re "consciousness"

[Guest guest]

Here is a short bit from the Tibetan Buddhist view on

"consciousness" vs "Buddhanature or "intinsic wisdom"

 

 

Question: Rinpoche, when you were first talking about Nirvana you said that

consciousness stopped. But then you were talking about the qualities of

wisdom that come with Nirvana as well. How can it be that you can have

wisdom without consciousness?

 

Rinpoche: For us now at this stage of our development, this is pretty

inconceivable. Consciousness is what we are aware of. To think of

phenomena without consciousness is to think of a rock or an inanimate

object. This is our only reference to something that has no consciousness.

It is difficult for us to appreciate that there could be any kind of wisdom

if there wasn't consciousness. In fact, what we are aware of now as mind or

consciousness is not really a true sense of being conscious at all, rather,

it is a kind of delusion. In our present state of mind we are only

fascinated by delusion and do not really have an understanding of our true

state. This state is rather contrary to wisdom which is the real state of

intuition which is wisdom. Consciousness is mind of content. If you have a

notion of "red" or "big" or any type of apperception, that moment of

apperception is a moment of consciousness.

 

What is going on in mind, mind with content is the contrary of intuition.

This is a simple way to tell the difference between samsara and nirvana if

you like.

 

First you listen a bit to the teachings and thus get a sense of direction

about the teaching and the meditation. Then having listened one should not

take this as something just to be trusted, or factual but rather one should

meditate on it and through one's meditation one arrives at an understanding

which is the real understanding in your own experience and that relates to

the teaching you have just received and thus you will understand directly

from experience what is meant by such teachings.

 

For instance, when I say that everyone has consciousness this is not

difficult to understand because everyone has experience with consciousness.

When I start to say that there is something else intrinsic in being which is

wisdom, which is a transcendent understanding which is not at all

consciousness then what can you do with this? You may feel doubtfull because

you do not have any real direct experience with this. Then, you can

meditate and through meditations of the path you develop some experience and

gradually come to some initial level of understanding. Then you will come

to the point where you begin to see this transcendent wisdom which is an

intrinsic aspect of being, So from your own experience you would come to

have some confirmation of the teaching. Then you would begin to have some

real meaningful trust or faith in the teaching out of your own experience.

 

There are so many different kinds of people. So it is said that Buddha

taught 84,000 different teachings because he needed to teach each kind of

individual in his or her own way. For each individual and each character

there is a way to approach the path, and there is not a particular way which

is THE right way to approach the path to the realiation of Dharma. Rather,

each individual must find the approach to realization which is their

personal approach and which is appropriate to them.