How is one to know for certain that their direct experience of "consciousness" is the same for each perceiver.
We know there is a continuum of consciousness. This strongly suggests that any state of consciousness must necessary be relative to a given observer. The idea of transcending concepts to a sustained unified uninterpreted state of at-one-ment may temporarily feel good to the experience - like I imagine a recently fed baby feels resting his/her head on its mother's breast - . But aside from a positive feeling state what else would constitute direct knowledge of a state that presumably transcends all concepts? -----Original Message----- From: ornamentalmind <[email protected]> To: "Minds Eye" <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, Aug 30, 2010 4:21 pm Subject: [Mind's Eye] Re: Direct Knowledge What do you think? On Aug 30, 6:23 am, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > This is why Molly end her snippets with the direct demand: "What do > YOU think?" > Try to answer her next time. ;-) > > On 30 Aug., 05:30, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > from Chogyam Trungpa: DIRECT KNOWLEDGE > > > "In the study of Buddhist philosophy, from the start one tries to > > transcend concepts, and one tries, perhaps in a very critical way, to > > find out what /is. /One has to develop a critical mind that will > > stimulate intelligence. If one cultivates intelligent, intuitive > > insight, then gradually real intuitive feeling develops, and any > > imaginary or hallucinatory element is clarified and eventually dies > > out. Finally, the vague feeling of discovery becomes very clear, so > > that almost no doubt remains. Even at this stage, it is possible that > > one may be unable to explain one's discovery verbally or write it down > > exactly on paper. In fact, if one tried to do so, it would be limiting > > one's scope and would be rather dangerous. Nevertheless, one finally > > attains direct knowledge, rather than achieving something which is > > separate from oneself. This can only be achieved through the practice > > of meditation, which is not a question of going into some inward > > depth, but of widening and expanding outward." - Condensed from > > "Meditation," in /Meditation in Action/, pages 78 to 79. Shambhala > > Library Edition.
