Consciousness is not the final reality.

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

>

> I have studied Non-dualistic philosophy for approximately 10 years,

> but new to Advaita Vedanta :-$

> To deepen my understanding of Advaita Vedanta I am reading Dennis Waite's

excellent book - " Back to THE TRUTH - 5000 years of ADVAITA " .

>

> But I am a little puzzled when reading chapter 6 - Who I Really Am, section -

Describing the Self.

> In subsection __Even Consciousness is not the Final Reality__

> Dennis Waite references Nisargadetta Maharaj and (primary) Robert Powell to

state that Consciousness is __not__ the final Reality.

> I know that Self-Atman-brahman is without attributes but it's __nature__ is

pure consciousness - as stated in Upanishads.

> I agree with traditional(Adi Shankara) Advaita Vedanta claming this.

>

> Am I missing something here?

>

> Note.

> I have read previous Advaitin threads where Nisargadetta Maharaj description

of Awareness is interpreted as equivalent with Consciousness.

 

Namaste,

 

Consciousness belongs to Saguna Brahman or Sakti, and therefore is delusional

and not the final truth which is NirGuna Brahman. Niz had a different decription

of consciousness..that's all.

 

However having said that, the way to NirGuna is through Saguna for one has to

realise the delusion or illusion to realise the truth. Even devotion or bhakti

isn't bhakti until realisation, it is aspiring up till then. Even there one has

to be careful that the devotion to a figure or Ishtadevata doesn't become the

end in itself, and hinder the final leap of non-duality.

 

Realisation of the Suguna results in the simultaneous realisation of NirGuna for

that is the truth.

My entry on wikipedia titled...ajativada goes into this...Cheers Tony.