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About: Awakening
This website is about awakening: the profound shift away from identifying as a “me”. After that shift, the anguish, distress, longing and fear that lead to suffering no longer arise. Some might suppose that this process must take several lifetimes, if it is in fact even possible, or that it cannot be clearly described or taught. I present here an original method I have developed, based on a traditional Buddhist approach, by which awakening and the end of suffering is possible in this lifetime.
Awakening isn’t necessarily quick or easy, and the approach I suggest may not be the one that works for you. Regardless of approach, though, we awaken to the fact that there is no “me” or “I” among all that we see, hear, conceive of or recognize.
Once awake, it’s not that life becomes exactly what we want or prefer, we don't always feel good, nor do we detach from life. Instead, we stop resisting life, and stop placing unrealistic expectations on what happens, by which suffering is no longer our response. It is easy to get hung up on labels like enlightenment, nirvana, or even awakening, as if it is a particular thing or “state”. We don’t need to go anywhere, or experience anything else other than what is happening right now.
Though all sense of identity falls away, awakening is anything but a negative experience. There is no longer a “me” to maintain and satisfy, freeing us to engage with aspects of life that previously would have been painful, scary or otherwise pushed away. All perceived separation dissolves, life no longer seems bounded by time and space, and patience and kindness can come to the fore.
Once awake, life is remarkably familiar. We will still have the same memories and preferences, and we hold on to our families, friends and livelihoods. The only thing missing, really, is “me”, and the suffering that went with it. And even though we clearly see there is no “me” or “I”, we can still use those terms in everyday life. You can read more about what awakening is here.
The approach I present here is the path the Buddha is recorded to have discovered and then taught. I see this path not as an exclusively or inherently “Buddhist” path, but instead a universal path to awakening that was discovered by a fellow human being. What the Buddha discovered is that there are layers of “fetters”, or constraining beliefs, that make it seem as though there is an actual “me” that is separate from everyone (and everything) else. Since we put all of these beliefs in place long ago, one on top of the other, we must retrace our steps, peeling back these layers of belief about who and what we supposedly are.
To do this, we can look directly, in simple experience, and see if these beliefs have any basis. As with discovering that there is no such thing as Tooth Fairy, the mysterious being who children believe leaves money under their pillow when a tooth falls out, we can conclusively see that there is no such thing as a “me”, nor are there things such as reactivity, a subjective aspect, or anything else that might serve to prove or indicate that there is a “me”. For more information on the fetters, please click here.
Awakening isn’t necessarily quick or easy, and the approach I suggest may not be the one that works for you. Regardless of approach, though, we awaken to the fact that there is no “me” or “I” among all that we see, hear, conceive of or recognize.
Once awake, it’s not that life becomes exactly what we want or prefer, we don't always feel good, nor do we detach from life. Instead, we stop resisting life, and stop placing unrealistic expectations on what happens, by which suffering is no longer our response. It is easy to get hung up on labels like enlightenment, nirvana, or even awakening, as if it is a particular thing or “state”. We don’t need to go anywhere, or experience anything else other than what is happening right now.
Though all sense of identity falls away, awakening is anything but a negative experience. There is no longer a “me” to maintain and satisfy, freeing us to engage with aspects of life that previously would have been painful, scary or otherwise pushed away. All perceived separation dissolves, life no longer seems bounded by time and space, and patience and kindness can come to the fore.
Once awake, life is remarkably familiar. We will still have the same memories and preferences, and we hold on to our families, friends and livelihoods. The only thing missing, really, is “me”, and the suffering that went with it. And even though we clearly see there is no “me” or “I”, we can still use those terms in everyday life. You can read more about what awakening is here.
The approach I present here is the path the Buddha is recorded to have discovered and then taught. I see this path not as an exclusively or inherently “Buddhist” path, but instead a universal path to awakening that was discovered by a fellow human being. What the Buddha discovered is that there are layers of “fetters”, or constraining beliefs, that make it seem as though there is an actual “me” that is separate from everyone (and everything) else. Since we put all of these beliefs in place long ago, one on top of the other, we must retrace our steps, peeling back these layers of belief about who and what we supposedly are.
To do this, we can look directly, in simple experience, and see if these beliefs have any basis. As with discovering that there is no such thing as Tooth Fairy, the mysterious being who children believe leaves money under their pillow when a tooth falls out, we can conclusively see that there is no such thing as a “me”, nor are there things such as reactivity, a subjective aspect, or anything else that might serve to prove or indicate that there is a “me”. For more information on the fetters, please click here.
A Little About Me
Hello! My name is Kevin Schanilec, and I live in the Seattle area. For over 20 years I meditated, studied, joined and left a Buddhist order, regularly went on various group and solo retreats, and otherwise made the spiritual path a central aspect of my life. All of that was certainly helpful to a point, but I eventually hit something of a spiritual plateau. In retrospect, it was clear that I hadn’t found an effective approach to, or a reliable description of, what actual “progress” looked like.
One day in 2012 I simply looked for a separate self, and saw through the initial layer of belief in “me”. This allowed access to the collection of further beliefs about "me", all of which in the Buddhist tradition are called "fetters". This was the beginning of a journey of some three years by which I saw through the remaining layers of belief and, in the process, developed the approach presented here. After seeing through the first several layers of “me,” in 2013 I began helping others to see through them as well, primarily in guided dialogues. I have since dialogued with over 100 people in this way.
I want to share with you this modern take on a centuries-old approach to the peace and joy we all are looking for. I don’t aspire to be seen as a spiritual leader, master or guru, I’m not selling anything, nor do I seek to convince you that this is the only or “best” way to proceed. This is simply what worked for me and many others, by which I know that awakening and no longer suffering really is possible.
I practiced as a Buddhist for almost thirty years before stumbling upon methods which actually worked in terms of “insight” and eradication of suffering. After seeing through the primary illusion of a self, I then continued with an utterly life-changing four years going through the ten fetters approach as developed by Kevin. I was able to work through - and let drop away - the layers and aspects that made up these illusions. It was as if a tightly-held ball of mistaken identity and unnecessary effort could finally unravel.
It wasn't all plain sailing, and on occasions it was very challenging to strip away all the obscurations and protections that had held a 'me'! However, to let those illusions go is - simply - freedom. There are no words adequate to express my deep gratitude to Kevin for his kind friendship in showing the way to freedom from the fetters and the suffering that goes with them.
Maria Allen, Bracciano, Italy