Why consciousness is impermanent?

[purple planet]

Why consciousness is impermanent ? and what is permanent ?

i thought what we are is the consciousness and that is the permanent thing - that and karma -no ?

[appicchato]

i thought what we are is the consciousness and that is the permanent thing - that and karma -no ?

No...these topics are too big (for me) to expound upon here Purple...although good ones to investigate...

Be well...

[purple planet]

I ask cause i read this : http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .piya.html

the Girimananda Sutta - and it is written there :

"And what, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence? Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to an empty house (lonely place) contemplates thus: 'Matter (visible objects) is impermanent; feeling or sensation is impermanent; perception is impermanent; formations are impermanent; consciousness is impermanent. Thus he dwells contemplating impermanence in these five aggregates.' This, Ananda, is called contemplation of impermanence

No...these topics are too big (for me) to expound upon here Purple...although good ones to investigate...

in my investigation consciousness is the most impermanent thing possible
thats what i get from my investigating

but what i understand is that we try to be consciousness all the time and that arahants are consciousness (mindful) all the time - is that not true ?
i heared this in several places - there is no soul no nothing just the observing of them ( consciousness ) - did i get that wrong ?

if its to big to answer then thats fine but i read in forums and they told me what i wrote

[DAWN]

Concsiousness is impermanent because it conditioned. Constructed
Nibbana is permanent and not conditioned. Not constructed

Consiousness is a picture
Nibbana is a canvas

A dhamma is a building
Concsiousness is a stairs
Nibbana is a groud

[Hanzze]

Maybe this is useful to understand: Freedom From Buddha Nature

[piotr]

Hi,

1. Look at your computer
2. Then turn your head and look at something else
3. What happened to the previous sight conciousness?

[whynotme]

Why consciousness is impermanent ? and what is permanent ?

i thought what we are is the consciousness and that is the permanent thing - that and karma -no ?

Dear purple planet

Consciousness is impermanent because there is something called death

Regards

[equilibrium]

Consciousness is impermanent because there is something called death

So if there is death.....and based on the teachings of the different planes of existence, your next life will be the results of this very life.....so how does death relate to this?

If there is death there should be no future life?...

[DAWN]

Consciousness is impermanent because there is something called death

So if there is death.....and based on the teachings of the different planes of existence, your next life will be the results of this very life.....so how does death relate to this?

If there is death there should be no future life?...

There is future life, but this future life will not called "whynotme".
Why?
Because future dhamma, fruit of "whynotme" kamma, will not have the same experiance, will not have the same name-and-form, the same memory of experiance, the same consciousness.

Consiousness of name-and-form that called "whynotme" will disapear with death.
Why?
Because when there is no aging-and-death, there is no consciousness.

Water reburns like a vapour
Vapour is water kamma
But vapour is not water

When consiousness of one dhamma ends, consciousness of other dhamma arise
When consiousness of water ands, consciousness of vapour arise
Thats why "Consciousness is impermanent becausethere is something called death"

If consciousness of dhammas would permanent, there would be no such concept like "death", but "changement of state", and we would be able to keep it in memory, to identify with it , to say "i remember my death and how i was change my state", but our memory is brain, our ego is brain, brain death with body, there is no memory after death.
Consiousness is impermanent cause Samsara is impermanent.
Samsara is impermanent cause Consciousness is impermanent.

[whynotme]

Thank you DAWN,

Actually no one calls me whynotme, only on internet ppl call me whynotme

@ equilibrium,

OK, consciousness is impermanent because there is nibbana

Regards

[Hanzze]

Consciousness is impermanent because there is something called death

So if there is death.....and based on the teachings of the different planes of existence, your next life will be the results of this very life.....so how does death relate to this?

If there is death there should be no future life?...

"When the aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhus, every moment you are born, decay and die"

So are you still dying or do you live already?

[acinteyyo]

Hi,

1. Look at your computer
2. Then turn your head and look at something else
3. What happened to the previous sight conciousness?

Hi,

I don't think this is a good example piotr. It only works if one accepts the idea that what one sees is a conglomeration of several somehow discrete sight consciousnesses.
As I see it, when I look at my computer and then turn my head and look at something else, what happens is, that eye-consciousness changed. It changed, but it is still there. The way I understand it, eye-consciousness (of my computer) did not cease when I had turned my head and another eye-consciousness (looking at something else) arose but eye-consciousness of visible form (my computer) just changed into eye-consciousness of visible form of something else instead of my computer. The eye-consciousness itself is still eye-consciousness which indeed changed but because of the visible form that had changed and not because consciousness had ceased and arose anew. Although this may show that you can easily see that consciousness is impermanent because it "changes while standing" but you don't see the arising nor the cessation of consciousness. That would be a lot more difficult to observe if you ask me.

best wishes, acinteyyo

[purple planet]

Just to make sure for you guys consciousness=mindfulness right ?

[vinasp]

Hi Hanzze,

Quote: "When the aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhus, every moment you are born, decay and die"

That is a very interesting statement. Can you provide a source, where does it come from?

I do not think that it is found in the any of the four main Nikaya's, but I could be wrong.

Regards, Vincent.

[acinteyyo]

Just to make sure for you guys consciousness=mindfulness right ?

No, it's not purple planet. The Pali word sati = mindfulness and the Pali word viññāna = consciousness.

There are six classes of consciousness (viññāna) according to Sutta MN9:

"And what is consciousness? What is the origination of consciousness? What is the cessation of consciousness? What is the way of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness?
"There are these six classes of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, intellect-consciousness. This is called consciousness

And it says in MN18:

"Dependent on eye & forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives (labels in the mind). What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one objectifies. Based on what a person objectifies, the perceptions & categories of objectification assail him/her with regard to past, present, & future forms cognizable via the eye.
"Dependent on ear & sounds, ear-consciousness arises...
"Dependent on nose & aromas, nose-consciousness arises...
"Dependent on tongue & flavors, tongue-consciousness arises...
"Dependent on body & tactile sensations, body-consciousness arises...

For "sati" (mindfulness) I recommend Sutta DN22. In the translator's introduction you can read:

The role of mindfulness is to keep the mind properly grounded in the present moment in a way that will keep it on the path.

best wishes, acinteyyo

[vinasp]

Hi everyone,

I think that I have found the source of that quotation. It is from: What the Buddha
Taught, by Walpola Rahula.

"When the Aggregates arise, decay and die, O Bhikkhu, every moment you are born, decay
and die." (note 1) [from page 33.]

"Note 1. Prmj.I(PTS), p.78.'Khandhesu jayamanesu jiyamanesu miyamanesu ca khane khane
tvam bhikkhu jayase ca jiyase ca miyase ca.' This is quoted in the Paramatthajotika
Commentary as the Buddha's own words. So far I have not been able to trace this passage
back to its original text."

Regards, Vincent.

[Goofaholix]

Because everything is impermanent.

[Hanzze]

Everything?

[DAWN]

Every "Thing"

[Hanzze]

Every "Thing"? Really?