What does it mean to be conscious? Some people say when you are awake, you are conscious, as compared with when you are sleeping. But haven’t we all had the experience of driving a car and missing our exit, or suddenly realizing we were caught up in our thoughts and not really watching the road or the other drivers? Is this considered being conscious, or is it more an awareness issue?
Scholars, philosophers, and scientists have debated the definition and nature of consciousness for centuries. So, what does it mean to be conscious? Are there different levels of consciousness? How does being conscious affect the quality of our lives?
Sadhguru clears up misconceptions on what “consciousness” is and explains how you can access this dimension.
Sadhguru: Consciousness does not mean becoming self-conscious. Self-consciousness is sickness; unconsciousness is death. Being conscious just means that you are in touch with the root of who you are. What you call as consciousness is not an act, an idea or even a quality – it is the very basis of creation. If we say your consciousness has risen, it does not mean you are more alert than your German Shepard. Alertness is of the mind. Consciousness is not of the mind, but if consciousness is on, it clears the mind. It forcefully finds its expression through the mind and body, through every cell of your living being.
Consciousness happens not because you are doing something, but simply because you have allowed it. Life is happening to you, but it is not your doing. What we are calling consciousness is the basis of your life and your existence. It is not something that you can do or not do at a particular time. Consciousness is still on whether you are in this body or you are disembodied. The question is only, is it available to you or not? You are always available to consciousness – you cannot escape that – but is it available to you?
Consciousness always has a say in your life. Whether you have access to it is the question. The reason why you are avoiding this access is because if you access it, you will vanish – you will not exist. You will neither have pride nor shame, pain nor pleasure, but you can do everything that you wish to do. See, I am doing everything that I want to do, but nothing really. You will have no accomplishments in your life, and you will not be any better or worse than anybody within yourself. You neither go up nor down, but you can do whatever you want. You can make this life experience whichever way you want.
If I want, right now in a few seconds I can make myself utterly miserable, in grief and with tears, or I can make myself ecstatic, but with both I know it is my doing. None of the so-called things that you call the game of life are there, but freedom is there. You can make anything out of it. If freedom is your highest goal, you must move towards becoming a state of abandon, simply. This does not mean you abandon your responsibility. That is the first thing that people want to abandon, because they want to abandon all those things that are inconvenient to them – their family and everything else. But they do not abandon their own ideas, opinions, philosophies and egoistic approach to life.
Abandon does not mean abandoning this or that – you abandon yourself. Everything else you hold precious, except yourself. If you do that, life is not good, nor is it bad. It is neither beautiful nor ugly – it is something that you cannot name. It is not the way people know life. It is just that, if you are done with kindergarten, then it is time to move to the next step.
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