Awareness

Awareness is defined as "the quality or state of being aware, consciousness." To be aware is defined as "to be watchful, vigilant, cautious, on one's guard; informed, cognizant, conscious, sensible." Aware also means to be awake, alert, enlightened, knowledgeable, learned, and expert," synonyms that mean mindful or heedful of something.


“Strive always to be aware of God.”


Aware implies "knowledge gained through one's perceptions, or the attitudes of others." Ignorance and obliviousness are states opposite to awareness. Awareness is a faculty, a virtue and an initiatory degree. Awareness is an instinctive aspect of consciousness. Certain scriptures treat awareness as being "awake," and obliviousness as being "asleep."






Edna Lister on Awareness

Your intelligence is infinite because God is your intelligence, and you can have whatever degree of awareness or knowledge you wish by using that intelligence. – Edna Lister, God as Consciousness Appears as Form, 1933.


You must redeem yourself from a sense of separation into an awareness of God. – Edna Lister, The Song of the Lamb, March 6, 1935.


You must be aware of your divinity, and of God's Power. – Edna Lister, Vicarious Atonement, March 20, 1935.


Some people are unaware of the darkness and malice around them until it hangs heavily upon their soul, then realization comes. – Edna Lister, Be-Attitudes, October 24, 1935.


As beings in existence, we must first become conscious and aware, we must know that we exist before we can do any thinking. – Edna Lister, Philosophy, January 27, 1936.


A mediator must always be conscious. – Edna Lister, April 17, 1938.


The soul partakes of God's consciousness, which manifests as both unconscious and conscious. The creature's level of awareness is unconscious of the self. The creator is consciousness in an earthly sense and can become fully God-conscious, which we call cosmic or Christed consciousness. – Edna Lister, What Is the Soul? October 2, 1938.


Watch, lest when the Power comes on you unexpectedly, your vanity and conceits sweep you into unknown ways and devious fantasies. Watchfulness saves much misspent time. – Edna Lister, November 14, 1938.


Watch that all your desires may be selfless and for your greatest good. – Edna Lister, January 8, 1939.


Watch all pictures within the fortress of your mind that you allow only those of good for yourself and all others. – Edna Lister, January 8, 1939.


One who is alert and ever watchful over the Father's business makes a good steward in God's house. – Edna Lister, February 29, 1940.


Observe to avoid blunders, to be awake, alive, alert and aware always. – Edna Lister, A Design for Ascension, 1941.


Awareness is immediate vitalized consciousness that God is all in all, through all and all, as all. Awareness makes your present place very holy ground and makes you the servant of all the Power. – Edna Lister, A Design for Ascension, 1941.


Be watchful unto all sacrifice of all self. – Edna Lister, August 12, 1941.


Watch for hidden weaknesses in yourself. – Edna Lister, September 2, 1941.


You often become aware of something through intuition before you give it your personal attention. – Edna Lister, Awareness, May 3, 1942.


Charge your subconscious mind constantly to analyze what it inducts from the outer, then go about your business of being fully aware and mentally conscious. In other words, know what you are doing. – Edna Lister, June 30, 1944.


Light makes the path clear before you; tread it watchfully, that self does not trip you. – Edna Lister, July 31, 1944.


Watch, pray, and let no self involve you. – Edna Lister, November 2, 1944.


Unless you consciously train yourself always to stand before your high altar, you are apt to be caught unaware. You speak too hastily, act too quickly, give or take offense before you become conscious of what you are doing. – Edna Lister, Keys to the Kingdom, 1945.


Seek constant, vigilant consciousness of being in the Kingdom of Heaven every moment of every day, realizing you are in it with each awakening thought in the morning. – Edna Lister, Keys to the Kingdom, 1945.


Perception grows more acute as awareness of disobedience to law increases. – Edna Lister, January 31, 1945.


You must remain alert, alive, and aware, not speaking a single word that you have not first considered. – Edna Lister, July 9, 1945.


