Awareness

The Buddhist Path, the path to enlightenment,

can be explained, in summary, as the cultivation

of awareness. The cultivation of awareness is

the means whereby humans are able to self 

evolve to the point of being fully awake.

Awareness is based on the sense perceptions,

unlike intellect, which uses the objects of aware-

ness to shape reality in ways that are beneficial 

for a particular existence. But the intellect itself

is not aware of anything. The intellect interprets,

analyzes and manipulates, but has no bearing on

the nature of mind or the nature of reality. Only

through the cultivation of awareness can the 

nature of mind and the true nature of reality be

seen and understood for what it is. 

The practice of meditation is the discipline that

trains the awareness, allows the mind to self 

evolve. The many teachings Buddhism are used

to correct misconceptions of the intellect, and to

point to awareness. But, it is only the practice of

meditation that can dispel the clouds of confusion

and conflicting emotions, (merely thoughts that 

have gained steam), so that the mind is finally able 

to rest in its natural state. At that point, the 

reasoning mind no longer clings and grasps.

The cause of suffering is reasoning mind’s 
tendency to interpret phenomena in a way that
seems beneficial to the survival of the individual.
Survival  is an instinct common to living beings.
For human intellect, survival becomes the self
aggrandizement of runaway ego looking for
ultimate pleasure and  eternal existence. As such,
it is a powerful diversion from the purpose of
human existence to self evolve. All human belief
systems are merely the attempt to put labels on
phenomena in order to understand  them,  when
ultimate understanding can only come  when one’s
awareness is completely developed.  At that point,
words become unnecessary.