The Complete Absence of Self-consciousness
In Diamond Approach terms, “absence” refers to a profound state that is challenging to describe. It involves the complete absence of all sensations in the body, thoughts, images, and perceptions. It is not numbness or blockage, as those still involve some level of consciousness. In absence, there is no sense of something missing. It can either be the total nonexistence of awareness or absence with an awareness of surrounding phenomena. The former is termed “cessation,” where there is no awareness at all, and the latter is termed “absence,” where there is awareness of the absence itself or surrounding phenomena.
Absolute absence is difficult to know or understand because it lacks consciousness and awareness. Only when consciousness co-emerges with absence, one can have a glimpse of it. It is like the sky and clouds: consciousness is the cloud, and absence is the sky. When the clouds disappear, and there is only empty sky, that is absolute absence, which is not knowable because there is no consciousness to be aware of it. Absolute absence is considered the ultimate reality, the beginning, and end of everything.
Absence is also the absolute lack of identification with anything. It is the complete absence of self-consciousness, where one experiences oneself as a pure subject, not an object. It is a state of pure awareness without consciousness of absence itself. In this state, there is no self or “I” to relate to experiences, but there is still awareness of phenomena.
One must accept the aloneness that comes with absence to experience real contact and true relationship. This requires embracing the absence of self and the emptiness without any mental relationship or ego structure. The absence of self can be perceived as emptiness, and when this aloneness is accepted, genuine connection becomes possible.
It’s important to note that absolute absence is different from physical death; it is a state of complete cessation of consciousness and self-identification. It brings deep peace and freedom from suffering. Absence can be experienced through surrendering the personality’s defenses and resistance. Through this process, one moves from tension and contraction to the state of surrender, allowing for a deeper realization of what one truly is.
In summary, absence in Diamond Approach terms refers to a state where all sensations, thoughts, and perceptions are absent, and there is either no awareness at all (cessation) or awareness of surrounding phenomena (absence). It is the absolute lack of self-identification and self-consciousness. Accepting and embracing this state can lead to profound realizations and inner freedom.
When we experience absence, we can’t help but fall in love with it. Although it’s certainly not what we imagine as lovable, absence is the most lovable condition. We think we love things or conditions that are pleasurable and sublime, but when we really experience absolute absence, we completely love it because there is no barrier whatsoever between our heart and this completely free condition. In the absence, your heart is so light, so open, so empty, that the sense is that your chest is not there. In fact, all of you is not there. What you have always experienced and taken yourself to be is absolutely absent. No remainder is left after you are gone. Such absence is so fundamental, so radical, so absolutely clear and exact and real that you can’t help but be passionately in love with it. – A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of Reality , Ch. 2
Absence is very difficult to describe. Imagine the absence of all of the sensations you experience in your body, all of your thoughts, images, and perceptions. Absence does not mean numbness, because numbness is still your consciousness sensing numbness. Neither does absence mean blockage, because blockage is your experience and sensation of blockage. Numbness and blockage can include an awareness that something is missing. In absence there is no sense that something is missing. Absence can be either the total nonexistence of awareness, or it can be absence with an awareness of surrounding phenomena. The former I call cessation and the latter absence. I will make this distinction more clear as we proceed. – A. H. Almaas, Diamond Heart Book Five: Inexhaustible Mystery, Ch. 5