Beyond Awareness

The Buddha

To awaken is to transcend awareness. Some teachers use “consciousness” and “awareness” interchangeably. This is not wrong, but it does not quite capture what I just realized.

According to the Buddha, perception requires the conjunction of three elements, the thing that gets perceived, the physiological capacity to perceive (eyes to see, ears to hear, etc.), and consciousness. If you are not conscious, asleep or in a coma, you…