| | Obviously, here at DhO we emphasize direct 1st person stabilization (eg. shamatha) and investigation (eg. vipashyana), and so it is that technique and awareness influence each other, untill both are dropped into fundamental non-discrimination.
"Awareness", however, should also be understood to encompass the other two reality-domains, those of 2nd person (intersubjectivity, exchange, dialogue, mutually disclosed, relation-based etc.), and 3rd person (object analysis, scientific-minded etc.). Not to contradict anything that has been said here. So, reading and learning and discussing stuff is also raising awareness, just like taking vitamins is also awareness. "Practicing awareness" in this broad sense, should not be placed in antagonism with bare witnessing, what we usually mean by "bringing awareness to". Also, there are modes of unconsciousness not specifically tackled or even aimed at by meditation, such as the repressed unconscious (i.e. shadow), that are often better accessed via purposefully designed uncovering techniques. But this has no direct bearing on this question, so I'll just stop here. Thanks to tlundin and Dan. |