What is Consciousness?

... for now, at least - i think that Consciousness / pl: Przytomność / is Awareness / pl: Świadomość, mniej więcej / without confusion and distractions.

... is there more to know?

... what about sleep state?

... quality lessons will be appreciated, honestly and fairly, fairly as fair play.

... i wish for that.

Consciousness Stream, Mind Stream.

Mind Stream.

Mind Stream (citta-santāna) in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment continuum (Sanskrit: saṃtāna) of sense impressions and mental phenomena, which is also described as continuing from one life to another.

In Buddhism Mind itself is aware, Consciousness Stream is aware, experiences itself.


What is Consciousness?

Consciousness is made of many parts, as in Consciousness article.

Got insights that we experience pure mind parts through impure ones, and that experience is whole, all of these parts included.

Thus Reality & Wisdom reaches through veils of Store Consciousness with our Karma, through Klesha, Deluded Consciousness - through Subconsciousness, then through Reason & Senses.


We are One.

i think we are interconnected, we are connected on deeper levels of Consciousness with others.

That way inspiration reaches us, we are guided toward Enlightenment.

i think it's a part of our Karma, to have mind contact with Our Teachers, with friends & with other beings.


Inspiration.

Citta-saṃtāna (Sanskrit), literally 'the stream of mind', is the stream of succeeding moments of mind or awareness. It provides a continuity of the personality in the absence of a permanently abiding 'self' (ātman), which Buddhism denies. The mindstream provides a continuity from one life to another, akin to the flame of a candle which may be passed from one candle to another:

In Buddhism Inspiration is Methods Transmission, it's how we are guided to fully realize our potential, to reach Enlightenment. One candle can light many others, inspire beings for greatness, support in a way for Enlightenment, if they wish.


Reincarnation.

With death & rebirth being just mind states of drastic change, we seek next lives in which our karma ripens, in which our wishes have best chance of coming true - including the wishes for Liberation & Enlightenment.

Can one being inspire many? Is it possible to reincarnate in many beings?

i think yes, but there's also the main reincarnation, as well, if i am not wrong.


Sources: Mind Stream on Wikipedia & other.

Consciousness & Self.

Recently i did listen to a Lecture by Bhikkhu Samahita about Emptiness.

Following thoughts & understanding occured:
- We are Mind, we are Consciousness.
- Consciousness itself experiences thoughts & feelings, Consciousness experiences Reality in a series of discrete moments that are perceived as continuous stream,
- Self is not permanent, it's what we perceive in a discrete moments, changing from a moment to a moment,
- Consciousness experiences changing Mind States, that we perceive as Reality - we perceive it as we have bodies, feelings, thoughts, meet people, see surroundings etc ... it's all mind states,
- Death is illusion as well, it's just another type of mind states, still experienced as changing from a moment to a moment. Both death & rebirth, life & bardo are all mind states,
- i think Liberation is types of Mind States, 'free situations' without worries, or with less worries. Both Inner & Outer Realities are part of such Mind States, so Purification Practices, Improving Karma, as well as Results of these Practices affect both Inner & Outer Realities.

Source: Bhikkhu Samahita, Dharma on Air #78: Emptiness.


Following questions arose:
- Do Spiritual Aspects of beings arise from Mind? are these Conditioned, part of one's Karma?
- Is one's Powerfield a part of one's Mind State? Is it Conditioned? Is it part of one's Karma?
- What is Probability? Is it predetermined by Cause & Effect? Do we still have free will alongside of our Karma?

Following Aspiration arose:
- To model Enlightenment Theory using Object-Oriented Methodology, a visual graph of 'what is?' & 'what has?'.

Ideas to use in such the model is Object-Oriented Modelling & Finite-State Automaton theory.

Finite automaton have states & transitions, in a given discrete moment mind is in one of possible mind states.

Change from a current state to another state occurs by following a transition arrow, and choice of arrow is determined by:
- One's Karma experienced in a given moment,
- One's Reaction to experienced Karma.

i am not sure how simplified or how precise this model will be.

Akashic Records - Store Consciousness.

Black Obsidian Skrying Mirror.

Pure Black, on both sides.


Introduction.

In Buddhism, Consciousness is experienced as stream of karmic events we go through.

What we seed now, how we react & experience what happens to us now - is put into store consciousness to ripen in future, when conditions allow.

What happens now is a cause of the future.

We experience reality as an 'interactive film' that is played before us, yet we have freedom to decide how we react to events that unfold.

See also, if You wish or need: Causes & Conditions.


Akashic Records.

