Reflected consciousness & Pure original consciousness
Question arises from an email Newsletter (shared below Satsang)
Inquirer:
so, basically enlightenment- liberation (moksa) is only for the apparent person (jiva) who is bound by ignorance of its true nature. Is this statement true? : Pure consciousness shines on the subtle body (mind) and the apparent person experiences reflected consciousness on a qualified pure still mind and recognizes its true nature as awareness and that reflected consciousness is understood and taken as good as Pure consciousness since jiva can only experience reflected consciousness? The experienced reflected consciousness is inferred as Pure consciousness by enlightened jiva through the means of knowledge because Awareness is self evident and self luminous even though it is experienced as reflected consciousness? The jiva only experiences reflected consciousness and Vedanta informs the jiva that the experienced reflected consciousness is the reflection of Pure original consciousness shining on the mind?
Lucua:
Q:
so, basically enlightenment- liberation (moksa) is only for the apparent person (jiva) who is bound by ignorance of its true nature. Is this statement true?
A:
Yes enlightenment is never for the Self – as it never identifies with the mind, it is the mind that has the perceptional delusion of being separate.
There never was any bondage, it is a perceptional delusion.
Which seems very real for the mind, as it creates it by making an error based on Maya.
Thus it is universal.
Some quotes for the above:
“As the rope appears as snake only through illusion, so too the birthless Atman is seen as the universe only through illusion.” Mandukya Karika 3.27
‘The mind imagines bondage and then imagines liberation. There is neither.” Ashtavakra Gita 1.11
“Bondage is imagination of the mind; liberation is freedom from imagination.” Shankara, Vivekachudamani
Q:
Pure consciousness shines on the subtle body (mind) and the apparent person experiences reflected consciousness on a qualified pure still mind and recognizes its true nature as awareness and that reflected consciousness is understood and taken as good as Pure consciousness since jiva can only experience reflected consciousness?
The experienced reflected consciousness is inferred as Pure consciousness by enlightened jiva through the means of knowledge because Awareness is self evident and self luminous even though it is experienced as reflected consciousness? The jiva only experiences reflected consciousness and Vedanta informs the jiva that the experienced reflected consciousness is the reflection of Pure original consciousness shining on the mind?
A:
No it is not as good as True awareness, it is just the Self/Awareness
Is the sunlight in a mirror different from the sunlight. No – it is just being reflected, but it is sunlight. The mirror (subtle body) is inert and has no light.
Even when it looks like it has Light, it is always the Light of Awareness.
What you say here is the core of bondage, it is the mistaken identity with the instrument (subtle body).
You are that Light and not the mirror it reflects.
This is the distortion that must be corrected.
You talk as if you are looking at the Self.
When in fact, you are the Self looking at the mirror (person/reflection).
The knowledge erode this notion over time and then it clicks back and you look from the Self, no longer at the Self. Hence I call it a perceptual distortion.
The mirror needs to be clean to see that which is self-evident and self-luminous because of the deep ingrained ignorance.
With superimposition we identify as the instruments because they feel so near and we have been informed and conditioned to believe that they are us.
It is this separation that Vedanta addresses.
There is no two here, you shine and the world shines after you. Not the other way around.
Some quotes for the above:
“The Self is the light that shines through mind.” Katha Upanishad 5.15
“We do not need to search in order to find our true Being, we already are it. And the mind which searches for it, is the very reason why we cannot find it” ~Nisargadatta Maharaj
“You are the changeless background, against which changes are perceived.” ∞ Nisargadatta Maharaj
Inquirer:
Thank you for the reply- I may not be properly expressing so I will try to word it differently. I was trying to express that my experiences are understood to be reflected objects (inert) reflecting off the mind (also inert) by pure consciousness that illumines the my apparent experiences. Now I fully recognize that as awareness I am that very light of awareness that illumines all my so called experiences as a perceived enjoyer and doer. That separation of enjoyer/doer and myself (awareness) is only in recognition (understanding) and not in actual separation since there is only non-dual awareness. So pure awareness is referencing reality (essence) and reflected awareness is referencing experience (objects)….the only thing different is that I’m viewing and interpreting all my experiences from the recognition and identification of raw naked awareness as my true nature…since everything l’m ever experiencing is appearing in/to me- everything experienced is reflected awareness(in name and form) since awareness cannot be objectified or directly experienced…is this a little more nuanced? Am I over complicating this explanation?
Lucua’s:
Q: Thank you for the reply- I may not be properly expressing so I will try to word it differently.
I was trying to express that my experiences are understood to be reflected objects (inert) reflecting off the mind (also inert) by pure consciousness that illumines the my apparent experiences.
A: It is not YOUR experience – it is JUST experience!
