What does it really mean to be #woke?

The mirror metaphor is an insightful way to explain enlightenment/wokeness and its varying depths. Imagine everything you know about the world is only visible through a mirror, not directly. Moving this mirror is like shifting our focus or attention.

When we peer into a mirror, we see objects that we recognize as external, separate from us—these are "world objects." Then, we might catch a glimpse of our hand or face and acknowledge, "Ah, this is me." At this initial stage, we're identifying with our physical form.

Now, envision a special kind of mirror that doesn't just reflect visuals but can also show us our thoughts, much like images and sounds in our brain. Seeing these thoughts, we understand they are ours. But when this mirror shows us posters or overhears conversations, we discern, "These ideas aren't mine. I didn't create them." Here, our identification extends beyond the physical to include the mental realm, encompassing both body and mind.

However, there's one thing this extraordinary mirror cannot reveal— itself. Despite its ability to reflect everything else, the mirror's own essence remains unseen. The moment it could see itself, it would realize it's neither the body nor the mind but something beyond—a pure observing presence.

Imagine mirrors reflecting each other into infinity. This endless reflection symbolizes a state of consciousness that transcends attachment to the body and mind, settling into an identity rooted in pure awareness. This self-reflective process is a hallmark of enlightenment, where the mind, clear and reflective like a mirror, recognizes itself not in the fleeting images it holds but in its inherent capacity to reflect. This understanding brings about a profound shift in identity, away from the transient (body and mind) and towards the eternal essence of pure awareness.

The trouble with the current state of affairs is that so many woke related (#Wokemindvirus) labels have been thrown about and popularized that woke has lost its meaning. What am writing is certainly not profound, it's just that the bar is set so low that I had to write something that should have been obvious.

#EnlightenmentJourney #MirrorMetaphor #SelfAwareness #ConsciousnessExploration #SpiritualAwakening #MindfulnessReflection #InnerJourney #AbstractArt #PhilosophyArt #TranscendencePath