TheImmanent wrote:Consciousness is only conceived through consciousness, known through and in itself. That is because it is the only thing in existence, i.e., self-defined.
Does thought exist? Or are thoughts only somehow thought into existence? This pattern would have to continue infinitely, which makes it a wonder how any other phenomena is possible, under your scenario. You're creating a big rift in the creation of things in assuming that conscious experience must originate from consciousness itself. It leaves no room for the rest of phenomena, i.e., all of the things that we consciously experience.
The fact that consciousness is a positive, i.e., actual, as demonstrated by this discussion or any phenomena at all, comes with the necessary implication of its infinity. For a negative cannot be turned positive, nor a positive negative. That which is positive is positive in infinity. Indeed, the demonstration of void beyond consciousness rests on the attempt to demonstrate consciousness as a negative, which is disproved by the very attempt whether or not this is recognized.
Reality is ultimately non-dual. Duality is an illusory phenomena created by conscious experience in demarcating and defining fragments of its environment. Without this act of consciousness, Reality is a formless, causal stream.
Furthermore, "existence" is a dualistic, conceptual phenomena that can only occur within consciousness. It is dual because the idea, or attribution of existence can only occur along with, and in contrast to, the idea of non-existence. This can be clearly seen in the observation that we can't know what exists beyond conscious observation.
But many intelligent and talented people regard the world as concrete, being caught up in the face value of their perceptions. It is not a question of talent, but of attention and the lapse in it.
Agreed.
For the truth is not found by stepping outside the boundaries of consciousness or reasoning about any outer things, but on the contrary to look into the nature of consciousness — and nothing is more readily available to you than that, since it is what you actually are.
Yes, and everything about our experience of consciousness tells us that it is a finite thing, as it is bounded by its properties (memory, the 5 senses, etc.), experiences, and by the fact that it is less than the Totality. To call consciousness "infinite", in the most literal sense of the word, is oxymoronic.
"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."