Now I fully recognize that as awareness I am that very light of awareness that illumines all my so called experiences as a perceived enjoyer and doer.
That separation of enjoyer/doer and myself (awareness) is only in recognition (understanding) and not in actual separation since there is only non-dual awareness.
A: would the question then arise if the you are clear about there being no separation?
So pure awareness is referencing reality (essence) and reflected awareness is referencing experience (objects)….the only thing different is that I’m viewing and interpreting all my experiences from the recognition and identification of raw naked awareness as my true nature…since everything l’m ever experiencing is appearing in/to me-
A: Yes, you are the awareness – it is not outside you
everything experienced is reflected awareness(in name and form) since awareness cannot be objectified or directly experienced…is this a little more nuanced?
Am I over complicating this explanation?
A: No, there is a very subtle separation membrane there, that makes it still look as two, I can hear you know it is one but your language and mind has not yet caught up
More Assimilation is needed – to clear away even the subtlest of subtle membranes.
“You are functioning here as awareness. The human body, mind and emotions and the whole world are out in front of you.” -James Swartz
Inquirer:
Lucua, thank you for following up on my question to clarify. To wrap up , is present awareness that illumines jiva “experience” referred to as reflected awareness or pure awareness- it seems to make sense to refer to awareness as simply “awareness” (pure) since awareness (reality) is non-dual awareness….splitting awareness linguistically into two makes it seem dualistic and creates some confusion.
Lucua:
Yes, it is a teaching tool to “walk” the mind out of samsara… when you identify as person to explain Awareness is difficult.
And then collapse the tool in Assimilation phase, when subtlety is apparent
It is what the annual course 2026 will focus on, this workbook addresses the collapse of teaching tools.
Aparokshanubhuti [Direct Experience] ~ an important workbook on non-duality by Shankaracharya, an eighth-century Vedic sage.
Inquirer:
Yes, talking about non-duality subjectively is delicate to explain because of its subtlety. I appreciate your insightful explanations. It resonates with my recognition of identity as plain ordinary awareness illumining all experiences as light of consciousness/ light of knowing/ light of existence/ light of being – witnessing the streaming changes of experience..
Lucua:
Beautifully said indeed: “my recognition of identity as plain ordinary awareness illumining all experiences as light of consciousness/ light of knowing/ light of existence/ light of being – witnessing the streaming changes of experience..”
Shared as Newsletter:
“Q: I am aware that I am aware. Who is aware? Awareness/Consciousness looking at itself through jiva’s means of perception.
As Jiva I definitely know that I am not independently existent. I can’t solve this apparent situation/separation looking from these means of perception. I have to accept, bow to, agree, be, be nothing and through means of perception, enjoy, revel, live whatever is left of this experiment/marriage in sickness and in health. Is it not so? Abiding will take practice.
Om Om Om
A: It is possible for the jiva to realise that it is aware … at the level of person. This is done through perception and inference available to any intelligent and self-examining jiva who employs these means of knowledge to understand itself. However, this awareness is reflected awareness, cidabhasa.
But with Consciousness, it is a different matter. It is another dimension. Consciousness is always aware by nature. Consciousness does not need to become aware since Awareness, Cit, is its inherent nature. The nature of Consciousness is pure Presence of Be-ing, unconditioned Awareness, complete Fulfilment, permanent Peace, absolute Happiness, unconditional Lovingness. So … Consciousness is Awareness, eternally aware, or, to put it the other way, Consciousness is never ever unaware.
Only that which is unaware needs to become aware. It is the jiva who needs to become aware of the Consciousness it is. Because of ignorance, the jiva is born unaware, the default condition of human birth, and so needs to become aware.
The jiva needs the third means of knowledge, the words of scripture to recognise its true nature. The other two means of knowledge, perception and inference, can be used only for objects whether subtle or dense. But Consciousness is the Subject, I, beyond perception and inference. Only direct recognition with the help of scripture will work.
So, at this level, who is aware that it is Awareness? The jiva who is now Self-recognised, the Jnani, Jivan mukta.
Consciousness does not need to look at itself through the jiva’s means of perception and inference. Consciousness illumines and witnesses the jiva doing jnana yoga to become aware of its true nature. Consciousness even witnesses the jiva undergoing the three states of experience, including deep sleep where there is no perception nor inference. Consciousness just IS … “I, Consciousness, am Awareness itself, as such.”
Yes, nididhyasanam, Vedantic meditation, takes practice … witnessed by Consciousness, I.
But for Consciousness, there is no practice … Consciousness just IS. “I, Consciousness, AM” … am-ness, is-ness, be-ingness, Presence, always Aware.
Om Shanti.”