I've been reflecting on the difference between 'consciousness' and 'primordial awareness' lately, and thought that it might be a good idea to share my point of view on this site. The following are some of my thoughts on this topic. This is not meant to be conveyed as dogmatic or authoritative. Rather, my hopes are that the following paragraphs will lead to meaningful dialogue on this topic, for the benefit of yogis everywhere - including myself.

In First Turning Buddhism (including conservative Theravada and the Hinayana teachings of Tibetan Buddhism), 'consciousness' is listed as one of the five aggregates*, and is thus marked by the Three Characteristics of anicca (impermanence), anattā (nonself), and dukkha (unsatisfactoriness/suffering). Consciousness arises when an object arises and makes contact with a particular sense organ. For example, if there is a rock n' roll concert happing in New York, NY, and I am in my apartment in Portland, OR, the sound (object) will not make contact with my ears (sense organ). Thus, no "ear-consciousness" will arise. When we experience a sound, it is really ear-consciousness. When we experience smelling, it is really nose-consciousness. And so it is with touch-consciousness, taste-consciousness, eye-consciousness, and mind(or thought)-consciousness. The obvious implication here is that when the object is no longer making contact with the functioning sense organ, the experience of the sound (i.e. ear-consciousness) passes away.

In short, consciousness can only arise when there is both a sense organ and an object it may receive. We can thus describe this type of consciousness as consciousness-of.

Now, because consciousness is a kind of 'knowing', there are those who think that any experience of knowing must arise dependent upon conditioned objects (e.g. transient materiality or mentality). For this reason, any awareness (or 'knowing') that persists independent of arising and passing phenomena (but not separate from them) is rejected by the anyone who associates all types of knowing with 'consciousness' as described above. But there is an important qualitative difference between consciousness and primordial awareness (rigpa, original wakefulness, ground luminosity, etc.). The difference is this: consciousness knows only objects; primordial awareness knows itself. And this is precisely what the recognition of one's own original wakefulness is like. The light of attention recognizes its own luminous nature, which is not dependent upon conditions. Objects and their respective types of 'consciousness-of' may continue to arise during the recognition of primordial awareness, but this primordial awareness is distinguishable from, and yet not other than, all that is arising.

Failure to recognize this is what leads some yogis to think that they must try and apply the vipassana technique to this experience. To say it bluntly, their efforts are futile. This awareness is both unobstructable and indestructible. It is both completely formless and empty, and yet fully radiant and aware. It is that which gives rise to consciousness (i.e. makes consciousness possible), but does not pass away when a moment of consciousness dissolves. And at the moment of fruition (the culmination of the Progress of Insight), primordial awareness is that which cognizes Nibbana (though is not other than Nibbana) when mind and matter momentarily wink out of existence.

Of course, there are many sophisticated arguments against what I have articulated thus far, particularly those which stem from the Second Turning teachings which are based on Nagarjuna's Madhyamika philosophy. I need not include them here. If one would like to inquire into the Second Turning vs. Third Turning debate from the perspective of the greater Tibetan Buddhist tradition, I recommend chapters 15 and 16 of Reginald Ray's book Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sophisticated arguments aside, I encourage anyone who is inquiring into this issue to really check their current understanding against their direct experience. As this quote attributed to the Buddha says, “Within this fathom-long body lies the entire universe.”


Jackson Wilshire (April 2010)


* The Five Aggregates (Pali: kandhas / Skt: skandhas) are form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), volitional formations (sankhāra), and consciousness (viññāna). They represent the five types of phenomena that serve as objects of clinging and bases for a sense of self.