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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 24 2008 : 6:11:54 PM
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Consciousness and awareness......
See....in Norwegian...these two words have only one word: Bevissthet (which directly translated is "consciousness")
There is no word for awareness.....the closest I get is the word "årvåken"......which means something like "acutely awake".....but it is not a noun.....
After becoming more deeply familiar with the spaciousness described in the Hole and the whole thread
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....&whichpage=2
and perceiving the deep passivity of this space.......I must ask you....for this is what it feels like:
Consciousness and awareness are not the same?
The inner expansion....the ever opening........the maturing that is taking place inside.....I sense now that this has to do with consciousness and not awareness. The shine always shines. It never changes......it is a constant......so this means that consciousness is exposed to awareness...because less and less energy is dissipated through interest in the content......and therefore consciousness opens/expands/matures?
Some say that consciousness realizes itself. That consciousness is conscious of itself. But it isn't the way I experience it.....it is conscious of everything else. It is more like
awareness is the source of consciousness. Awareness tastes itself through consciousness......?
Mind has up until now been all the content in consciousness.
But when mind is quiet.....it is just open. There is just the opening....so mind is the same as consciousness alone.....
When awareness is extracted from the content of consciousness (which is mind)...and just stays with the consciousness......it still has not realized itself.......what it realizes is the witness....?
The witness .....is consciousness alone then.....
But the witness is not awareness.......the witness is awareness reflected.....in consciousness
So even consciousness must drop......?
No wonder I will never understand.....
But this is the feeling the emptiness gives......
I'd be grateful for any imput....
Not because the knowledge is important....but because something is happening....there is a deeper letting go.....and a little push from somebodys inner guru........will help  ......since I don't see clearly....
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2008 : 8:15:47 PM
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I read an article that consciousness is derived from a word meaning moral conscience (right and wrong). And they also equated the word awareness, as based on perception. Both words I've seen used interchangeably.
quote:
Katrine: The inner expansion....the ever opening........the maturing that is taking place inside.....I sense now that this has to do with consciousness and not awareness.
Wow, that stopped me dead in my tracks, Katrine, and I think that's the key element - In my opinion, human beings are the only creatures concerned with purposeful involution, and evolution and we have faculties that animals don't have, such as: Love, faith, joy, peace and other innate faculties...
We possess a moral conscience (consciousness) and also awareness, whereas, an animal can only be aware of a thing, based on the senses.
Anyway, I enjoyed the topic and sure there are so many things that we can learn from it.
Thanks, again, Katrine:
VIL
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Edited by - VIL on Oct 24 2008 8:54:39 PM |
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tadeas
Czech Republic
314 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 04:31:03 AM
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Hi Katrine,
yes, I think you're right in your description. It's best to resolve these things only relying on one's own understanding and insight. Sometimes awareness and consciousness are not distinguished like this, it really depends on what conceptual system is used. And it can be a mess sometimes :)
What you describe is in the same terms described also here: http://www.atmapress.com/Nisargadat...ace_Time.htm
Nisargadatta writes: "
Consciousness and matter come into appearance simultaneously, along with the concepts of time and space, with time giving the illusion of duration to matter, and with space giving the illusion of extension to matter; all of these come together and go together. For consciousness to arise there must be matter, since consciousness is a reflection of the absolute Awareness against the surface of matter. And matter itself is but a manifestation, a limitation of consciousness. The objective universe is in continuous flux, constantly projecting and dissolving innumerable forms, all appearing within consciousness. Whenever a form is created and is infused with life (Prana), consciousness identifies itself with that form and gives rise to the illusion of duality."
Btw. I've found it useful not to try to understand. It's not possible to grasp that, you can't take it home :) the only sure way is to let go - over and over, until no question remains :) and stay there :) |
Edited by - tadeas on Oct 25 2008 04:41:00 AM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 06:14:13 AM
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Thank you Vil and Tadeas!
quote:
Btw. I've found it useful not to try to understand. It's not possible to grasp that, you can't take it home :) the only sure way is to let go - over and over, until no question remains :) and stay there :)
YES and AMEN to THAT 
Nisargadattas quote gave a click inside though....thank you for making it easier to let go |
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shankar
Norway
35 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 11:42:38 AM
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In the thesaurus, both words "Consciousness" and "Awareness" are listed as synonyms i.e. they are both nouns that are interchangeable.
Similarly, "Joy" and "Bliss" are listed as synonyms
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 5:23:04 PM
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Thanks, Shankar
That is interesting.....that Joy and Bliss are described to be the same.........
After the Nisargadatta quote the question about awareness and consciousness dropped. It is so funny - because I can't for the life of me remember what he said .......just the inner click....and then the silence afterwards. I won't read it again just now.....but at least now I know it is posted...in case I ever wonder again
And when that question dropped....... just being joyful and blissful is absolutely enough.
Thanks again, Shankar, for unifying the two.
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Consciousness and Awareness
