The Vedanta Society of SanFrancisco is an institution based onbroad and universal teachings. Itaims at explaining the philosophy of lifein a simple, rational and practical way.It has an uplifting and vital message forpersons in all walks of life.
You are cordially invited to the lecturesby Swami Prakashananda of India deliveredevery Sunday at 11 A. M. and 8 P. M.
Tuesday and Thursday class lecturesand individual lessons are for the members.Any sincere truthseeker is eligibleto membership.
For further information please inquireor write to the Secretary.
[1]
Published by
THE VEDANTA SOCIETY
OF SAN FRANCISCO
2963 Webster Street
San Francisco, California
U. S. A.
[2]
Copyright, 1921,
by
Vedanta Society of S. F.
[3]
THE INNER CONSCIOUSNESS
How to Awaken and Direct It
In theoretical as well as applied psychologyno term is more misleading, or confusing thanthe term consciousness. We use the term oftenin our conversation; we come across it in ourstudy; but when we are asked to define it properly,to explain its significance, its meaning,or the idea for which that word stands, we areunable to do so. And that is because there areso many varied ideas concerning consciousness.There are so many aspects of consciousness,there are so many states of consciousness thatwe get mixed up—that is, we confuse one withthe other. So we must know thoroughly thetrue significance of the term. Then we canmake such distinctions as inner consciousnessand outer consciousness.
What is truly meant by consciousness, orwhat is the principle back of that term? Thereare many ideas which cannot be expressed properlyfor lack of words, or lack of terms. Theword consciousness is really derived from theLatin root scio, to know, and con, together; sothe word consciousness from the derivativemeaning would signify: to know together.[4]We use the term generally in the sense of beingconscious of a fact. That is, consciousnessmeans knowing an object, as it were; knowingsomething. But the word consciousness reallyindicates two things—subject and object. Itimplies the duality of existence. There is onewho is the knower, the subject, the ego, theperceiver. I know it; I am conscious of it; Iperceive it; I think about it. Therefore thereis always the subject, the ego—I—as the backgroundof any form of consciousness.
Then there must be something to be consciousof, something which we perceive, somethingwhich we know, something which we understand,and that something is the object. So,“knowing together” means we know the subjectand object together—that is, they bothexist; one cannot exist without the other. Sowherever there is a subject, there is also an object.That means that wherever there is athinker, there must be something to thinkabout; otherwise there is no meaning back ofthe term “thinker”. Whenever we use theterm “perceiver”, we must know that there issomething to be perceived. The same is trueof consciousness. Whenever we use the term“consciousness”, we must know it includesboth—the one who is conscious of something,and something of which that one is conscious.[5]Therefore the word “consciousness” impliesduality.
There is another meaning back of “consciousness”which we often fail t