Listen, and remain alive, alert and aware. Don't wool-gather {indulge in idle daydreaming} because what people say bores you. – Edna Lister, July 9, 1945.


It takes a constant vigilant battle to overcome the self to return to God. – Edna Lister, July 9, 1945.


The Master's Path is a long, continued struggle with the lower self until all soul debts are paid in full. Unless you are constantly watchful, you can slip back into a worse state than before, creating even greater debts than in the past. – Edna Lister, July 10, 1945.


Watch always for sly negatives, and don't let them creep in to put you in bondage. – Edna Lister, January 20, 1950.


Awareness is the awakening of consciousness. When you are unaware, you are unconscious. We are all aware of extremes such as love or hate, yet must synthesize all five senses into one for true awareness. – Edna Lister, Five Steps in Ascension, April 16,1950.


Many people live in a vague state; the world is unconscious of being unconscious. Intellectuals are conscious enough to desire to win arguments. Many of them are now becoming aware that what they have is not enough; intellect alone, without consciousness, is futile.

Awareness is the awakening of consciousness. When you are unaware, you are unconscious, not paying attention. You are supposed to be aware of what approaches — a friend or danger. You are easily aware of love or hate. Yet you must synthesize the five senses into one for true soul awareness. – Edna Lister, What I Do Have, I Give, October 1, 1950.


The soul is perfect as an individualized manifestation in the image and likeness of God. That which is unconscious in a baby becomes conscious as you change the patterns of your life, and broaden into greater awareness and later, into full consciousness. – Edna Lister, Integrating Mind and Power, June 22, 1952.


"God first" means constant awareness of God's Presence in your life. – Edna Lister, December 18, 1952.


Awareness, recognition, and acceptance take charge, as the changes to consciousness begin. First is awareness of God as all potential Power. You become aware of benefits, miracles and "added things." You are aware that "now we are the sons and daughters of God." It's not enough just to hear these words. You must be aware of what they mean constantly. – Edna Lister, The Greater You, February 5, 1956.


Light makes you aware of your oneness with God, and of your responsibility and faithfulness to that oneness. – Edna Lister, Before Abraham Was, I AM, March 18, 1956.


Under the unity of the Spirit you have one hope, one faith, one baptism. "One baptism" is the white Light of the Christ – the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost and Holy Breath as One, the source of the River of Life. It is the atomic substance and power in which you "live, move and have your being." You walk this Path of Light and glory whether you are aware or unaware. – Edna Lister, Go Preach the Gospel, July 22, 1956.


Watch suggestions that are really idle words. – Edna Lister, June 6, 1957.


Awareness is a conscious knowing, not vague uncertainty. Acceptance means "to consent to, to receive a gift, approval, or belief." To accept, you must make some sacrifice, give something up to make room. – Edna Lister, Threefold Nourishment, October 13, 1957.


Watch closely that you do not invest your life and soul substance in others. – Edna Lister, November 21, 1957.


Your highest point in consciousness is also your greatest weakness, because you are apt to lose awareness of how far you have climbed, how much you have gained, how much you have to lose. – Edna Lister, As God Sees Me, June 8, 1958.


Your highest point of exaltation may also be your greatest weakness because you are apt to lose your awareness. – Edna Lister, June 12, 1958.


In ascension, your first true awareness is the need to give up selfishness. – Edna Lister, August 28, 1958.


Apply what you know to what you hear to heighten your awareness; use your faculties, inner and outer. – Edna Lister, October 13, 1958.


There are no excuses for lack of awareness in a follower of the Via Christa. – Edna Lister, October 30, 1958.


Being eternally on watch for the stumbling block in your path is better than praising God on your face or thinking you are almost perfect. Ask God to keep your feet lifted, but you must observe. – Edna Lister, December 15, 1958.


To fall into intellect is retrogression; anything can happen from that moment of being unaware. When you ascend, you are aware again. – Edna Lister, February 16, 1959.


