Guest guest Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Namaste. In the english dictionary (when I try to translate to the Spanish) the words awareness and consciousness are considered more or less as synonymous. Sages use both words with different meanings. isn't it?. I wonder if you'd mind to put those words in another and clear way. Of course, in the line of the List. Please, help to a poor and ignorant spanish advaitin :-) Love Diego Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 Namaste Diego! >In the english dictionary (when I try to translate to >the Spanish) the words awareness and consciousness are >considered more or less as synonymous. > >Please, help to a poor and ignorant spanish advaitin :-) Even English speaking people also get confused over this. Many (perhaps most) philosophical problems arise from using language in a vague way. Here is my understanding. In discussing Advaita, one wants to distinguish between nondualistic and dualistic consciousness. Dualistic consciousness always has the notions of 'subject' and 'object'. Dualistic consciousness sees the world this way, and it is an illusion that is very difficult to overcome. It is our normal consciousness. The whole point of Advaita is that we must ultimately overcome this illusion (or 'superposition' on reality) in order to realize Moksha. That is called 'nondualism', in which subject and object become One, or 'Brahman is All' and 'I am Brahman', therefore 'I am All' and 'Subject is Object'. Now, sometimes awareness and consciousness are contrasted, with awareness standing for the nondualistic state of mind and consciousness standing for the dualistic state of mind (since we tend to say 'I am conscious OF something'). But 'consciousness' can also be used for the nondualistic state of mind, in which case it is often given a capital 'C', as in 'Consciousness'. There are simply no fixed rules, and you must try to understand by the context in which these words appear. This can be confusing. Notice also that I have used the words 'state of mind'. Some will immediately say that 'mind' refers to the dualistic conceptual consciousness. (It is 'conceptual' because subject and object are concepts of the mind.) But if I had said 'consciousness standing for the dualistic state of consciousness', that would have also been confusing. In brief, 'awareness', 'consciousness' and 'mind' can all be used for either the dualistic or nondualistic consciousness. You must check the context in which they are used. (Some of our Indian friends may disagree, but I know English better than they do. Of course Gregji may be lurking out there ready to pounce!) I hope you are not too confused! Om! Benjamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2003 Report Share Posted June 27, 2003 --- lantax_metanoia <lantax_metanoia wrote: > Namaste. > > In the english dictionary (when I try to translate to the Spanish) > the words awareness and consciousness are considered more or less as > synonymous. To me there are synonyms. > > Sages use both words with different meanings. isn't it?. Sages have you used only 'chaitanya'. Nisargadatta maharaj or the one who translated his book - used the words to mean differently - if I understand their usage correctly - objectless awarness is consciousness and object awareness as 'awareness' or awareful being. VishhishhTadvaita brings in 'dharmabhuuta j~naana' and swaruupa j~naana as two different entities - again that is my understanding. In adviata - being a-dvaita - both should be the same. Hari OM! Sadananda >I wonder if > you'd mind to put those words in another and clear way. Of course, in > the line of the List. > > Please, help to a poor and ignorant spanish advaitin :-) > > Love > > Diego > > ===== What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to Him - Swami Chinmayananda. SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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