Consciousness and Awareness: What Is Prior to Thought

What has become profoundly clear here is this:

That which generates thoughts — new or old — is consciousness.

I’m going to attempt to describe

that which is prior to word…

prior to thought.

Consciousness.

Being aware gives rise to thought.

And with thought, duality appears.

Duality is only a function of mind.

Awareness — which is also consciousness, unmanifest —

may seem like something separate.

But it is not two.

It is one.

You could say:

Consciousness at rest is awareness.

Awareness in movement is consciousness.

Still one.

Never divided.

In this stillness…

there is no thing to be known.

And yet…

there is knowing.

A non-dual knowing.

Which cannot be understood by the mind.

From here, there is what can only be described as a stirring.

Awareness begins to move.

And the seeming world appears.

Now there is consciousness of something.

This is the primal split.

And with it…

mind arises.

Mind is the creative component of the seeming world.

Mind tells the story.

Consciousness is simply aware.

It does not comment.

Until mind appears.

With the arising of mind…

consciousness appears as the thinker of thoughts.

And yet…

without consciousness, mind could never arise.

Consciousness is always prior.

Always.

Consciousness — awareness —

is what I am.

Prior to mind.

Prior to thought.

The “me” arises with mind.

A pattern of thought.

Nothing more.

This awareness is often called impersonal.

And the “me” is called personal.

But here is what has been seen:

The opposite is true.

The “me” is impersonal.

Because it is lifeless.

It cannot:

see

hear

taste

touch

smell

It is not aware.

Not conscious.

It is a pattern of thought only.

Whereas…

what I am

is alive.

Fully aware.

All senses open.

And yet…

not divided.

Even what appears as personality

is simply an expression of this.

The “me” pattern has fallen away.

It no longer arises.

Each moment is fresh.

New.

There is no stored identity.

No accumulation of self.

And yet…

this that I am

is unmistakably present.

My nature is love.

Not conceptual love.

Not conditional love.

But a love beyond thought.

Indescribable.

So where do thoughts come from?

They come from “I”.

Not a “me”.

Not a “you”.

Just…

“I”.

And that “I” is prior to everything.

I Am