II. Consciousness and Self-Consciousness
4:03 AM Posted In Psychology of Yoga: Consciousness: States and Grades Edit ThisTo be conscious of something being the fundamental nature of consciousness, it cannot preclude being self-conscious. Being self-conscious form the most fundamental nature of consciousness. Anyone cannot be conscious of anything unless he is self-conscious. Fire could not have ignited anything unless it was of the nature of ignition. Ignition is the fundamental nature of fire by virtue of which fire is able to burn anything. Moreover, fire can burn anything if that thing is prone to ignition. Being prone to ignition vindicates ignition as the fundamental nature of that object. The fundamental nature of anything, in its turn, presupposes inherence of the object in that nature. It is the nature of the object which in any case lies at the root of formation of the object. If fire with all its power of ignition is able to burn all tangible objects in the world, the world of such objects must have its origin in fire. This is not a matter of speculation anymore but has become a verity with formulations of scientific theories on the point, including that of the Big Bang.
Similar may be conceived in the case of consciousness. If ignition is the fundamental nature of fire, to be conscious is the fundamental nature of consciousness. In view of the possibility of being conscious of anything in the universe, we cannot detract from the possibility of consciousness being the fundamental nature of the universe and hence of that thing having its origin in consciousness. Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1) states that it is from Atman that has emerged space followed by the emergence of air, fire, water and earth from what precedes it. It is worth pointing out that the Upanishadic Atman is the absolute concentricity of consciousness against Brahman standing for its extensity, both, however, coinciding with each other by virtue of lying beyond the limitations of the space-time continuum.
While fire, as the basic stuff of the world of matter, is a product of the space-time continuum, consciousness lies in transcendence of the same continuum. This feature of consciousness is evident from the absoluteness of its velocity with simultaneity. Light takes billions of years to go across the universe but consciousness can reach from end to end of it within no time at all, no matter howsoever expanding or static it be. All theories about the universe, as well as those formed on the structure of the microscopic shape of matter, are works of consciousness vindicating thus the reach of consciousness to the macrocosmic as well as the microscopic level. Reach of consciousness to both these ends of the universe from the viewpoint of magnitude also and that, too, through it as embodied in an individual, is suggestive of the all-pervasiveness of it.
Similar may be conceived in the case of consciousness. If ignition is the fundamental nature of fire, to be conscious is the fundamental nature of consciousness. In view of the possibility of being conscious of anything in the universe, we cannot detract from the possibility of consciousness being the fundamental nature of the universe and hence of that thing having its origin in consciousness. Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1) states that it is from Atman that has emerged space followed by the emergence of air, fire, water and earth from what precedes it. It is worth pointing out that the Upanishadic Atman is the absolute concentricity of consciousness against Brahman standing for its extensity, both, however, coinciding with each other by virtue of lying beyond the limitations of the space-time continuum.
While fire, as the basic stuff of the world of matter, is a product of the space-time continuum, consciousness lies in transcendence of the same continuum. This feature of consciousness is evident from the absoluteness of its velocity with simultaneity. Light takes billions of years to go across the universe but consciousness can reach from end to end of it within no time at all, no matter howsoever expanding or static it be. All theories about the universe, as well as those formed on the structure of the microscopic shape of matter, are works of consciousness vindicating thus the reach of consciousness to the macrocosmic as well as the microscopic level. Reach of consciousness to both these ends of the universe from the viewpoint of magnitude also and that, too, through it as embodied in an individual, is suggestive of the all-pervasiveness of it.
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