RE: What Does it Mean to be Awake?
You just woke up from your dis-appointment of your definition of awakeness. To be awaken, in the Buddhist approach, simply means to live your life as it presents itself to you.
Take one day.
There are numerous moments you can either sleep (interpret every situation in your mind as this and that, speculate about motives of others, judging, overthinking etc.) or you can act within the minutes as it the situation provides it.
You enter the bus and the driver is grumpy and unfriendly. You see that he has a bad mood. You are not reacting on it. You buy your ticket and wish him well. You go to the bakery and there is a mother with a little kid and the contents of the bag is scattered around the place. You help to pick the stuff up and wish them well. You meet your friend in the evening and he starts to talk about his work. He wants you to confirm that his boss is an asshole. You don't confirm him but ask him instead what he is planning to better the situation. .... and so on and so forth.
Awakening does not mean that you are struck by an illuminating insight as if by a flash of lightning and then walk through the world changed forever.
Erase that "x" from the line of existence. As it's not a line.
It just means that you have become aware of an important insight. These moments of continuous events called life require wise decisions in each of these events, which are made on the basis of knowledge (spiritual education). Furthermore, it is simple practice including mental as well as physical training and the integration into a community that meets in this faith and exchanges views on which of the universal principles they are tested for every second, every minute, every hour. ... One then speaks, for example, to someone who is commonly called a spiritual leader, because he already leads a life that comes close to being always present.
The maximum revival is only symbolized by the model figures of for example Jesus or Buddha or other historical figures, who are only a model because they depict the extreme. Otherwise, instead of the "highest" there would only be a "medium" or "mediocre" - so you can't take the ordinary man. Thus, the deepest symbol of the devil in Christianity and Buddhism is the attachment to suffering. ... Buddhists (in this context) are much more pragmatic than Christians. Even the Buddha himself was human all his life and suffered from human infirmities like everyone else. He was eighty years old and finally died of a disease I no longer know its name.
I can recommend watching Buddhist monks and nuns talking on youtube. They are quite funny sometimes. Search for "Ajahn Amaro" and watch his newer talks. Maybe you'll like them. Scientifically put this is the correct source for defining and learning about awakening. Though I find Alan Watts as a starter quite charming and interesting. He is one of my favorites and helped me to do the further research.
:-)
But perhaps that bus driver went home and killed himself after that shift. He had been very troubled, and if you had taken the time to talk to him rather than be dismissive, he may have found within your conversation a reason to live.
And what about the spilled bag of contents. It is helpful to assist in picking up the things that have fallen to the floor, but perhaps it could be more helpful to ascertain why the bag was dropped. Perhaps the floor was wet and the bagholder slipped, if so then that floor will need dried before someone else falls over. Perhaps the person holding the bag has a rare muscle disease that you could have noticed if you were asking about how the bag dropped rather than how to help.
Even the last situation with the friend. You can help by asking what he will do to get out of his position. Or you can go a step further and ask what is wrong with him that makes this issue so bothersome. Then perhaps you can help him come to a better place mentally where he doesn't even need to find a way to deal with his position, because he is able to deal with it naturally.
I am just trying to reiterate my point that being awake to one thing means being asleep to another. So if we could all only be awake to one thing, what would be the healthiest thing for us to be awake to? IN my post argue that it would be responsibility, but I am curious as to what you think would be the best thing for none of us to be ignorant of?
I have watched a fair few Bhuddist speeches over the years, but I will check out the individual who you recommend tonight and let you know what I think. It doesn't surprise me that you say he is funny. I have noticed that all the best educators are.
I don't know where to look for but there might be a shirt with a big "S" on the chest. It's out of blue cloth and has also some red and yellow elements on it. That suits what you aim for here.
;-)
You can be awake for one thing after the other which you can act upon. As you cannot and will not be present everywhere at once you follow the rules of gravity and biology.