Witness Consciousness

[Guest guest]

I am very interested in Witness Consciousness. In Siddha Yoga, I

believe it is held to be somewhat of a goal. Nevertheless, I don't

fully understand it. 21 Years ago I visited the Ramakrishna Vedanta

Institute in Boston and this elderly swami asked me who I was. I

said, me. And he told me I was the witness. Then, for the rest of

the day, I watched myself. I thought it was pretty cool. Years

later, I am seeing the same idea put forth in Siddha Yoga. Be an

observer, the seer; not the seen. I don't quite get it. It seems to

me there has to be a sort of dissidentification with the person.

 

Because of all of all the communications, internet etc... I have

learned about "mindfulness". I find mindfulness similar to witness

consciousness in that in both....

 

I am aware that I am aware

 

but it seems that in mindfulness, there is no necessity on being

separate from the consciousness in the body, whereas I get the

impression that witness consciousness involves some sort of

separation.

 

Could someone describe for me the differences between the two?

 

Also, it seems to me mindfulness is much easier to cultivate than

witness consciousness. I have all but given up on witness

consciousness for mindfulness because mindfulness is so much easier

and very peaceful. I figure if witness consciousness dawns, great!

But I have not found it easy or desirable to cultivate.

 

Any help on understanding this would be greatly appreciated.

 

also, too much sanskrit doesn't help me too much, it just confuses

me; so if it could be described in plain english, that would help me

out even more.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[Guest guest]

Namaste Paul:

 

Concepts such as "Witness Consciousness" can be understood using

several frameworks and some may prefer one over the other.

Fundamentally, they imply that we should act spontaneously without

'mind' interference while conducting action. The call of birds in the

early morning, the blooming of flowers, etc. happen spontaneously

wihtout analyzing who sees it, who hears and who gets the benefits

etc. The witness consciousnes is to train our selves to be observers

rather than performers. Sri Madhava has recently in his message

suggested the idea of watching a movie in a theater. Everything that

happens in our life is also like watching a movie. On the contrary, if

we watch a movie using a video tape, we have the tendency to

both fast-forward and rewind the tape. Here we seems to take control

over what we like to watch and what we like to avoid. The moment that

we take our life similar to controlling the video tape, we

entertain both misery and confusion. Simply speaking, "Witness

Consciousness" is to understand our limitation - that we can't control

the events that happens in our life and just learn to be an observer.

 

The term 'mindfulness' is used in the context of 'awareness' and it is

possible to relate that to 'Witness Consciousness' with appropriate

assumptions. Lots of literature related to the topic are readily

available in the Internet and here are few examples:

 

http://www.talamasca.org/avatar/mindfulness.html

 

A Book on Mindfulness:

"Mindfulness in Plain English" by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana

ISBN 0-86171-064-9

Other books mentioned in the following site:

http://www.stressreductiontapes.com/books.html

 

Site of a typical mindfulness organization

http://www.mindfulnessdc.org/wmc

 

Finally, I am not familiar with the concept of 'mindfulness" and I

hope other knowledgeable members may give some additional

explanations. Also please understand that my quick review of the

above mentioned sites indicate that its origin is brom Buddhism and

not Advaita. Honestly, I have never come across the the concept of

'mindfulness' in Advaita. These are 'neo-marketing terminologies' to

attract curious customers who want to exchange their dollars with

'peace!'

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

Ram:

 

Thanks for the response!

 

I guess I find the difference between mindfulness and witness

consciousness is in witness consciousness, there is the idea, "you

are the seer, not the seen" so there is a disocciation from the

material manifestation, from ones own body and thoughts, one takes

the position as just the observer, not the doer... Whereas in

mindfulness, one doesn't make this effort. One just pays

attention. I appreciate the links to the mindfulness sites. Maybe

this disidentification with the person is a natural process that

happens later in mindfulness.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[Guest guest]

I should be kind and just pass my observation that Ram Chandran, in my

opinion, misses the point entirely (unless I have mis-read/understood his

post).

 

Witness Consciousness/Cosmic Consciousness is that state where the "Self" is

permanently aware of itself.

Try this description of growing Cosmic Consciousness:

"Gradually, over the years, as the experience of Pure Consciousness became

increasingly familiar in meditation, I began to experience it not just as a

state with no thought but rather as having no boundaries; then as unbounded,

beyond the limitations of my individuality; then as the unbounded,

unchanging essence of my existence... Also there is less of a contrast

between activity and meditation. Sometimes during the day with varying

degrees of clarity, my awareness is this unbounded wholeness of my Self,

quietly accompanying the thoughts and feelings in my daily life. It is not a

mood or conception about myself, it is a natural state in which I am myself

more fully."

 

Experiential knowledge is, in this as in everything, paramount to our

understanding. Will your description of a glass of ice cold water quench the

thirst of a dehydrated man?

 

Brian

 

|

| Ram Chandran [rchandran]

| Thursday, 31 May 2001 14:44

| advaitin

| Re: Witness Consciousness

|

|

| Namaste Paul:

|

| Concepts such as "Witness Consciousness" can be understood using

| several frameworks and some may prefer one over the other.

| Fundamentally, they imply that we should act spontaneously without

| 'mind' interference while conducting action. The call of

| birds in the

| early morning, the blooming of flowers, etc. happen spontaneously

| wihtout analyzing who sees it, who hears and who gets the benefits

| etc. The witness consciousnes is to train our selves to be observers

| rather than performers. Sri Madhava has recently in his message

| suggested the idea of watching a movie in a theater. Everything that

| happens in our life is also like watching a movie. On the

| contrary, if

| we watch a movie using a video tape, we have the tendency to

| both fast-forward and rewind the tape. Here we seems to take control

| over what we like to watch and what we like to avoid. The

| moment that

| we take our life similar to controlling the video tape, we

| entertain both misery and confusion. Simply speaking, "Witness

| Consciousness" is to understand our limitation - that we

| can't control

| the events that happens in our life and just learn to be an

| observer.

|

| The term 'mindfulness' is used in the context of 'awareness'

| and it is

| possible to relate that to 'Witness Consciousness' with appropriate

| assumptions. Lots of literature related to the topic are readily

| available in the Internet and here are few examples:

|

| http://www.talamasca.org/avatar/mindfulness.html

|

| A Book on Mindfulness:

| "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana

| ISBN 0-86171-064-9

| Other books mentioned in the following site:

| http://www.stressreductiontapes.com/books.html

|

| Site of a typical mindfulness organization

| http://www.mindfulnessdc.org/wmc

|

| Finally, I am not familiar with the concept of 'mindfulness" and I

| hope other knowledgeable members may give some additional

| explanations. Also please understand that my quick review of the

| above mentioned sites indicate that its origin is brom Buddhism and

| not Advaita. Honestly, I have never come across the the concept of

| 'mindfulness' in Advaita. These are 'neo-marketing terminologies' to

| attract curious customers who want to exchange their dollars with

| 'peace!'

|

| regards,

|

| Ram Chandran

|

|

| Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of

| nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman.

| Advaitin List Archives available at:

| http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

| To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

| Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

|

|

|

| Your use of is subject to

|

|

|

|