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One Conscious

ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
edited February 2011 in Buddhism Basics
I have been contemplating something recently on and off throughout my days. I believe that we are all one, that nothing is dependent from anything else. We project our world within our mind via our 5 senses and the 6th being the conscious, we paint our life in our mind and this is nothing new to most of us on this board I am sure.

Then I remembered what I heard when I saw a documentary on quantum physics, it stated that without consciousness nothing would in fact exist. If everything is one, does that mean there is in fact one consciousness that is painting the world before us, and we are merely a part of this, or do we all have our own consciousness, separate from each others? Are we maybe in a dream and when we are liberated we wake up into reality, or maybe into another dream...

Comments

  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    I have been contemplating something recently on and off throughout my days. I believe that we are all one, that nothing is dependent from anything else. We project our world within our mind via our 5 senses and the 6th being the conscious, we paint our life in our mind and this is nothing new to most of us on this board I am sure.

    Then I remembered what I heard when I saw a documentary on quantum physics, it stated that without consciousness nothing would in fact exist. If everything is one, does that mean there is in fact one consciousness that is painting the world before us, and we are merely a part of this, or do we all have our own consciousness, separate from each others? Are we maybe in a dream and when we are liberated we wake up into reality, or maybe into another dream...
    Everything is equally empty but not one thing, or one consciousness. We all have individual consciousness'.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Its impossible to conceptualize exactly how things work, but it is good to try in a lighthearted way.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    emptiness is something I cannot come to comprehend in buddhism. I have tried to understand this concept but it always evades me :(
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    edited February 2011
    emptiness is something I cannot come to comprehend in buddhism. I have tried to understand this concept but it always evades me :(
    It helps to see it as meaning everything is malleable, non-static, impermanent, in flux but all connected, neither inherently one, nor inherently many but equally empty and inter-dependent for existence.

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    nothing permanent. So one in a sense but there is no permanent essence that powers or underlies or ties together the flux. As far as I know. And its hard to call it many because you ask yourself many 'what'? If nothing is permanent then what do we have many of?
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    The one-consciousness theory is unknowable, IMO.

    I think of emptiness in terms of dependent arising. Emptiness is "emptiness of inherent existence", which simply means that any particular phenomenon is composed of constituent parts and therefore is empty of inherent existence, because it depends on other causes and conditions for its phenomenal existence.

    As a Mahayanist/Vajrayanist, I believe that when the reduction of everything phenomenal to its constituent parts leaves us with nothing inherently existing on its own part, what remains is Primordial Wisdom. But that's just me. I think we just have no way of knowing whether or not the one-consciousness theory is true, or whether it might connect with Primordial Wisdom.

    And these beliefs, I guess, are more faith-based on my part than demonstrable or provable.
  • formermonkJohnformermonkJohn
    emptiness is not empty IMO, just empty in terms of physical phenomenon, maybe, i've also heard it called "oneness" perhaps that is a better term, the emptiness being the source of the buddha's wisdom is obviously something, maybe a glass half full.....
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    emptiness is not empty IMO, just empty in terms of physical phenomenon, maybe, i've also heard it called "oneness" perhaps that is a better term, the emptiness being the source of the buddha's wisdom is obviously something, maybe a glass half full.....
    Oneness is not a good alternative, as it's quite misleading and absorbing without cutting through.
  • formermonkJohnformermonkJohn
    i disagree, there is some confusion over two different kinds of emptiness, we say the emptiness of pain and suffering, we mean that its nothing, when we say the source of the buddha's wisdom is the emptiness, thats not nothing, i suspect the're two totally different words in pali, both translated emptiness, but having different meanings, scholars???

    i mean i don't think the buddha was saying the source of his wisdom is nothing, hence all a function of his mind, etc, i think the emptiness is an outside source of wisdom kinda like the Tao, my opinion.
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    i disagree, there is some confusion over two different kinds of emptiness, we say the emptiness of pain and suffering, we mean that its nothing, when we say the source of the buddha's wisdom is the emptiness, thats not nothing, i suspect the're two totally different words in pali, both translated emptiness, but having different meanings, scholars???

    i mean i don't think the buddha was saying the source of his wisdom is nothing, hence all a function of his mind, etc, i think the emptiness is an outside source of wisdom kinda like the Tao, my opinion.
    Emptiness means dependent origination. This insight is the source of all wisdom concerning the non-inherent nature of suffering, the inherent nature of impermanence leading to compassionate detachment, and the source of the will to serve others as fully awake because "I" exist relative to everyone else to the infinite degree.

