Over the years I have heard some state that consciousness is an illusion, that there is no awareness because all awareness is impermanent.

Today we take a look at this statement, which itself is an illusion born of imperfect perception.

I take the view that even to make a statement that perception is an illusion is a product of consciousness operating, which is not an illusion. Consciousness just IS. It may or may not perceive or externalize that perception.

To state that awareness or consciousness is an illusion is to be conscious of that perception, so consciousness always operates whether perception operates or not. Consciousness and awareness always operate as the foundations of perception, so perception is the variable because it can take infinite forms.

So what is consciousness? What is perception? What is illusion?

The dualistic mind has no ability to judge “consciousness” or awareness. That’s because the dualistic mind operates within the illusion of duality, which is why the mind tends to fall into illusions, delusions, and unreal associations.

We are told that illusions and delusions are one of the mind’s afflictions which generate suffering. That’s why we have to learn Viveka, or Divine Discrimination so we can know what we’re perceiving is truly real, conditionally real, apparently real, or unreal. While there are many times we wonder if what we’re thinking or seeing is an illusion, it is never our awareness or consciousness which is the illusion, but rather the perception we are experiencing in that moment which was the focus of our consciousness.

Consciousness, or “Is-Be-Ness” externalizes through perception. Consciousness or Higher Awareness is nondual, but finds expression through our mind which constantly evaluates sensory stimuli, seeking to categorize and classify direct experience. That why we can “be aware” while not needing to focus on any specific thing. Meditation proves the truth of this statement.

So pure consciousness just is, without extension or perception. We are that whether we’re thinking or not, feeling or not, doing or not. Consciousness or Higher Awareness operating through the mind focuses on countless perceptual phenomena, but because all forms are impermanent we are forced to learn detachment, even in our perceptions.

We could say the illusion is in the mind’s expectation of “the real-ness” in any perception. Whether comfortable or uncomfortable, relatively stable or unstable, all attachments to “the reality” of a thing is an illusion, because all forms pass away.

From one point of view, all objects of perception are illusions which appear real as long as we perceive them. How “real” is something if we cannot perceive it? And given we cannot know how anyone else perceives what they are aware or unaware of, even if they try to explain it to us, we cannot know what they are experiencing beyond our concept of the terms they are using to describe that experience.

I have found that pure consciousness or Higher Awareness is undifferentiated, and both infinitely spacious and luminous. The frequencies of Higher Awareness and pure Consciousness are beyond the dualities of perception. While we cannot “perceive” consciousness using our 5 senses and our mind, we can “experience” consciousness after which our mind will seek to evaluate and name what that experience was about.

Consciousness transcends all forms we can perceive and describe. We can be conscious of a thing without needing to use the perceptual mechanisms of the senses and the mind to describe what we’re aware of. We do not need to figure out whether the Sun is shining or not. It shines whether we’re aware of it or not, see it or not, feel it or not. Just as we can “know without thinking,” and become aware of things we’ve never seen or heard or felt or thought. We can have awareness without words.

As I offered you long ago, perception attaches to objects and categorizes them using "name and form" descriptors. As we move through infinite perceptions, our consciousness is either consciously or unconsciously attached or non-attached to those perceptions, depending on our mental development. That's why we can be aware of the apparent existence of an illusion while knowing it is an illusion.

Perception is in the world of duality. Consciousness is inherently inclusive, since it's non-dual. As we learn to detach from perception and center in the “straight knowledge” of our heart-knowing, we transfer our power from our mind to our Source of all awareness. Then we know without thinking, and can experience the fullness of pure consciousness without the 5 senses and the mind interfering with the direct experience of Oneness.

Take some time to contemplate what you’ve just read. You may find yourself experiencing nondual joy and pure awareness as you explore consciousness and illusion at an intersection of Fate Street and Freewill Street as we move and groove down Eternity Boulevard.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson

The original article is copyrighted by the author. Posted on CrystalWind.ca ©2024. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is prohibited without written permission.The original article is copyrighted by the author. Posted on CrystalWind.ca ©2024. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is prohibited without written permission.Since 2008, we've been your guide in awakening and spiritual growth. Join us on your journey! #CrystalWind #SpiritualJourney

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