Questions tagged [consciousness]
The consciousness tag has no usage guidance.
88
questions
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4answers
92 views
Why is it profitable to stop the cycle of rebirth?
Why is it profitable to stop the cycle of rebirth if it is not "me" who is reborn? Or maybe to ask differently - to whom it is profitable?
6
votes
7answers
582 views
How does buddhism describe what exactly, or where exactly, or how exactly, consciousness exists?
As a computer scientist interested in the origin of the universe and the mind, I finally have found some ancient stuff of the type of substance and depth I am looking for, the Abhidhamma. The first ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts?
How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts? How similar or different is it from the way the word is used these days -- particularly in scientific studies of consciousness ?
3
votes
2answers
101 views
When I empty out intentions and relax in meditation, what is this force that moves my body in complex patterns?
When I empty out intentions and relax in meditation, what is this force that moves my body in complex patterns?
For example, when I let go for a bit I start walking and making circles and doing ...
1
vote
4answers
184 views
What happens to consciousness/awareness when entering Paranirvana?
If consciousness/awareness as the 5th skandha is impermanent (?), shouldn't it cease to exist when entering Paranirvana?
But in SN 22.53 the Buddha says:
"If a monk abandons passion for the ...
1
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2answers
58 views
Consciousness - “Facets of One Entity”
I wonder if 'Consciousness' is many "Facets Of One Entity" and that in itself all things from Good to Bad are part of this entity, and from this the Entity is itself playful, and that all ...
2
votes
9answers
295 views
How is consciousness measured?
There is a sphere of infinite space and there is sphere of infinite consciousness.
It is easy to comprehend what is infinite space is but it is not clear what is meant by infinite consciousness?
Does ...
2
votes
3answers
115 views
Can Buddhist practice lead to pure consciousness experiences?
First, how is "pure consciousness experience" (abbr. PCE) defined for the purpose of this question?
A PCE is when one’s sense of identity temporarily vacates the throne and apperception ...
2
votes
4answers
140 views
Is Buddha Nature the original state, i.e. Awareness/ Consciousness without Existence?
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss is described as Brahman by Vedanta but surely that only applies when viewed through the veil of Maya and experienced as the universe. As awareness/ consciousness is ...
4
votes
4answers
192 views
How to nullify the expectations?
Buddhist teachers say things like
Do not expect anything from anyone,
and also:
Do everything with good heart and expect nothing in return and you
will never be disappointed.
Such a wonderful ...
2
votes
2answers
35 views
What are the five kinds of seeds?
In the Seeds Sutta (SN 22.54), we find there are five kinds of seeds, which can grow, when they are fertile, undamaged and securely planted on the ground with water to nourish them.
Water is delight ...
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4answers
145 views
Are the differences between Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism merely semantic/perspective?
having studied Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta, I've seen that the differences between the two are almost non-existent.
This video does a good job at fleshing out the Vedanta and Buddhist perspective ...
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5answers
105 views
How can the world's youth discover careers that are aligned with consciousness and Buddhism?
Millennial's and the young workforce are faced with a difficult choice of discovering alternate careers/gigs. Can spirituality, universal consciousness, meditation, environment trigger a human-plus ...
3
votes
6answers
306 views
Why are plants not sentient beings?
Why in Buddhism plants are not recognized as sentient beings?
Can it be immoral to kill a plant? Can a plant be reincarnated as an animal? Is a plant alive?
Edit: I read somewhere a theory ...
1
vote
7answers
212 views
Where is the consciousness located? Cosmic Consciousness?
I recently became aware of questions regarding the location of consciousness. The argument put forward is that the consciousness is separate to the body. This is not something I considered before.
...
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2answers
85 views
Does anyone recognise this haiku?
I was staying at samye ling Tibetan monastery in Scotland and writing a lot of poetry. I wrote this haiku in one go without any consideration or counting syllables, and did not feel as if I wrote it. ...
2
votes
6answers
130 views
Is being conscious of actions' consequences enough to attain nibbana?
I apologize if this has an answer on this site or if this does not make any sense. I am wondering if being conscious alone is enough to attain nibbana? If not, why?