  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    i disagree
    Everything is not one thing, it's all just inter-connected, but not one. Though there is a field of inter-connectivity.
  • formermonkJohnformermonkJohn
    i checked oneness on google, evidently it has another meaning, sorry, i don't quite buy in to your definition of emptiness there, perhaps its another topic for its own thread.
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    edited February 2011
    i checked oneness on google, evidently it has another meaning, sorry, i don't quite buy in to your definition of emptiness there, perhaps its another topic for its own thread.
    My definition is derived from standard madhymaka as well as Dzogchen. Not to mention experiential transmission from various masters. :)

    Don't buy it... I'm not selling it. ;)
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    Thanks Vajraheart, this
    'Emptiness means dependent origination. This insight is the source of all wisdom concerning the non-inherent nature of suffering, the inherent nature of impermanence leading to compassionate detachment, and the source of the will to serve others as fully awake because "I" exist relative to everyone else to the infinite degree.'
    really put it into a nutshell for me. I thought it was related to or was simply dependent oringination. I heard a nun state that anything you look at is not one thing, but made up of many little things, which are also made up of other things etc. It is impossible to find something that is dependent and one. But why is this so important to our life? How to apply this concept to every day life...
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    edited February 2011
    Thanks Vajraheart, this
    'Emptiness means dependent origination. This insight is the source of all wisdom concerning the non-inherent nature of suffering, the inherent nature of impermanence leading to compassionate detachment, and the source of the will to serve others as fully awake because "I" exist relative to everyone else to the infinite degree.'
    really put it into a nutshell for me. I thought it was related to or was simply dependent oringination. I heard a nun state that anything you look at is not one thing, but made up of many little things, which are also made up of other things etc. It is impossible to find something that is dependent and one. But why is this so important to our life? How to apply this concept to every day life...
    Instantaneous intuitive compassion should be the result. One should reach a point where inter-connection becomes instantaneously recognized and very obvious, so that one is able to have insight into the nature of any thing or person by seeing it's or their cosmic connection upon appearance. This leads to detachment from results due to the fact that you're able to see that you are not omnipotent because of so many conditions outside of your personal control are at work, even while doing for the greater benefit. Also an inner freedom from psychological suffering, even while life does it's frictional things arises naturally through this instant sense of presence. Simply because I am referencing a vaster space of information per momentary experience.

    It has to go from intellectual to experiential information. This is only gleaned I feel through contemplation in a state of calm abiding, as well as transmission from high masters, like osmosis.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    How to apply this concept to every day life...
    By just recognizing that nothing is permanent. Things that you "love" will change, perhaps in ways that are distressing to you, in ways that you don't want, but they're going to change whether you want them to or not, and recognition of impermanence is the best way to "step back" from that, and hopefully accept it with some equanimity.
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    How to apply this concept to every day life...
    By just recognizing that nothing is permanent. Things that you "love" will change, perhaps in ways that are distressing to you, in ways that you don't want, but they're going to change whether you want them to or not, and recognition of impermanence is the best way to "step back" from that, and hopefully accept it with some equanimity.
    Yeup, and one can only do that truly by recognizing ones own inherent freedom, and flexibility (flowability). Only then is Samsara experienced as Nirvana. When ya cup runith over... ya give!
  • formermonkJohnformermonkJohn
    edited February 2011
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Śūnyatā
    heres a rather wordy lengthy discussion of emptiness, it appears that your definition vajra is one school, others talk of emptiness as fullness, emptiness is definetely not nothingness etc.
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    edited February 2011
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Śūnyatā
    heres a rather wordy lengthy discussion of emptiness, it appears that your definition vajra is one school, others talk of emptiness as fullness, emptiness is definetely not nothingness etc.
    Of course it's not nothingness. When I said non-inherent existence, I didn't mean that there is no relative existence. HHDL is a Dzogchen master, as well as a master of Madhyamaka so I will always agree with his point of view. We are coming from the same schools. I was speaking on both relative (things exist due to endless causes and conditions outside of themselves) and ultimate emptiness (things are free and transparent) and this experience leads to fullness of joy and complete connection to every moment as it occurs, as free from it.

    Emptiness does not mean non-existence, it means relativity. Infinite potential.
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