Awareness

I used to think awareness was some mystical term, like something only people who meditate well or are very spiritual would understand. But awareness is actually an innate ability everyone has, as natural as breathing. The Rinpoche said that awareness isn't about trying hard to grasp something, but about seeing what's already there. By focusing your attention on a physical sensation, like the feeling in your palm or the rise and fall of your breath, you can return to yourself from chaos in just one second. With long practice, the world doesn't get quieter, but we become less easily carried away. Awareness doesn't make life lighter, but it helps us stand more firmly within life. That sense of stability is, in itself, happiness.