knowing of our own being as it truly is. The knowing of our own being shines in each of us as the experience 'I am' or 'I am aware', or simply the knowledge 'I'. This obvious, familiar and intimate experience has no objective qualities and is, therefore, overlooked or ignored by the majority of people. This overlooking of our own being is the ultimate cause of unhappiness. What is the nature of the experience of being aware or awareness itself? The exploration of this question is the subject matter of this book and the essence of the Direct Path to peace and happiness. * * * The Essence of Meditation Series presents meditations on the essential, non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions, compiled from contemplations led by Rupert Spira at his meetings and retreats. This simple, contemplative approach, which encourages a clear seeing of one's experience rather than any kind of effort or discipline, leads the reader to an experiential understanding of their own essential being and the peace and fulfillment that are inherent within it. Being Aware of Being Aware is the first and introductory volume in The Essence of Meditation Series.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Spira’s prose is elegant and logically rigorous, stripping away mystical jargon to reveal the naked structure of consciousness. However, this approach may not suit readers who prefer devotional practices, complex rituals, or narrative-driven spiritual journeys. Those seeking emotional catharsis or step-by-step meditative techniques might find the abstract focus on pure awareness too dry or disorienting. The book demands a willingness to question the fundamental nature of self rather than providing comforting doctrines. It is best for those intellectually and emotionally prepared for direct inquiry, as it offers no external crutches, only the mirror of your own knowing.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking to transcend the endless chase for external validation and peace will find deep solace in Rupert Spira’s clear guidance. This book is ideal for those who feel a subtle disconnect between their intellectual understanding of spirituality and their lived experience. By shifting focus from the content of thought to the pure 'I am' presence, Spira offers a tangible path to recognizing that happiness is not something to be acquired but discovered within. It serves as a gentle yet profound reminder that our most intimate reality is already complete, making it essential for seekers ready to stop looking outside and start resting in the awareness that knows everything.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you've questioned the nature of your own consciousness or sought lasting peace beyond external conditions, this book offers a profound inquiry. It's for anyone ready to look inward, beyond the fleeting contents of mind, to discover the unchanging ground of their own being.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Spira’s prose is elegant and logically rigorous, stripping away mystical jargon to reveal the naked structure of consciousness. However, this approach may not suit readers who prefer devotional practices, complex rituals, or narrative-driven spiritual journeys. Those seeking emotional catharsis or step-by-step meditative techniques might find the abstract focus on pure awareness too dry or disorienting. The book demands a willingness to question the fundamental nature of self rather than providing comforting doctrines. It is best for those intellectually and emotionally prepared for direct inquiry, as it offers no external crutches, only the mirror of your own knowing.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While deeply spiritual, this book transcends specific religious doctrines. It focuses on universal aspects of consciousness and self-inquiry, making its insights accessible to individuals from all backgrounds, or none.

Rather than offering step-by-step exercises, "Being Aware of Being Aware" provides a conceptual framework for direct realization. It encourages a shift in understanding that, while profound, requires internal contemplation more than external practice.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

The Nature of Awareness

Explores the foundational concept that while everyone is conscious, few grasp the deeper truth of consciousness being aware of itself. This theme distinguishes between the stream of thoughts and sensations and the underlying, unchanging witness, emphasizing its non-objective and ever-present quality.

Source of Inner Peace

Reveals how the persistent human quest for happiness and tranquility in external circumstances is fundamentally misdirected. Spira demonstrates that true contentment and love are not found in objects or relationships but are intrinsic to the direct experience of one's own essential awareness, always available.

The "I Am" Experience

Centers on the immediate and undeniable experience of "I am" or "I am aware" as the most primary and intimate aspect of our existence. This theme highlights how this profound, yet often overlooked, self-knowledge is the gateway to understanding our true nature and accessing inherent joy.

📜 Historical context

This work stands firmly within the timeless tradition of non-dual spiritual inquiry, echoing the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta and contemporary Neo-Advaita teachings. It invites a direct, experiential understanding of consciousness, reminiscent of ancient sages and modern mystics who point to the Self as the ultimate reality, transcending conventional mind-body paradigms.

📚 Glossary

Awareness
Non-Duality
"I Am"

📔 Questions to reflect on

When you simply sit, without actively thinking, what remains as your most fundamental sense of 'self' or 'I'?
Consider a moment of profound peace or happiness. Was its source external, or did it arise from a deeper, internal recognition?
How does the idea that your awareness itself is the key to understanding your true nature challenge your everyday perceptions?