Living Consciously

 

Photo Credit: The Path of Self-Realisation

Living Consciously

Animals live in complete unconsciousness – they are neither aware of misery, nor bliss – humans are aware of both. Animals live in a state of deep sleep, whereas humans have woken up a bit, just a small part has become conscious; hence the split. In animals there is no split, they are one piece. Man is dual, the duality arises because the consciousness has arisen from the unconscious ocean. It is just the tip of the iceberg, a very small part, maybe one-tenth of the whole, but it has created a divide between the conscious and the unconscious mind.

The unconscious mind goes on pulling us towards the animal because it remembers the joys now; it remembers the joys of being animal, of being total. When we were animals, we were not aware of them. It is as old people remember the beauties of childhood. Children are not aware. Only when they lose their childhood do they start remembering that which they had never felt before when they were really children. The unconscious pulls us back toward the animal world; its pull is downwards, backwards. And the conscious is trying to pull us upwards so we become more conscious, because consciousness has given us many things. Yes, it has given us anxiety, tension, anguish, but it has also given us music, painting, poetry. And it has given us a dignity which no animal has, the dignity of being conscious. If such a small
part can impart so much dignity the desire arises: “If I become fully conscious, how much will now be my glory?” That is the search for becoming totally awakened, enlightened.

So, these two parts go on pulling us. Because of this tug-of-war, misery arises; hence misery is human. And man is always at a crossroad: either we go downwards, backwards. But we cannot stay there either because whatsoever has happened has already happened and it cannot be undone. We will have to come back again. That conscious part cannot be lost. Hence the only possible way to get out of misery is to become more conscious.

The more conscious we are, the more and more we feel bliss arising within. The day one is fully conscious and there is no nook and corner of one’s being which is dark, when one is luminous, when one has become light, each act is done in full awareness - one even sleeps in full awareness. That has been the goal down the ages. This is the real search of religion: how to come to a point when we can sleep and yet be alert. Right now, the situation is just the opposite: we are awake and yet asleep.

This has to be our work on ourselves: become more and more conscious, make every possible effort in transforming your unconscious mind into consciousness. Walk consciously, sit consciously, eat consciously, talk consciously, listen consciously. Let consciousness be spread all over our life, twenty-four hours a day be engulfed in it. And then one day that blissful moment arrives when it becomes natural, spontaneous. That day is the day of rejoicing — one has arrived home!