Day 213 - The Nature of Consciousness

Day 213 - The Nature of Consciousness

VASISTHA continued:

The Lord explained further:

Functions of Consciousness

Consciousness operates in different forms: as space, as life (jiva), as actions, and as substances. This occurs naturally and effortlessly. Just as all oceans are part of one vast body of water, this consciousness, though described in various ways, is one unified mass.

In the body, like a lotus, this consciousness experiences life, like a bee gathering honey. In the universe, all beings—gods, demons, mountains, oceans, and more—exist within this infinite consciousness like eddies in the ocean. The wheel of ignorance, which drives the cycle of life and death, also spins within this cosmic consciousness, powered by its constant energy.

Consciousness, in the form of the four-armed Visnu, defeats demons, like a thunderstorm quenching the earth's heat. It takes the forms of Siva and Parvati, Brahma the creator, and many other beings. This consciousness is like a mirror holding reflections without changing. It appears as countless beings in this universe without altering its true nature.

The Infinite Creeper

The infinite consciousness is like a creeper plant, sprinkled with the latent tendencies of countless lives (jivas). Desires are its buds, past creations its filaments, and all beings are parts of the creeper. Though it seems like many, it is actually one.

All is Consciousness

This infinite consciousness is the source of all thoughts, expressions, and actions. It shines as the sun and appears as bodies, which are inert but come into contact and have various experiences. This consciousness is like a typhoon, unseen but causing sand and dust to rise and dance. It casts a shadow within itself, seen as tamas or inertia.

Role in the Body

In the body, thoughts and notions generate actions in the light of this consciousness. Without it, even an object directly in front cannot be experienced. The body cannot function or exist without this consciousness. It grows, falls, eats, and creates, maintaining all beings in the universe. The infinite consciousness alone exists; nothing else does. Consciousness alone has arisen in consciousness.

VASISTHA's Inquiry

VASISTHA asked:

"If this consciousness is everywhere, how can someone become insentient or inert in this world? How can someone with consciousness lose it?"

The Lord's Explanation

The Lord praised the question and replied:

Dual Nature of Consciousness

The omnipresent consciousness exists in the body as both changing and unchanging. Just as a woman dreams she is someone else with a different husband, consciousness can believe itself to be different. Like a person under uncontrollable rage behaves differently, consciousness can change and function in various ways, becoming insentient and inert over time.

Creation Process

Consciousness creates space, air, and their qualities, evolving time and space within itself, becoming a jiva with an individual mind. This leads to the cycle of world appearance and notions like "I am this or that." The infinite consciousness becomes apparently inert, just as water becomes crystal. The mind, deluded, desires, falls prey to lust and anger, experiences ups and downs, clings to hope, suffers, and perpetuates delusion, moving from one error to another.

Stages of Life

In childhood, this deluded consciousness depends on others. In youth, it pursues wealth and worry. In old age, it is sunk in sorrow. In death, it is led by its karma. Based on karma, it is reborn in heaven, hell, the netherworld, or on earth as human, animal, or even inanimate. It is the same consciousness that appears as Visnu, Siva, Brahma, and others, functioning as the sun, the moon, the wind, and causing changes in seasons, day and night. It is the life force in seeds and the essence of all material substances. Conditioned by self-limitation, this consciousness fears itself. This is the truth of jiva-consciousness, also known as karma-atma (the self caught in the wheel of action and reaction).

Power of Ignorance and Inertia

See the power of ignorance and inertia! Simply by forgetting its true state, consciousness undergoes great troubles and sorrows, experiencing a pitiable downfall.