Pure Awareness is the Key

The Buddha

Or pure consciousness. Lots of teachers use the two terms interchangeably. We are trying to describe the indescribable, so the exact terms do not really matter that much.

Think lake, or pond. Lake might be too big. Your thoughts and emotions are like a river, always flowing past your awareness. You want to allow your thoughts and emotions to stop, such that they become as still and clear as a mountain pond.