Con-chi/sci-ous-ness…
Con: context, The ultimately unchanging presence which is integral to all activities and behaviors. The canvas, so to speak, with free, spontaneous, agency.
Chi/Sci: all behaviors within the context, i.e., chi, living energy dynamics, chaim, life, that which appears to be changing. Western culture emphasizes the witnessing awareness aspect of consciousness, but it must be recognized that the flow of witnessing must start with the behavior to be witnessed. It is impossible to have witnessing awareness without something to be witnessed! Subjectivity and objectivity are an inseparable oneness!
Ous: full of
Ness: presence
Consciousness: a presence and integral context filled with its own behavior, including end-to-end objectivity and subjectivity. The mind alone is not consciousness! A mind cannot exist without its environment and objectivity. Collectively, the activity of objectivity and subjectivity occurring within the integral context uniting them is Consciousness.
Consciousness is, in essence, infinite presence with the power, or agency, to perform or behave and yet, remain unchanged. Quick, picture an apple. Did your Consciousness actually change even though it temporarily performed as an apple? You are That, and when seen in its essence, reality is also That. We call the behavior of reality its nature. Since our Consciousness shares the same presence as reality, and no qualities of space and time can separate our consciousness from reality, it can be said that they are one and the same. In truth, there is only That unchanging, aka Real, presence with power, or agency, or Consciousness, performing as this, the known universe. The question is, what are you? Are you the Presence with agency, Consciousness, or an effect of the agency? You have to figure this out for yourself. I know for myself that I am the agent of reality performing as this body and everything I see as well as the awareness that perceives it.
The Agent performing behind a rock and the Agent perceiving the rock are one and the same. Only the Agent behind the entire flow of awareness is ultimately Real, always remaining presence and unchanged. Everything else, including everything made of so-called energy, is its behavior.
The human mind is in the habit of measuring and objectifying dynamic natures, or behaviors, and separating them from their original source presence and Agent. For instance, they perceive a body as separate from its original source agent even though it is occurring within the presence aspect of the presence of that Agent. The issue is that that Agent cannot be seen because it’s infinite, or without definition. Consciousness cannot be seen because it is the performer or cause of the finite but it itself is infinite or without definition. You are That but don’t take my word for it!
Lila, play or sport or drama, is a word that describes the quality of the behavior of Reality, or all-inclusive Consciousness. Spanda, or spontaneous bubbling up, is another. Vimarsha, Self-Reflection, is another. Energy dynamics is yet another. These are all words that describe the behavior of Reality, Consciousness, your true Self, based on surface appearances which are born when the Agent performing as witnessing awareness perceives the result of Their own behavior on the surface without seeing Their own Self as the Agent behind all movements and their witnessing. In other words, Reality, or all-inclusive Consciousness, is behaving as all movement and phenomena within objective reality, as well as, the dynamic movement that emerged as witnessing awareness, however only the Presence and Always Real Agent aspect, all-inclusive Consciousness, You, has ever ultimately existed. What is happening is happening but it’s changing and temporarily, and therefore ultimately the opposite of real. You are the Consciousness, the Presence and Always Real Agent, not the flow of witnessing awareness which is Your temporary behavior, but the singular Agent always hiding behind those behaviors.
Dreaming consciousness is a perfect analogy. Consciousness, when dreaming, is performing as the environment and all of the roles including the witnessing awareness within while always remaining the Agent hiding behind all performances. You are That, Present and Always Real Agent, and You are singular hiding behind Your performance as multiple contexts of awareness and agency, AKA individuals. All expressions of agency, all performances, are bound by the same integral Presence, You.
