Consciousness and the Ultimate

The Buddha teaches us that there is no permanent consciousness. All consciousness is impermanent, a conditioned phenomena; it arises due to conditions and ceases when these conditions cease. Furthermore if there is no permanent consciousness then there is no consciousness beyond conditionality and no consciousness can therefore be the master of conditions.

There are, however, permanent truths. A mind which realizes these permanent truths or Dhammas will have a permanent cause from which to arise.  If a consciousness arises based on such permanent truth then this will be forever arising afresh based on these truths and not effected by different conditions.  This is knowing – not being – in the sense that it has no essence or continuity. This knowing will be both a result of truth and a cause or creator of truth. This knowing may be physiologically (or we might say objectively speaking) dependent on the body but psychologically speaking (or subjectively) it will be independent of the body. More broadly we might say this consciousness is both imminent and transcendent. This is the ultimate, the enlightened mind.

I offer this for your reflection.

Ajahn Kalyāno
http://www.openthesky.co.uk
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