Insights from Living with Monks

Insights from Living with Monks and Understanding Knowing, Awareness, and Wisdom

As I write this post, I’m reminded of the tranquility of the early mornings in Thailand, where I had the opportunity to live and learn amongst the forest monks. This experience was transformative, and it's with this same spirit of transformation that I want to share the concepts of knowing, awareness, and wisdom that I attempt to sink into every day, especially when I'm teaching.

The Essence of Knowing

Knowing is like the ocean's surface—it's there, a body of water, constantly moving, where the waves are our thoughts and most visible; we can hear and see them but have no power over them; it's best to move with them, to float. We recognize and acknowledge each wave as it passes. In the literal sense, knowing is about the thoughts and narratives that are constantly flowing through our minds. It is this immediate, raw information of our consciousness that we experience at every moment.

In Thailand, knowing took on a new dimension amidst the serenity of the temple grounds and the wooden pillow I slept on every night. The monks taught me that to know is not just to be aware of the thoughts but to understand their impermanence. Like the monks, when we learn to observe our thoughts without attachment, we cultivate a mindful distance that fosters inner peace. I don't know about you, but this essence, inner peace, is what I'm chasing after these days.

The Depth of Awareness

In many of my classes and the practices I create for sessions, I often mention or drop in the word awareness; most students ask why and what this means. Awareness is the deeper current beneath the waves. It's less about the thoughts themselves and more about the space in which they arise. It's the backdrop of our consciousness, the silent witness to the cacophony of the mind. It is always with us; this presence is much bigger than we are, and I often relate it to a feeling.

During my time with the monks, I learned the true power of awareness. In the stillness of meditation, awareness became this grounding force, a reminder that there is a vastness to our being that is untouchable by fleeting thoughts and emotions. From this place of awareness, we can watch the play of the mind with poise and grace.

The Clarity of Wisdom

Wisdom is the culmination of knowing and awareness. It's the understanding of the true nature of thoughts – that they are empty, without intrinsic power or substance. Wisdom is the realization that the stories and dramas that consume our minds are like shadows cast by the ever-changing light of consciousness.

Wisdom is like pulling back a curtain to reveal that no one is directing the chaotic play of thoughts—they simply arise and fall away. Wisdom, I learned from the monks, is seeing this truth and finding freedom from the belief in the solidity of our mental dramas.

The Synergy of Concepts

When we practice, knowing, awareness, and wisdom are intertwined. Knowing our thoughts can lead to a state of heightened awareness, and from this awareness, wisdom can arise. This wisdom allows us to pull back the curtain of the mind and see the emptiness of our thoughts, much like the monks who see through the illusions of the material world.

My journey with the monks in Thailand etched the idea that mindfulness is not just a practice—but a way of being. It’s a journey that starts with knowing, deepens into awareness, and culminates to wisdom. The path to inner peace is within us, in our consciousness.

I invite you to embark on this journey; I have found it forgiving and open to everyone. Embrace the teachings of knowing, elevate yourself through awareness, and seek the liberating force of wisdom. Whether sitting in a bustling city or the quiet solitude of a temple, the path to mindfulness is there for you to walk, one step at a time.

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