From
A Guide To Awareness and Tranquillity
by William Samuel

Awareness and Identity

We have examined Awareness to discover it includes all things. Awareness is the function, the activity, of Mind, Consciousness—but whose Mind? Whose Consciousness? Here is the crux of the matter! Whose Awareness is this? Who owns the Awareness that is presently reading these words? Is it yours? Mine?

Ask these questions and answer them for yourself before reading another word. Stop; put the book aside and consider this Awareness. Have you been considering it "yours"? Have you been acting on the assumption—perhaps unconsciously—that this consciousness is "mine"? Have you been thinking of it as the activity of your own mind? Be completely honest.

The perception of this point was basic in my comprehension of Reality, so I want to make it very clear to the reader. I ask you to look at the table across the room or at the blue sky outside your window. This "seeing" is Awareness in action. By now we surely understand that the blue sky and the table, like images on the television screen, are "within" this Awareness that is aware; but listen closely; have we not thought of this consciousness as a personal possession?—as "mine," "yours," ours," "his"? Reader, this is precisely what mankind believes; this is the position from which he has acted since the beginning of time; this is what religion, philosophy and education have taught to this very moment, but it is not true! Such a concept is entirely false, and it is upon this false premise that the trials and tribulations of humanity are constructed.

Understand this: this Now-awareness is neither yours nor mine. It does not belong to someone called "me" or "us." It does not "belong," period! Awareness (Life) IS!

But who are we?

Awareness is who we are! Awareness itself! We are not the ego, the personality or body, who says Awareness is "mine." THAT is the incorrect identity, the "old man," the "liar from the beginning" the "deceiver," the devil himself. THAT is the one to be "put off." That is the one to "come out from . . . and be ye separate."

Listen carefully: The basic building block for our entire personal belief in an inharmonious human experience is the incorrect assumption that our present identity is one who owns-possesses-contains-the Awareness of these words; The belief that Awareness is the function of "our" personal mind; That we are the custodians of Consciousness; That we are the recipients of Life.

As long as we believe we are the container of Awareness, we identify ourselves, not as Awareness itself, but as an empty ego; as the one who attempts to have Awareness show us the things we want, the way we want them. As long as we believe this, we are acting a role outside the realm of the Real, attempting to make a servant, a slave, a lackey of God's own consciousness of being!

Ponder this basic fact. Once the Truth of it is felt, we do not long continue to identify ourselves as the "old man" who must be put off or as the mortal who must die. Rather, we claim Awareness itself—Life, Reality, Truth, Infinite Intelligence itself—as the sole and only Identity.

The Awareness that sees these words is this Identity! The Awareness-being-I includes the Universe entire! We can never actually be the one who claims to possess, contain, imprison, enslave and make a servant of Awareness. When we believe ourselves to be that one, we live as "a house divided," in bondage to our own false sense of Self.

Reader, you are not one who is aware. You are Awareness!

From "A Guide To Awareness and Tranquillity"
By William Samuel

If you would like further guidance in understanding any of William Samuel's work based on Self discover you are welcome to contact me, Sandy Jones - samuelandfriends@gmail.com - Ojai, California -