We Are More Than Just Awareness

One of the most profoundly impactful moments in my spiritual journey was listening to Oprah’s Super Soul podcast with Eckhart Tolle. During the episode, he shared a simple but life-changing phrase: “You are not your thoughts, you are not your feelings; you are an awareness.” This was my first encounter with the idea that we are fundamentally “just” awareness, a silent observer behind our thoughts and emotions. Tolle emphasized the importance of observing thoughts and feelings without identifying with them, which, he argued, prevents needless suffering.

This idea was a catalyst for my mindfulness journey. It suggested that I could choose not to suffer by simply observing my thoughts and emotions rather than attaching to them. Of course, some suffering is necessary—pain can be transformative and a catalyst for growth. But Tolle’s point was about avoiding needless suffering, the kind caused by attachment and rumination.

Years later, I encountered the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and discovered that Tolle was likely inspired by Maharshi’s concept of self-inquiry. Both teachers emphasize that when we strip away everything we’re not, what remains is pure awareness. Yet a question lingered for me: If we are just awareness, how do we make choices? If we’re simply observing, that suggests we don’t actually decide, which raises the uncomfortable question: Is free will a myth?

This idea of life as predetermined felt like a blow to my sense of agency. If everything is predetermined, then perhaps we really are passive witnesses with no control over life’s unfolding. But if free will exists, then we are not merely witnesses; we are also creators, actively participating in our lives.

So, perhaps awareness is only the foundation. From this foundation arises thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences. Imagine awareness as a light that refracts into various forms as it passes through different elements, like mind, body, and spirit. When awareness filters through the mind, it gives rise to ego and thought, where most of our choices seem to come from.

However, Maharshi suggests that when we quiet the mind, we reach a deeper place called “the heart.” This “heart” isn’t the emotional heart but a profound self often associated with universal love, the divine, or pure being. It’s from this place of stillness that true creation flows—not from ego, but from a connection to something greater than ourselves.

In Taoism, the concept of Wu Wei, or “action through non-action,” offers a similar insight. Wu Wei suggests we can act without forcing, allowing actions to flow naturally from deeper awareness, from the heart. Here, awareness and action are not separate; they’re two facets of the same gem.

So, we are not just passive awareness; we are awareness actively expressing itself. We experience, choose, and create, but the quality of those choices depends on where they originate—from the ego-mind or from the heart.

If we believe in free will, then we are both awareness and creators; we are artists painting the landscape as we walk through it. Life becomes a balance of witnessing and creating, of discovering and choosing our truth. The challenge lies in learning to create from the heart rather than the ego, especially in a world that often encourages fear-based action. When we align with this deeper source, we find a new way of living—where true freedom comes not from surrender or control, but from harmonious, heart-centered action.

Once, a youth asked me, “What is God?” I recalled a beautiful piece of wisdom from my therapist and replied: “A flow state where your actions maximize your values.” May we all learn to live and act from our hearts.