'The Qabalah teaches that everything in the universe is created or 'prefabricated' in the astral world of Yetzirah before it manifests in the physical world.

The astral plane is a level of reality that is higher than the physical world, but lower than the divine or spiritual world. It is a place that is in between - a realm of reflections, images, and dreams. This realm is the invisible blueprint that lies behind all physical forms. All things manifest in the astral world before they manifest in the physical world.

The astral plane is sometimes called the Treasure House of Images and is said to encompass the Akashic Record or the Akashic Library. This is a part of the astral said to contain all the memories and experiences of humanity over the course of history - embedded within the substance of the ether.

The Akashic Record exists outside of our concept of time and space, thus it contains information about future events as well as past memories.'

-- Quoted from 'The Essential Golden Dawn. An Introduction to High Magic' book by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero.


i've found information that Akashic Records refers to the Store Consciousness, that there is both personal store consciousness as well as world's collective store consciousness (we're connected - no individual exists alone - but ego creates an illusion of separation), both accessed by reflection & introspection.

information about future to unfold are not 'fate', it's 'karma' that can be changed or purified. Glimpses into future are about possibilities, not about 'certain facts' that are to occur without doubt.


Accessing Akashic Records.

By looking inside, one can learn of past lives, of past in this life, of things at distance (in time or space), as well as of how the future can unfold.


'It is avialable to those seers who have achieved a certain level of psychic purity and skill at skrying, but sporadic occurences, less-developed psyches are afforded brief and sometimes distorted glances into the Record.

This astral 'stockpile' of images can be used by skilled seers to cull knowledge that is universal and timeless.

In spite of this, the seer must ever guard against astral illusions or self-deception.

A skryer must be able to learn the differencies between astral fact and astral fiction. This is why skrying is a skill that must be finely honed, carefully practiced, and constantly tested for veracity.'

-- Quoted from 'The Essential Golden Dawn. An Introduction to High Magic' book by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero.


How to look inside?

- By focusing & meditating on breath - a bridge between conscious and subconscious - as well as by calming mind, by observing thoughts & feelings,
- By skrying - with or without use of devices as a black skrying mirror or a crystal ball.

To perceive things clearly one should defeat his or her own ego, as it's obstacle of ignorance & a mind's veil. Buddhist practices are one of keys to that.

i'll emphasize that one should be wary of what one sees inside - as what we perceive is obscured by our ego & other of mind's veils. Criticism & distance are important tools, and keys to remain sane as psychology teaches us all.

Consciousness & Artificial Intelligence.

Introduction.

While browsing the internet, found following idea:


A new theory in neuroscience suggests consciousness is an intrinsic property of everything, just like gravity.

The theory, called Integrated Information Theory, states that consciousness appears in physical systems that contain many different and highly interconnected pieces of information. Based on that hypothesis, consciousness can be measured as a theoretical quantity, which the researchers call phi.

The theory treats consciousness as an intrinsic, fundamental property of reality.

Buddhists have a similar belief in what we in the West call ‘panpsychism’ — the belief that consciousness is everywhere and that we have to reduce the suffering of all conscious creatures.

The idea of universal consciousness, is a prominent thought in Buddhism. And it has been largely dismissed by modern science — until recently.

There are already pressing and practical needs for a way to measure consciousness. Doctors could use phi to tell if a person in a vegetative state is effectively dead, how much awareness a person with dementia has, when a foetus develops consciousness, how much animals perceive, or even whether a computer can feel.

This is perhaps the more urgent task with the birth of computer intelligence. We need to be able to answer the question of whether a machine is conscious. Does it feel anything? If so, what rights does it have? Is turning off computer & erasing hard-disks ethical? What should be our ethical obligations towards it?

For a perspective on how systems can acquire consciousness, if Consciousness emerges from Physical Systems, it will emerge from Artificial Systems too.


Blog author's comments.

i read, i think, i should investigate.

This theory is controversial, so far i considered computers to be Phenomena (without mind) rather than Beings (with mind).

When we consider thinking, we usually equalize many concepts.

There can be:
- Thinking of beings,
- Artificial thinking,
- Abstract thinking.

Thinking beings can be living or dead (during bardo, before reincarnation).

Artificial thinking refers to decision making processes of computers, including artificial intelligence learning & decision making. Computers do not think, these calculate with side effects.

Abstract thinking is generalization of thinking of beings and artificial thinking, but artificial thinking is not the same as thinking of beings. Precisely speaking - artificial thinking is not thinking, but computation - calculation with side effects.

