Stuck on mundane awareness

Zen means awareness to such an extent that all becomes one. 
                                          —The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zen Living

Awareness is the state of being aware.  To be aware means to have cognizance or to know.  Even to be aware of awareness is still the same, to have cognizance.  In a way, we can describe awareness as bare consciousness—consciousness of the general state or quality of existing as a biological entity.  

When I am cold I am aware of being cold.  My body begins to shiver.  I think to myself, "I can't wait to get back to the cabin by the warm fire."  If I am in pain or angry I am aware of pain and anger. I find it hard to escape from pain without medications.  Such awareness is connected with the physical body and my mental life.  But in no way should this awareness be confused with our Buddha-nature; nor is being aware of awareness the enlightenment of Buddhism as some Buddhist are inclined to believe.

What is more important to understand about awareness is there is a lot of which I am unaware.  For example, I have no awareness of my Buddha-nature or the pure, luminous Mind.  I have no awareness of what is beyond the pale of the Five Aggregates.  Generally speaking, I am only aware of sensory matters and of course the Five Aggregates such as physical shapes, sensations, conceptions, dispositions and yes, I am aware of being also conscious.  In sum, this is ordinary awareness.  By this I mean there is yet no awareness of the transcendent.  

Directly tied in with this, if some today in the popular circles of Zen believe that Zen is just awareness they’ve missed the big Dharma boat to the other shore. They can’t possibly come to any cognizance or realization of the Buddha-nature or the pure Mind.  In a word, they’re stuck on mundane awareness—and this ain’t Zen.

Comments

[Duff]

I am finding your articles very interesting, and read each with enthusiasm and curiosity.

How do I discover my Buddha-nature or my pure luminous mind? I know many practices for discovering awareness, or awareness of awareness, or noticing the three characteristics of all phenomena, etc., but I am not as familiar with practices for recognizing Buddha-dhatu or the luminous mind (are they the same?).

Curiously yours,
~Duff