You lose high awareness through using idle words. – Edna Lister, December 14, 1959.


You must be able to hold awareness. To be alive, alert and alight is to be aware. – Edna Lister, Three Covenants Between God and Man, December 15, 1959.


Your measure of Power is your awareness of Power and how you put it to practice in ascension. – Edna Lister, What Is Your Measure of Power? June 12, 1960.


You must be aware of the beauty, the Power, the joy of conquering. You must become aware of the expansive quality of conquering. – Edna Lister, What Is Your Measure of Power? June 12, 1960.


Training must continue until complete awareness and comprehension takes charge. – Edna Lister, June 15, 1960.


To be responsible you must be vigilant. – Edna Lister, Steadfastness Through Vigilance, June 19, 1960.


The words between awareness and acceptance are "many are called, few are chosen." – Edna Lister, October 10, 1960.


You must demand of the self perfection of alertness, awareness of all that goes on about you, without self-excuses or justification. – Edna Lister, January 3, 1961.


You must remain aware of what you are doing, saying, thinking, and feeling every moment. – Edna Lister, October 13, 1961.


Not being alert and aware is exactly how your family, friends and critics catch you out on points of law. – Edna Lister, The Seven-Branched Candle Stand, October 24, 1961.


You must be alive, alight, alert and aware to talk to God. – Edna Lister, January 4, 1962.


Watch the tone of your thinking, and the tones of your voice. – Edna Lister, December 3, 1962.


Watch your step when you hear a raucous voice and yackety-yack. Someone's little self is on the loose. – Edna Lister, March 7, 1963.


As long as you hold that high point of awareness of whom you serve, you are perfect. – Edna Lister, March 17, 1963.


You become aware from the lowest level of consciousness where you experience instinctive emotions. During the pause between the shock of awareness and subsequent action, you must recognize this "me" as the little self, and let this awareness of the first glimmering of your true identity as a son or daughter of God take charge. – Edna Lister, The Cross, June 23, 1963.


Let no dullness lower your vibration, lest you become unaware of danger, for it is as dangerous to be unaware and do nothing because of not seeing soon enough as it is to see and do nothing. – Edna Lister, July 5, 1963.


The Christos consciousness is alive and aware in action under acceptance and surrender. – Edna Lister, December 19, 1963.


As awareness increases, it becomes intuition and illumination. – Edna Lister, The Good Shepherd, November 1, 1964.


The secret of ascension, which also covers awareness, is attention to detail. – Edna Lister, November 30, 1964.


"Almost conscious" isn't good enough — it must be all or it is nothing. – Edna Lister, June 16, 1965.


Most people's difficulty is they cannot stay awake. Nobody can do it for you. – Edna Lister, June 16, 1965.


Awareness awakens when you hear the call to ascend in consciousness. When you become aware, you seek to let go of the old. You become aware of all captivity. The minute you say, "This is good. Let there be Light," the Master has led all captivity captive by freeing you from your old captivity to idle words. You can ignore the bad days because the Light absorbs the bad every day until it dies of malnutrition. Darkness dies when you are a prisoner of the Light, when you are really aware. – Edna Lister, Truth as Practical Common Sense, November 28, 1965.


Being absolute perfection in alertness, awareness, wakefulness, rejoicing and compassion for world is possible. – Edna Lister, November 21, 1966.


Your destiny requires complete awareness, not a pseudo consciousness. – Edna Lister, December 2, 1966.


You need a constant watchfulness with no self, either self-delusion of grandeur or "self" in words or actions. – Edna Lister, April 23, 1967.


There is a difference between soul awareness and self confidence. The difference is slight, but cross that line downward and there is danger. It fast leads into inattention to a psychological warning bell, a dulling of that vital awareness of that subtle warning. – Edna Lister, May 5, 1967.


Demand more steadfastness, watchfulness and awareness of your self that tenfold Light shall meet and absorb the evil and darkness. – Edna Lister, September 3, 1967.


