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What is consciousness? In his book Maharishi Vedic University: An Introduction, Maharishi explains that consciousness is that which is conscious of itself. Being conscious of itself, consciousness is the knower of itself. Being the knower of itself, consciousness is both the knower and the known. Being both knower and known, consciousness is also the process of knowing. Thus consciousness has three qualities within its self-referral singularity—the qualities of knower, knowing, and known—the three qualities of 'subject' (knower), 'object' (known), and the relationship between the subject and object (process of knowing). 'Wherever there is subject-object relatedness; wherever subject is related to object; wherever subject is experiencing object; wherever subject (knower) is knowing object, these three together are indications of the existence of consciousness,' Maharishi said. 'Consciousness in its self-referral state—in which consciousness knows itself and nothing else—is pure consciousness. Another state of consciousness is when it knows other things; then it is known to be object-referral consciousness, because all objects can only be perceived by virtue of the intelligence quality of consciousness, which creates the observer and process of observation within the singularity of the self-referral state of consciousness. 'This establishes that the object-referral state of consciousness is also within the self-referral state of consciousness. This reality of consciousness—that by nature consciousness is self-referral and object-referral at the same time—makes it obvious that the nature of consciousness is both singularity (self-referral) and diversity (object-referral). 'All knowledge about this field of consciousness is the basic knowledge of the Ultimate Reality at the basis of all manifest creation, which is complete knowledge of the transformation of singularity into diversity,' Maharishi said. He explained that complete knowledge of consciousness is the complete knowledge of the basic reality of life, available to everyone in one's own Transcendental Consciousness through Transcendental Meditation. 'Anyone can gain complete mastery over the mechanics of transformation and process of evolution through the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme,' he said. Fully awake self-referral consciousness—pure Samhita (in Vedic terms), togetherness of observer, observed, and observed—is the supreme realization of the Ultimate Reality. This supreme reality of consciousness is fully available on both levels—experience and intellectual. This is the subject matter of Maharishi's Vedic Science and Technology, and this is the field that is displayed by the Vedic text and all the Vedic Literature. Every aspect of the Vedic Literature displays different qualities of this reality, the field of total Natural Law. 'Veda,' Maharishi explained,' is structured in consciousness; sound is structured in consciousness; material particles are the materialization of the self-evolving, self-perpetuating, ever-wakeful structure of consciousness.' The realization of this experience is expressed in the Taittiriya Upanishad, 3.10, which states Aham Vishvam, Aham Brahmasmi—'I am totality, I am singularity, I am self-referral consciousness.' Excellence in Action will be presenting further articles about Maharishi's knowledge and teaching about consciousness and its transformations into matter and creation. © Copyright 2008 Global Good News®
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