I think conscious person will (...
0
votes
5answers
90 views
Is Buddhist lifestyle harmless to living beings?
Is the Buddhist lifestyle harmless to living beings? Lot's of creatures are being killed in various human activities (walking, farming, building, etc.) Did Buddhists found a way to live while not ...
2
votes
2answers
104 views
How can the sixth channel of dhatus be understood?
Could someone help clarifying the sixth channel of the eighteen dhatus - that is - the mental objects (dharma-dhatu), the mental faculty (mano-dhatu) and the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna-dhatu)...
3
votes
8answers
142 views
Which specific process determines where consciousness will alight?
As the title indicates, I don't know how the mind "picks" which sensation to focus on. Considering the huge amount of sense-data being received by the mind each moment, which condition directs ...
0
votes
4answers
101 views
Is there a proper name for my recent experience?
I don't meditate often, and I've never had an experience like the following while meditating, but I feel that the following experience probably has a proper name in Buddhism (or Hinduism for that ...
0
votes
3answers
141 views
Does Viññāṇa generate Nāmarūpa in the sense that would make “uploading concsciousness” impossible?
Does Viññāṇa generate Nāmarūpa in the sense that would make "uploading concsciousness" to a computer impossible?
I was reading this question on philosophy.stack
I'd suspect that it's impossible to ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
Growth, increase, landing, establishing of consciousness
The following quotes talk about consciousness. Through relishing, intending or having underlying tendencies, consciousness would grow, increase, mature, land, establish.
What does growth, increase, ...
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5answers
432 views
Comparing Chinese Agama the ? Bundles of Reeds Simile with Pali Nalakalapiyo Sutta
In commenting a post, I have just been introduced to the "two bundles of reeds leaning up against each other" Sutta. The comments have just been moved to chat and I hope it would be kept for awhile ...
0
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2answers
156 views
Other types of consciousness (viññāṇa) in Theravada?
There are the six types of consciousness (viññāṇa) based on MN 38, namely those related to the six sense media: eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch or mind.
In MN 49, there was a "consciousness without ...
2
votes
6answers
368 views
What is the invisible consciousness or consciousness without surface?
From MN 49 (trans. Sujato):
Consciousness that is invisible, infinite, radiant all round—that’s
what is not within the scope of experience based on earth, water,
fire, air, creatures, gods, the ...
1
vote
3answers
300 views
How is re-linking consciousness reconciled with MN 38?
In the essay "Buddhist Reflections on Death", V.F. Gunaratna wrote:
The terminal thought goes through the same stages of progress as any
other thought, with this differences that whereas the ...
1
vote
3answers
140 views
Where does the consciousness (cittas) originate inside the body?
I have heard that all consciousness arise in hadaya vatthu rupa (blood inside the heart) except the five doors perceiving consciousness (Cakku vinnana, Sota vinnana, Ghana vinnana, Jeevha vinnana, ...
1
vote
3answers
101 views
If consciousness arises from mental formations is it correct to say that consciousness has a specific tone or opinions with it?
Example:
I see something moving, there's contact.
Then there's an unpleasant feeling and perception recognize it as a spider.
Mental formations on how to deal with the "threat" of a spider arises.
A ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views
Harmlessness to non-sentient nature and can consciousness (pure awareness) exist?
Buddhism teaches us to practice harmlessness. Would it be considered harmless to go around destroying non-'sentient' parts of nature? Can consciousness, particularly the pure awareness aspect, reside ...
1
vote
2answers
88 views
Vijñāna and Śūnyatā… How are they seen as different?
Consciousness is often used to describe Śūnyatā by some teachers but in Buddhism consciousness is one of the aggregates.
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6answers
174 views
Does the Consciousness vanish when the objects of consciousness are removed?
In the following excerpt from the book Yoga Sutras by Edwin Bryant, the author is arguing that the fundamental difference between Buddhist and Hindu philosophy is that Buddhists believe that when 'all ...
