Q: When one affirms “I am aware” or attempts to be aware of thoughts, emotions, actions etc. who is this ‘I’. Is this ‘I’ the ego? If so, then the awareness is still happening at the level of mind but isn’t that awareness supposedly to happen beyond/separate from the mind. How to develop that?

A: Well, it’s so true what you have written, I would veto that. Definitely this awareness now is just happening at the level of the intellect & you still don’t know what it really means to be aware. Because this awareness too is actually not awareness, it is just attentiveness and there is a big difference in between attentiveness, concentration & awareness. Now where you are, that stage is simple attentiveness, don’t think so that you are in that awarefulness stage, it is still far off.

But as & as you will dig deeper in this attentiveness, this attentiveness would mature into concentration & then this concentration would slowly bring you to the helm of that point where this jump from concentration to awareness would happen. But dear Urmila! That requires diligent practice and giving time to your self. Would you be able to do so? It’s not cheap, it’s an expensive thing & you have to pay price of your dedication & your regular, deep, sincere practice.