starter wrote:To my current understanding, "consciousness" (viññāṇa) has two kinds:
1) one of the five aggregates, the consciousness generated by the defiled mind in response to the six sense contacts in the conditioned worlds; it's this consciousness that needs to be stilled.
2) the consciousness generated by the luminous pure mind or "the deathless", which is the "consciousness without feature" of DN 11, and "Where consciousness does not take a hold nor grow" of SN 12.64. This is the consciousness of the arahants. But the consciousness is not the pure mind itself. The pure mind (the deathless) seems to be in another dimension, the unconditioned world. When the arahants enter nibbana, then probably even this consciousness ceases.
In "my consciousness will not be dependent on consciousness" of MN143, the 1st consciousness refers to the consciousness of the arahants, and the 2nd consciousness refers to the aggregate.
Hope this helps. Metta,
Starter
Hi Kirk, Starter,
Ok, here's the grand unifying theory:
What are the 'types' of consciousness:
"There are these six classes of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness."
Ok, now there is no other types of consciousness, other than these. [just for completeness sake- it is through consciousness, that the five aggregates are perceived: hence consciousness itself can be perceived through consciousness]
However consciousness can be 'attached' to phenomena:
"What one intends, what one arranges, and what one obsesses about:[1] This is a support for the stationing of consciousness. There being a support, there is a landing [or: an establishing] of consciousness. When that consciousness lands and grows, there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. When there is the production of renewed becoming in the future, there is future birth, aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. Such is the origination of this entire mass of suffering & stress.
In the mind of an arahanth, the consciousness is completely detached from phenomena:
"But when one doesn't intend, arrange, or obsess [about anything], there is no support for the stationing of consciousness. There being no support, there is no landing of consciousness. When that consciousness doesn't land & grow, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future. When there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, or despair. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering & stress."
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Consciousness can be attached to consciousness itself! ..or detached from it. (MN143)
This type of consciousness is called 'consciousness without feature' (anidassana vinnana). Check out the question and answer below (2 questions, colour coded, 2 answers)
Where do water, earth, fire, & wind
have no footing?
Where are long & short,
coarse & fine,
fair & foul,
name & form
brought to an end?
"'And the answer to that is:
Consciousness without feature,[1]
without end,
luminous all around:
Here water, earth, fire, & wind
have no footing.
Here long & short
coarse & fine
fair & foul
name & form
are all brought to an end.
With the cessation of [the activity of] consciousness
each is here brought to an end.'"
The above refers to the mind of an arahanth (saupadisesa nibbana) going to ultimate cessation (anupadisesa nibbana or parinibbana).
The luminosity refers to the purity of the citta of an arahanths mind.
Complete cessation happens at the point of each of the attainments (maga-phala moments)...as well as the final bodily death of an arahanth (as well as when the absorb into the fruition -arahath phala) - otherwise they are very much conscious of their surrounding and live in relative happiness, bliss, mindfulness etc.
However I would disagree that any arahanth would consider consciousness to be permanent.
with metta
Matheesha