A jewel is a common metaphor used for awareness in many contemplative traditions. Like a jewel, we could say that awareness is both multi-faceted and precious. I've surveyed a large portion of the traditional and contemporary literature of nonduality from a wide array of traditions such as Buddhism (Tibetan Dzogchen and Mahamudra, Zen, Thai Forest Theravada), Taoism, Hinduism (Advaita Vedanta, Kashmiri Shaivism), and Western mysticism and philosophy (Christian, Sufi, Judaism, Neoplatonism, Pyrrhonism).
Awareness is both pervasive and subtle. Paradoxically, it is at once everywhere and seemingly nowhere. It's everywhere because you can't experience anything outside of awareness, pretty much by definition. In every direction, everything you see, hear, and feel is happening in awareness. You can't step out of awareness to see what the world would be like from outside it. Yet, because it's so omnipresent, it's easy to take for granted and miss.
Around one in four pregnancies in the UK end in some form of baby loss - including miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death - according to pregnancy and baby charity Tommy's.
"At this time of year, that means being out before the sun comes up, and being hypervigilant. And that was the first time I can remember that anyone tried to put me at ease."
Kids will believe you when you say things like 'If anybody ever touches your private parts I will make sure something bad happens to them.' This is a big problem because kids are most often sexually abused by people they know and love, like family members.
IDAHOBIT, recognized since 2004, aims to highlight violence and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals, fostering community support and advocacy in diverse environments.
