Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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no preoccupation, no pettiness, but an openness, an adaptability,
a freedom which is totally free from envy, when the mind is silent,
when there is no seeker, and when there is truly feeling together,
sympathy.
No amount of culture or of civilisation of religion or of philosophy,
no transcendent state of ecstasy, no submissive state of ritualistic
observance, no accumulation of meritorious past karma, no
application of divine grace, can bring about the destruction of that
hindrance which not only places ‘self’ above others, but which is the
creator of ‘self ’, the pride which says ‘I am’ (asmi-māna). Pride
and envy cannot be overcome through striving, for they all have the
same basis of wanting to overcome, wanting to become.
The only approach, perhaps, would be true self-love which is a
love without selfish opposition. Any love for self which creates a
conflict cannot lead to sympathy, but when in an understanding of
the formative activity of the ideal ‘self‘ there is true insight of what
this ‘self’ involves, then thought, the creator of conflict, will come
to a halt and see the true nature of thought in action; and thereby
bring that process to an end. Only in oneself can ‘self’ be made to
cease. And that is truly the last word in perfect understanding with
love, compassion and sympathy. Sympathy (muditā) then is not
only feeling together which could also be compassion and a sharing
in sorrow, but it has here the characteristic of rejoicing in and with
another’s well-being. Thus, it becomes a capacity for sharing another
person’s emotions not only as a consolation in suffering, but
which is perhaps much more difficult, as a sharing in joy which is
not one’s own and which cannot form a basis of substitution. One
can transfer the emotions involved in the suffering of someone else
by placing oneself in that position, and thereby feel sorry for oneself
in that imagined plight. But it is not so easy to think of oneself
as enjoying what is not one’s own. It is often much easier to feel
envious of the good luck of someone else when comparing that with
the lack of luck in oneself.