SOUL

Those that think there is incorrect thought are the ones who think thoughts can be vilified. I think no such things.

The subconscious is simply the conditioning of the past bubbling up into the present. Everything from the unconscious physiological processes that keep our organism alive are of the past to the mental and emotional processes that preserve the self according to the past. So all sorts of discomfort can come from the subconscious, although, the self perpetuated misery and suffering happens consciously when we agree with and entertain these impulses as being relevant to the present moment. When we don't attach our present moment awareness to those impulses from the conditioning of the past the discomfort is only temporary. If we consistently keep our awareness free from the conditioned impulses of the past eventually our subconscious retains this pattern of being as it's conditioning and then provides it as the impulse in the future present moment. In this way we can condition our subconscious to be an aware being freely attuned to the present moment.

People still thinking that thinking can achieve enlightenment? Thinking is as responsible for enlightenment as emotion is.

Well, in biblical understanding it means to call oneself as weak, that is, weak to do for oneself and that there is strength in relying on God as it's God's strength that man can do anything.

Something to ponder.......

Being the fulfilled dewdrop aware we are one with the ocean. A salty tear in the eye(the I) of awareness falling in the salty ocean of consciousness. I dig it.

To eliminate the duality of it erase the "yes" in it which is just the opposite of no. Finding the neutral position in mindfulness is an absence of identifying so is neither resisting nor endorsing. This ceases the struggle of opposition so awakens to enlightenment in consciousness.

Whenever my ego is choking on an attachment my awareness does the Heimlich maneuver so I can breath again.

If you are judging yourself about your judgments on judging it's the last gasp of judgment you will let go of before you transcend judgment then go supernova and collapse into a black hole.... spiritually that is. Shine on you crazy diamond!

Do you know where you are posting? Spiritual enlightenment is about using awareness to enlighten consciousness. This isn't philosophical enlightenment, which uses logic to enlighten understanding or scientific enlightenment which uses information to enlightenment knowledge Sure, the spiritual enlightening of consciousness can bring understanding and knowledge of ourselves but that is not it's primary impact, it brings fulfillment. Spiritually enlightening consciousness influences every facet of life through bringing fulfillment and is one of the most practical exercises a person can have. Awakening and enlightening provides a well being fulfilling our experience in life that transcends knowledge and understanding, even of ourselves. Spirituality may involve finding ideals and purpose for someone but without awakening and enlightening of consciousness it's just an ideology in the mind that doesn't fulfill. There is no spiritual enlightenment other than being present in the moment, being aware of being aware, and no amount of logic can replace that. That's what spiritual enlightenment is and merging it with every day life, not just in meditation, is the task of one who seeks this for their own experience and what constitutes living an awakened life. Logic doesn't provide that and has actually proven to be a hindrance to it as people chase ideas and concepts around their mind so are distracted from just being present in the moment. If you ever awaken the impacts of enlightenment will be revealed in your consciousness.

Juggling ideas and concepts in paradigms of the mind isn't enlightenment. Illuminating awareness in the present moment is enlightenment. Enjoy your logic, I'll enjoy being aware now.

So when you make a point of adding the word 'inherently' to 'exist' you actually aren't changing anything, you think illusion means 'does not exist'. This confirms you think illusion means 'does not exist' and no 'to exist' is not synonymous with 'to appear'. Even if something is an illusion, which means 'not as it appears', it exists though it's not as it appears. It isn't beside the point, you asserted there was no awareness without a mind, I showed an example of it, it's on point with your thread topic. This is what happens when someone attempts to achieve enlightenment with logic, it fails because it is a construct of the mind. Transcending the mind is in part what enlightenment is comprised of.

Amoeba?

Actually it is commonly held belief that things change and there are even some who think that the natural laws may not be constant eitherl. Although, it seems like you are implying that things don't exist unless conscious observation but my point was that things still exist though may not be determined unless observed. You said "created by the interaction between consciousness and its environment." and I asked what would that environment be. It can be reached if one transcends the mind. I do and it takes transcending the mind to understand it.

Well, now I have to ask what do you mean by inherently? Also, what did the initial form of potential as consciousness interact with to create existence? I am aware of what it is but I just would like to hear your answer on it.

Potential is a thing even if it's all things unfulfilled but isn't the same as the void which is devoid of anything as well as the potential of all things. Emptiness implies that there is a thing not yet filled so emptiness is not the void because the void is devoid of anything including a thing that has yet to be filled. It's not just a paradox, it's mind shattering and consciousness stripping because even the purest of awareness cannot be one with the void.

@Russell Parr Consciousness is only limited by it's awareness.

@Russell Parr Ok, so your interpretation of what is meant by illusion is that it 'does not exist'. Which isn't the actual meaning of it. You also assert that things don't exist without conscious observation of them. On the quantum level we know that a particle isn't determined until observation is made but that isn't the same thing as does not exist until observation is made which correlates to your misinterpretation of the word illusion. Yet there is existence with it's natural laws that does exist, hence it being existence, and affects the manifest universe regardless of whether there is any manifest conscious being there to observe it. Well, what is this consciousness that is the observing which has the power to manifest the universe of things into existence that doesn't rely on manifest consciousness to observe it into reality? It could be then understood that the presence of consciousness as the initial form of infinite potential is what brought the manifest into existence through it's observation, aka awareness of it. So, I state that it is the awareness within our consciousness that transcends to unite with the consciousness form of the infinite potential without the machinations of the mind even if it's effects are present within the mind. You assert it's all an illusion, with you defining it as 'does not exist', including consciousness, though here you are arguing on behalf of your idea that something that does not exist being the only way to attain something that does not exist. Hmm...

@Russell Parr Well, what do you mean by illusion?

An accurate understanding of reality and the shedding of delusion are effects from enlightenment that can happen in us, although it is more than just those effects and not a result of them. One can attempt to logically construct a mental framework, a paradigm, to understand enlightenment and it's effects but that isn't what is enlightenment itself. Conflating the two as one is what the mind does to justify it's ideas about it and often is the stumbling block to enlightenment. Enlightenment can happen when the mind gets out of the way of our awareness, the mind cannot understand a process that doesn't include it even if the effects are experienced in the mind.

Mental transcendence of egotism is one of the effects from enlightenment but isn't the only one and enlightenment isn't an effect from logical machinations in the mind.

Well, it isn't semantics that an amoeba has a primitive awareness as demonstrated by it's ability to be aware of it's environment and respond to the stimuli in it. Although, it is semantics to stretch the word "mind" in a way that describes the primitive awareness and response of an amoeba so it fits. You are using your own definition of the word to justify your own view about enlightenment and you are welcome to do so for your own experience. To suggest it is a universal truth for everyone is the moment your view and it's definitions cannot stretch to fit.

It is only limited for yourself by your ideas of it, not for anyone else and certainly your ideas of it doesn't limit consciousness.

The void is absolute in it being nothing. It's not consciousness, it's not potential, not time, it's absolute in being devoid. Infinite potential manifests as consciousness. Infinite void manifests as space. Infinite now manifests as time. The manifest is not the absolute, it's an existential expression of it but it is not it in the absolute state.

Consciousness can expand to any possible degree of awareness since it is the initial form of potential.