Why no one understands Consciousness?
Because Everything is an Experience and Nobody can see that
In this world, every object is an experience for all of us. From gross objects such as stone, car, road to subtle objects such as pain, pleasure and happiness are simply an experience. Before one can see/experience the inner-self, one needs to learn how one sees/experiences external objects.
Let’s take an example:
A Table: Whether a table is made of wood or steel, it is still a table. The table can have many geometrical configurations, but one accepts a table based on its relation to other objects. In a sense, the table that I see is simply an experience with a subjective meaning. Neither the table is perceived ONLY through visual perception. My various senses gathered information about the object, and the perceptual unity took place in my mind, my intelligence then provided a meaning, then the object appeared as a subjective experience in my consciousness.
So what did I see ???
I saw the object in my consciousness, but what did I see — the object outside, for example the wood, the shape,color, etc of the table. The answer is that I saw the projected consciousness. The table is made with a purpose. Every object that is around us has its conscious origin. In fact, every thing that exists in this world is a direct or indirect creation of the Supreme Creator. However, as we experience the object around us, we fail to experience this Him since we are still conditioned with false consciousness.
The New Object — An Expression of our desires
If you see a table: the table may be made of steel or wood, it may have various shape, design, as well as a certain aesthetic sense in it irrespective of whatever the material or object it is made of. When I see the table, the table for me is an experience based on its utility. Please ask the next question — what is there before the table? One may answer wood or steel. But the object wood or steel is again another experience based on various properties such as hardness, plasticity etc. What is there before wood or steel manifested?
One may answer that it is atom or molecule. But again atom or molecule has very well defined structure. By doing this exercise, one can very well see that there exists consciousness in the beginning. So the table has its origin in the consciousness and after the table manifests, it carries the consciousness of its maker.
Then We don’t see?
When one sees a table, a tree, or a house, one simply experiences a consciousness carried by these objects. The table carries the consciousness of the maker, so also a house. In the contrary, the tree carries the consciousness of the jiva(soul) that is embodied by the same tree.
In a nutshell, we experience not the matter, but the material creation. Creation means a creator, hence the creation carries the consciousness of the creator. Like, if you see your watch, there is a watchmaker — the watchmaker has projected his consciousness into the watchmaking, in
terms of aesthetic design of the watch, the scientific principle by which it will continuously function and will reflect the time of the day. So everything around us is a creation and hence was there originally in the consciousness or desire of the maker.That desire has been transformed in the form of an object which we say watch. So when we see the watch, we simply dont see the steel base in which the watch is there. No! When we see the watch we simply see the consciousness of one who has made it.
Everything that is here in this material world is a creation, and thus has a purpose.
From an atom to the gigantic object one can conceive, it has been built or created. The moment it is created, it carries the consciousness of the creator. So everything that is there in this world has a conscious origin, whether it is a table, a house, or a bicycle. Everything we see has a conscious origin. Because it has a conscious origin, what we see is not matter but consciousness.
I hope I gave you some food for thought in this article, a lot more will come in the next.
The above article is written as per my understanding of the commentary of ancient Vedic texts given by Srila Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (A great Spiritual Teacher and Founder Acharya ISKCON)
