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Awareness vs. Consciousness

Awareness vs. Consciousness

One of my online course meditation students asked about the difference between awareness and consciousness. I’m glad the student posed this question.

My guru answers this question in the best way possible. He says “Consciousness and awareness are the same when awareness is totally identified with and attached to that which it is aware of.”

It is also really important to keep in mind that many people define these words differently so it is crucial to have them define what those words mean to them. I define awareness the way my guru taught me. In a simplified way, I tell people to view awareness as a glowing ball of light. When a person is angry his awareness is in the angry area of the mind and you can say he has an angry consciousness. When awareness is in a spiritual area of the mind a person will have a spiritual consciousness.

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