Awareness is a delicacy about feeling a vibration, carrying out each task under its release of Power. – Edna Lister, November 13, 1967.


If you are not aware, you don't apply what you know to what you are doing. – Edna Lister, December 4, 1967.


Unawareness allows opportunities to pass by unconsciously, even to being blind to them after they have passed. – Edna Lister, May 17, 1968.


Failure to be aware causes you to be laggard in ascension and binds you to the Wheel of Fate. – Edna Lister, May 21, 1968.


To be aware, you must be conscious that awareness is discerning recognition of everything through observation. Training in awareness is a personal matter. Too many spiritual teachers are so enraptured with the inner that they forget the importance of living here; they are not aware. Awareness is your greatest form of protection from the world. – Edna Lister, Awareness and Becoming Law, May 26, 1968.


Consciousness is awareness. Many live with only 20 percent awareness; 50 percent is generous for the majority. Some never move up from consciousness of anything beyond their physical body. Outside "world" awareness is not "Ascension" awareness. – Edna Lister, Three States of Consciousness, November 17, 1968.


Using pressure from the world as an excuse for lack of awareness leads to the black pit of unconsciousness. – Edna Lister, November 6, 1969.


The greater the Power, the greater the necessary awareness of its direction and release. Do not be a tempter by being unaware and oblivious. – Edna Lister, November 6, 1969.


Ascension is a constant work of acceptance and awareness that you are working out your own mental and material salvation. – Edna Lister, December 5, 1969.


Be alive, alert and aware at all times. – Edna Lister, May 5, 1970.


Allow nothing to keep you from remaining at the Source while you are also fully conscious, aware and alert of mind on earth. – Edna Lister, December 4, 1970.

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Awareness Treatments

"I am alive, alert and aware, open to the River of Life flowing through me now." – Edna Lister, Desire Is Your Glory, June 14, 1959.


Say, "Let me be alive, alert and aware so that I miss nothing again." – Edna Lister, June 20, 1960.


Treatment for awareness for yourself or others, to be broadcast, using the rotary motion: "Be alive! Be aware! Be appreciative!" Body treatment: clockwise over the head, and broadcast, "You are alive, alert. You see and hear what's going on." – Edna Lister, December 4, 1964.

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New Testament on Awareness

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. – Matthew 25:13.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41.

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. – Mark 13:35-37.

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God. – 1 Corinthians 15:34.

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. – Ephesians 5:6-14.

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Edna Miriam Lister
1884 – 1971
The original Christian Pioneering Mystic,
Platonist philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, wife, and mother.

Edna Lister


Etymology of awareness: Old English wær, watchful.


Awareness is a soul virtue.

Awareness is a mental faculty.

Awareness is an initiatory degree.


The Waking

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go."
– Theodore Roethke


Quote

We all know that, as the old adage has it, "It is later than you think." ... but I also say occasionally: "It is lighter than you think." In this light let's not look back in anger, or forward in fear, but around in awareness. – James Thurber


References

Roethke, Theodore. The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1961.

The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary: 2 volumes. E.S.C. Weiner, editor. Oxford University Press, 1971.

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Thurber, James. Lanterns and Lances, Foreword. New York: Harper, 1961, p. 137.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary "Woolgathering." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed March 20, 2021.


Related Topics

See Consciousness

See Vigilance

See From Materialism to Spiritual Awareness: Edna Lister sermon outline; September 9, 1934.

See Awareness: Edna Lister sermon outline; May 3, 1942.

See Five Steps in Ascension: Edna Lister sermon outline; April 16, 1950.

See Awareness and Becoming Law (a): Edna Lister sermon outline; May 26, 1968.

See Awareness and Becoming Law (b): Edna Lister sermon transcript; May 26, 1968.

See Stop Woolgathering!: Linda Mihalic lecture excerpt, September 7, 2010.