This one word "awareness" is the source of all wonders. Because of delusion concerning this awareness, the marks of self arise. When it is assumed that there is "I" or "mine," liking and disliking automatically appear.
                                   - Chinul (1209) courtesy of dailyzen.com

Self awareness is a very common term in therapy. People are evaluated on their level of self awareness; distortions in their self awareness; and inhibitions of self awareness. The suffering of my clients comes from a variety of sources. A frequent source is the belief that their struggle is brought on by others. Their reactions are the result of what others are doing or not doing to them. A tough one is the abuse inflicted on a child and the impact that has on the now grown adult's life. The experience of helplessness and the rage of being victimized is profound and can be very disruptive.
When we can recognize the delusion concerning awareness our experience of our self deepens. We know our pain and our suffering in a new way. Instead of the helplessness and rage we can acknowledge our wounds as an important part of who we are; we can transcend the actions of others and discover the compassion of our true self.