Mind is consciousness, and consciousness is mind. The three states are absorbed in the consciousness.
Even the Vedas indicate that the Self is consciousness:-
v Tat tvam asi: -Thou art That (Sam Veda). “Self is that”
v Prajnanam Brahma: - Consciousness is ultimate reality (Rig Veda).
v Ayam Aatma Brahma: -The Self is ultimate truth (Atharva Veda).
v Aham Brahma Asmi: -Self is ultimate reality (Yajur veda).
People have the notion that more and more they gratify their senses for attaining worldly pleasures, the happier they will be is not true at all, because they think the physical self is real self, therefore they are unaware of the fact that the self not physical but formless consciousness. The consciousness can stay with or without the mind or I’.
It is the illusory sense-pleasure that is responsible for the forgetfulness of the Self, which is in the form of consciousness, which result in one’s sorrows and sufferings.
Suffering is the reminder to search for the remedy to overcome the suffering caused by the ignorance of the true self. Pleasure is the cause of ignorance .but if the real self is realized, and then, illusion will not prevails as reality.
Why do mortals then become attached to worldly pleasures in the first place?
It is the illusion that allures one to enjoy the mundane objects in a futile effort of satisfying the unceasing demands of his senses within the waking or dream. A person within the illusion becomes intoxicated of lust, greed, anger, attachment, false ego, enviousness, stubborn mindedness, and their numerous variations within the illusion.
Consequently, the individual self gets caught in the illusory cycle of birth, old age, disease, and death within the illusion. This is illusion, by which the consciousness is forgotten; emotional attachment and love of duality is born.
The ignorance of the true self is cause of duality. The duality is cause of illusion. The illusion is the cause of experiencing unreality as reality. Because of this pluralistic phenomena of illusory -vision, the material happiness appears to be followed by sorrow. If there is laughter, there is a cry; if there is a birth, there is a death; if there is a rich, there is a poor; so on and so forth.
Everything in the waking or dream experience is in the state of constant flux; there can be found no everlasting happiness. The ego is in the control of evil passions, evil intent, and duality.
Everyone wishes for happiness, pleasures, joy, peace, etc. and none asks for suffering, misery, etc. But in the wake of pleasure, there comes suffering. The pleasure and pain co-exists within the illusion. People do not understand this. Therefore, there is necessary to realize the fact that mind, which appears as waking or dream is mere illusion.
There is a need to know fact that, the ‘I’ is not limited to the physical entity alone but ‘I’ is the mind, which appears and disappears as waking or dream. If there is no ‘I’ then there is neither waking nor dream. If there is ‘I’ then there is mind. If there is mind then only there is waking or dream. Therefore mind is not limited to the physical entity alone. Therefore, there is a need to analyze “What is ‘I?”, before indulging in pursuit of truth, in order overcome all the flaws in understanding and assimilating the non-dual truth. The ‘I’, which appears as mind is impermanent. The formless substance of the ‘I’ or mind is real and eternal.