So far i thought that Computers do not have Mind. But if Consciousness can be found everywhere, if it aggregates around pieces of information - perhaps i should reconsider.

However, before accepting IIT as valuable, following questions come to mind:
- Is there difference between Mind & Consciousness?
- Can 'phi' measure apply to computers as well as to living beings?
- Can computers have all of human-perceptions sensors connected?
- Can computations be compared to biological mechanisms of thinking?
- Can computers feel?
- Can mind perceive without sensory organs as well (eyes, ears, ...)? Brain & Nervous System are not Mind, it's a 'Consciousness Filter' through which human body perceives Mind,
- How does quantum entanglement & quantum computing relate? While these can allow to communicate at distance, is it enough to perceive mind?


Wishes.

May all beings have happines and causes of happiness,

May they be free from suffering and the cause of suffering,

May they always experience true happiness, which is totally free from suffering,

May they remain in the great equanimity, which is beyond attachment and aversion.


Mantras.

OM MAHAKALAYE SOHA
OM A RA PA CA NA DHIH
OM MANI PEME HUNG

OM AMI DEWA HRI
OM KALACHAKRA SOHA

OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

SHAMARPA CHENNO

KARMAPA CHENNO

Namaste, blessed be.

Consciousness.

Introduction.

Vijñāna (Sanskrit) is translated as 'consciousness', 'life force', 'mind', or 'discernment'.

Mahayana Buddhism breaks the mind into eight separate consciousnesses.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche said the point of meditation is actually to understand how the eight conciousnesses work, because together they create our samsaric reality.

They are also the working basis of enlightenment.

-- Sources: Wikipedia, Lion's Roar article.


Eight Vijñānas.

1 through 6: The Sense Consciousnesses.

The first 5 are familiar: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses.

They work with our sense organs and objects of perception to create our experience of the phenomenal world.

The 6th sense consciousness, called mind, assembles the input from the other sense consciousnesses into a coherent whole.

The six sense bases refer to the five physical sense organs, the mind and their associated objects (visual forms, sounds, odors, flavors, touch and mental objects). Based on the six sense bases, a number of mental factors arise including six 'types' or 'classes' of consciousness. More specifically, according to this analysis, the six types of consciousness are eye-consciousness (that is, consciousness based on the eye), ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness and mind-consciousness.

Hence, in this context, consciousness includes the following characteristics:
- Arises as a result of the material sense bases,
- There are six types of consciousness, each unique to one of the internal sense organs,
- Consciousness arises from Mind,
- Here, consciousness cognizes or is aware of its specific sense base (including the Mind and Mind Objects),
- Consciousness is a prerequisite for the arising of craving,
- Hence, for the vanquishing of suffering, one should neither identify with nor attach to consciousness.

7: The Klesha or Deluded Consciousness.

The 7th consciousness is the home of our concepts, opinions, and inner discursiveness. Sometimes called the 'nuisance consciousness', it is a source of suffering and a place where we spend far too much of our mental time.

-- Source: Lion's Roar article.

8: Base Consciousness (Skt. Alaya Vijnana) or Store Consciousness.

A function of mind that stores all impressions and lets them mature again with the appearance of corresponding conditions, and manifest in the outer world; it colors one's experience, and through karma is the basis for the next rebirth.

-- Source: 'Fearless Death' by Lama Ole Nydahl.

See also, if You wish or need : Akashic Records - Store Consciousness.


Amalavijñāna.

The amalavijñāna, 'immaculate consciousness', is considered by some schools as a ninth level of consciousness.

This 'pure consciousness is identified with the nature of reality (parinispanna) or Suchness'.

Alternatively, amalavijñāna may be considered the pure aspect of ālāyavijñāna.

Some buddhists also suggest hrdaya (Heart) consciousnesses, or an eleven consciousnesses theory or an infinity consciousness.

-- Source: Wikipedia.


Wishes.

i wish all beings - including myself - to be understand connections & differencies between First Four Skandhas & Consciousnessess - without forcing or rushing to do so, at everyone's own pacing & with everyone's will.

i wish all beings - including myself - to get rid of Mind's Velis, including of 'ego' - so they are able to see things as they truly are - without forcing or rushing to do so, at everyone's own pacing & with everyone's will.


Mantras.

OM MAHAKALAYE SOHA

OM VAIROCHANA OM
OM AKSHOBHYA HUM
OM RATNASAMBHAVA TRAM
OM AMITABHA HRIH
OM AMOGHASIDDHI AH

OM MANI PEME HUNG

KARMAPA CHENNO

Namaste, blessed be.