Consciousness

Indian Philosophy says there is one consciousness - equivalent to water as an example. Water in the glacier, melting ice, river at source, mid stream, at its mouth at the sea, in the ocean, its evaporated atmospheric moisture, clouds, rain drops and again on land lakes, tanks streams and back rivers is the same body of water. But we are humans. We are prone to naming, qualifying, making own - right. Further water in the river, water tank, water jug, my body, urine pot, commode, drain pipe, sewage treatment plant, back to river is the same water.

The universal whole is one whole. Like iron can be made into so many different alloys. So also gold. Atoms are made of sub atomic particles. They connect in so many different ways and form so many different elements. Atoms connect in so many different ways forming so many different chemicals and bio chemical materials. When a seed sprouts seemingly not alive matter becomes living. So also with all living matter. The same food becomes so very many different bodies. Man eats it becomes man. Dog eats it becomes dog. Cat eats it becomes cat. Crow eats it becomes crow. Ant eats it becomes ant. Cockroach eats it becomes cockroach. Fly eats it becomes fly. Everywhere it is the same food. The food is comprised of the same biochemical matter. The biochemical matter is composed of the same elements organised in different ways. The biochemicals are comprised of the same atoms organised in different ways. the atoms are made from the same elementary particles organised in different ways. What is basic in all this are particles comprising atoms and forces that hold particles in place. Now the particles that make the atoms are not material. They are packets of energy which show up as being material. Therefore matter and energy is the same thing showing up in two ways. Now light is also energy. Space and energy can also be shown to be two forms of the same thing. Space is that which intervening between two energies, two particles, two things, two living matter, dead matters whatever. So the universal whole, is one whole. This one whole is conceived by human beings as consciousness.

So also with consciousness. There is one body of consciousness. There is no high low, or pure impure types of consciousness. But we are human beings we cannot conceive without understanding. And then the examples, terms, terminologies are held to be true and the body is forgotten. So also with consciousness. The same appears as many. What causes it, is called Maya - a illusion causing mechanism. We blame Maya and express our inability and then spend a lifetime to learn how to get rid of Maya. Get rid of something that did not exist in the first place.

So consciousness being one, we understand it variously, as awake consciousness, dreaming consciousness, deep sleep consciousness, where consciousness when in deep sleep, and the body of consciousness - this last one is called pure consciousness. The enterprise of spiritual practice is to become one with this so called pure consciousness.