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2answers
1k views
Meditation, sleep paralysis, spinal vibration
I have meditated off and on since childhood, before I knew what it was, and since my 30s I have been interested in the spiritual concepts of Buddhism. I had an experience in 2010 wherein I awoke from ...
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votes
2answers
99 views
Is Vinanna a Reification of Recognition?
I read on the Internet that Experience (Vijnana) which is really nothing but reification of Recognition (or Interpretation) of new observations in terms of internalized old observations.
Is this ...
1
vote
3answers
180 views
Seeing there is no subject experiencing subject and object?
I'm energetically trying to uproot the view of self, meaning, the sense that there is a subject of experience.
I have read/heard authors such as Sam Harris and Joseph Goldstein say that the self as a ...
7
votes
9answers
438 views
What is the substantial cause of an instance of consciousness?
Context: I'm considered a skeptic of rebirth in my tradition which is the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. I'm asking this question to help me understand what other traditions think. In my tradition ...
4
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2answers
182 views
Are there any detail exposition of Consciousness without surface (viññanam anidassanam)?
I asked this question recently to understand why consciousness is different from the intellect itself and considering the answer given I now think that Consciousness is not something higher than ...
1
vote
2answers
345 views
What is intellect-consciousness and why is it different from intellect itself?
In SN 35.93 quoted below, it reads intellect-consciousness arises in dependence on the intellect and ideas, but if this consciousness is also a thinking about the work of intellect on ideas then it in ...
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2answers
262 views
Is the new “Spread Mind” philosophy actually Buddhism?
I recently stumbled upon a fascinating series of conversations on consciousness in the New York Review of Books by an MIT Fulbright scholar named Riccardo Manzotti. That series led me to his The ...
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8answers
1k views
Hesitation between Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta
I hesitate between Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta.
Buddhism pleases me very much for its willingness to seek an end to suffering, being depressed it speaks to me a lot.
But intellectually, ...
6
votes
8answers
2k views
After samadhi what?
Last year I experienced samadhi, full state of awareness. Mind's
thoughts stopped for days and I can't describe with feelings and words
the complete experience.
It was like the wheels of my mind ...
1
vote
3answers
122 views
Which consciousness/es are involved in meta-congnition (thinking about thinking)?
Which consciousness/es are involved in meta-congnition (thinking about thinking)? And can the skandhas exist without them?
I'm asking because I'm interested in whether animals without metacognition ...
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1answer
45 views
Ideal Experience in Buddhism
Sometimes, I tell myself that a moment wherein I'm devoid of craving, ignorance and aversion is a moment inherently good. I tell myself that if I remove the addictive (and aversive) states within ...
2
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2answers
573 views
What is life-continuum?
In the book Path Of Purification It talks about
The explanation of the meaning here( " talking about the five jhana mastery mostly mastety if Adverting " ) is this. When he emerges from the first ...
1
vote
4answers
170 views
Once ignorance is removed ,is the cessation of suffering automatic?
As per my understanding the only effort I have to make for the cessation of suffering is to realize the Truth as it removes the ignorance. Once I have removed the ignorance rest of the things happen ...
8
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3answers
653 views
Insight in Buddhism
What is "insight" the "knowing that I know" in Buddhism?
I understand the concept of consciousness a bit better but what about having Insight.
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2answers
55 views
Sutta Reference - Sound and musical instruments metaphors in the Suttas
I am looking for a specific sutta wherein the conditionality and insubstantiality of the existential process of a sentient being, or consciousness, is made plain by use of the simile of a resonating ...
2
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4answers
730 views
What are the similarities between quantum physics and buddism?
What are the similarities between modern physics/quantum physics and Buddism?
Although i know little about this, like Budha said that conciousness creates everything, emptyness and dependent ...
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4answers
144 views
why can't the spirtual experience explained from logic
I have heard that when a meditators do a very deep meditation and experiences supernatural phonomenon that experience can't be expressed with words and logic. What does that mean. I remember Albert ...
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4answers
114 views
do you know consciousness?
Language can be a confuser here so feel free to switch consciousness with knowing or awareness. I just ask because many of the texts I read speak early on the path to realization that knowing the Self ...
