Consciousness does not move or change and so was not born
and can never die. Consciousness embraces all that is yet does this without any
volition at all. When we are in agreement with all that is we begin to approach
the nature of consciousness itself. Consciousness itself does not need to be in
agreement with anything - does the sky need to agree to its blueness to exist?
In agreement or acceptance we approach the nature of consciousness. In
disagreement or resistance we distance ourselves from our own nature of
consciousness. Even in disagreement we have not moved a fraction from
consciousness, for consciousness is what we are and it is not possible to move
away from what we are. When we distance ourselves from consciousness we only
imagine that this is so. Full agreement is the same as perfect peace and
happiness - when what we are is finally realised. When our peace and happiness
is dependent on external factors like money, power or anything else we desire,
our peace and happiness will be artificial and very short lived. Money, power
or anything else we may desire are only necessary so long as we imagine that
these things are necessary in order to attain peace and happiness. What we are
is already complete and is not dependent on any external factors.
In consciousness there is perfect peace, happiness, and
intelligence yet even these only arise in consciousness. We can approach
consciousness best when we are not distracted by the things that arise in
consciousness. Because the whole universe arises in consciousness it is not
surprising that we are distracted yet even the wonder and majesty of the
universe pales before consciousness itself. Consciousness cannot know itself it
can only ‘know’ that which arises in consciousness. Consciousness does not need
to know itself so when ‘we’ are no longer distracted by that which arises in
consciousness there is just consciousness that is itself complete.
Consciousness itself does not move yet embraces all
movement.
Consciousness itself does not change yet embraces all
change.
Consciousness itself does not live and cannot die yet
embraces living and dying.
Consciousness itself knows nothing yet embraces all knowing.
Consciousness itself knows nothing of the ego yet without it
there could be no ego.
Consciousness itself knows nothing of thought yet without it
there could be no thought.
Consciousness itself knows nothing of feelings yet without
it there could be no feelings.
Consciousness itself knows nothing of the body yet without
it the body is just meat.
Consciousness itself knows nothing of the absolute yet
without the absolute there could
be no consciousness or any of the things that consciousness
embraces.
Hi Ray,
ReplyDelete'Absolute'ly wonderful description. I'm a bit perplexed about one thing though. If Consciuosness never lives or dies, then what's the difference between Consciousness and the Absolute? I was under the impression that even Consciousness is transitory, since it came into being with the birth of the body and will return to the Absolute on death of the body. This is how Nisargadatta used to explain it, but I know how words can be misleading as what you mean by Consciousness could be slightly different from what I believe it to be. So can we clear what exactly do you mean by Consciousness and the Absolute and the conceptual relation between the two?
Thanks
At a certain point a singularity occurs where all the rules of logic and meaning break down. When this occurs the Absolute is 'seen' but only by implication it cannot be seen or known directly as it is itself a singularity where logic and meaning break down. Free of beliefs the obvious is realised but can only be talked about indirectly. There is matter or the universe, there is life and the various bodies that have life and there is consciousness that all of these bodies have and there is the Absolute which has no cause. Matter, life and consciousness all are subject to cause yet all of these arise out of the Absolute which has no cause. Nisargadatta was right to say that when the body dies consciousness dies with it but here is another implication - matter, life, consciousness and the Absolute are all one that only appear separate therefore the implication is that matter, life and consciousness are not separate from the Absolute and so are the same as the Absolute - without cause and eternal. Without belief the illusion of separation collapses so long as we are dominated by our beliefs this illusion becomes a reality in which we appear to be trapped because separation is self confirming or all beliefs confirm all other beliefs even though none of them are true.
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