Is it My Mind or The Witness Consciousness? | Swami Sarvapriyananda

[@giovannileone9365]

It is quite simple. If you are thinking about a thought you are thinking. If you are only watching a thought, the thought will dissolve in your presence, and you remain as the witnessing consciousness......until the next thought pops up. Then again, you can get involved with it or watch it coming and also going. This procedure is called meditation.

[@sidnambiar7861]

To further clarify, the FUNCTION of the mind is to “ generate thoughts” or in Patanjali’s terms, it’s referred to as modification of the mind, meaning thoughts. Anytime you jump from 1 thought to another, there is a modification of the mind. In between 2 successive thoughts, there is no modification, or the mind has become STILL. When one is in that state where there are no modifications of the mind, meaning there is BLANKNESS, there still is AWARENESS or CONSCIOUSNESS, but devoid of THINKING. When one is in that STATE, it is the WITNESS CONSCOUSNESS. By the difficulty is, how long can one hold that state of stillness ? Sooner or later, WITHOUT REALIZING, one INVOLUNTARILY goes back to thinking or causing modifications of the mind & the Witness Consciousness( WC) has been abandoned or lost. So the whole purpose of Spiritual Sadhana, is to be able to hold that state where there aren’t any modifications of the mind, meaning One is able to use his Will Power & deny the generation of any thought. In other words One has the Power to stop thinking when one decides to. Then one can be in a continuous state of WC. T The question posed was slightly erroneous. The person asked that if the mind witnesses the mind, then how can one be in the WC as there is no subjective field & object being observed. One must conceptually understand that the function of the WC is to “ NOT THINK” but just OBSERVE without THINKING or without any MODIFICATIONS. If you are thinking, you are NOT in WC, but still thinking. In short, cultivate the habit of Observing without labeling what you are observing, that way you are in WC. It’s not very easy for sure. This is a capability that is acquired after many years of Sadhana.

[@tomoghnochakraborty1161]

this was very helpful

[@Thhhgg838]

Thank you for explaining

[@tubal1]

When u are meditating and focusing on your breath at the nose, for example, is your mind or your consciousness working? They say this exercise helps to awaken the consciousness but I still feel it like a focusing training for directing your mind (not your consciousness) where you want to, for mastering your mind. The sensation is different compared to when you stop thinking but don't focus on anything.

[@harparkrat1]

@sidnambiar7861 I fully agree with your explanation. I love these videos by Sarvapriyananda, but this time his explanation was not very good as it is in contrast with Drig Drisha Viveka. In this teaching is said that the seer and the seer are different, the eyes see the objects, the mind sees the eyes and the WC sees the mind. So as the eyes cannot see themselves the same is true for the mind. The mind can olnly see thoughts, sensation or emotion.

[@monkkeygawd]

That question was such a great one... Followed by a very satisfying answer, Swami. Thank u both.

[@DharmendraSingh-lq2rc]

How can you say the answer was satisfactory? Swami Ji never answered the question. Pls listen to it again.

[@purumr]

@@DharmendraSingh-lq2rc this is the problem with adavaita Vedanta, Buddhist language of emptiness does not have this pitfall. Mind essence of empty yet cognizant is the consciousness.

[@critic7408]

No answer. Just a worthless playing around.

[@BHALAMAN]

​@@purumrSo by that logic no consciousness during deep sleep coz mind is not cognizant 😂

[@ashwathnarayan4469]

​@@purumr ੀੀੲ

[@Magic_10001]

Wow I asked myself this question this morning and didn't get an answer. Came back home and this answer was on my feed. Ty. God bless

[@dattatreyakrishna3430]

One of the best answers I got while seeking myself... It's completely changed my opinion in who is watching what

[@rishisapkota6259]

Can you please simplify what you understood , so tht i can fill the pit i had dug !

[@santoshsharma7979]

@@rishisapkota6259 I can explain, If during meditation, you are thinking that your mind is restless or relaxed, then it is your mind which is introspecting and not Pure Consciousness. The one which is aware of your thinking mind is Pure Consciousness. As the name implies, it is simply awareness. When mind is added to Pure Consciousness, you become aware of the mind or experience the mind. This is what I have understood, If I am wrong please feel free to correct me.

[@rishisapkota6259]

@@santoshsharma7979 yeah i also think so !

[@santoshsharma7979]

@Be Healthy Wealthy and Wise if during meditation, you weren't aware of anything not even yourself then you were really meditating. If you become lost in meditation and when suddenly you come out of it, you see that much time has passed but you didn't feel the time passing then the meditation was successful. If this isn't the case then you were just thinking and not meditating.

[@bhaswatibhattacharya860]

I myself had been stuck to this doubt for so long. Thank you swamiji for the answer. Though I understand it but yet it still remains elusive.

[@krishanuchatterjee1765]

It never says, Understand the self but know it.

[@krishanuchatterjee1765]

He who says I know the Brahman, actually doesn't know it.

[@abhimaheshwari594]

Me too, same. Still remains a bit elusive

[@RK-ln5kx]

When you experience the witness consciousness, you get separated from the mind and the mind is switched off suddenly and no thoughts arise. Meditation can lead you to that state. I have read somewhere that if you go further, even the witness consciousness will dissolve into brahman and the jeevathma gets "moksha" or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

[@RK-ln5kx]

@Be Healthy Wealthy and Wise the experiencer is the one who experience. Brain is only a lump of flesh that can store signals. That's the best I can say.

[@harjotmahal8985]

The awareness(which is without attributes) willingly assumes the attribute of witnessing for the sake of experience. When awareness or consciousness relieves itself from it's witnessing quality it stands shining alone as the one that lights up all witnessing. There is no witness without the witnessed

[@dunnoesam3749]

This is such a jackpot question. Pranam to both the questioner as well as Swamiji but it was a golden opportunity missed to point deeper directly to Turiya. The "breakthrough" could have happened right then in 2019. The questioner was ready to go deeper. Referring to 3:26 to 4:05 Swamiji clearly knows the teachings but admits the breakthrough has not happened to him yet. (3:40 "We don't know it yet"). It is not my place to say too much; it is the 2nd bird (Mundaka Up) that "notice the absence" of thoughts including the absence of the I-thought that appears in the waking state, in the dreaming state but absent during deep sleeping state. All along it has been only Turiya or God eveasdropping, secretly watching/witnessing. That which is looking out of your/my (wisdom) eyes is immortal but mistaken to be the mortal I. Namaste. This is breakthrough!!!

[@emmbee1551]

Dear swami, thank you for this diamond teaching ❤ This is the most direct pointing and has lead to immediate peace. It is now obvious there is truly nothing to be done. Simply to relax and allow life to live itself and in the process, the doer gets absorbed/evaporates. Shanti, Shanti. Shanti.

[@mukeshkoirala4195]

How subtle the God is. How easy it feels when I here swamyji explaining God (Consciousness) oh Lord Guide all of us towards your attainment. Give us the breakthrough. Aum Shanti.

[@sharmilamenon5337]

My deep gratitude Swamiji.....

[@timadams2324]

Thank You for a simple explanation to what my mind only complicates

[@AdmiringGardeningTools-dy2rz]

He is the greatest and loveliest! So grateful for this ma

[@sabinagraf6041]

Wooow! what is it, that notice it? THIS question lifted the curtain!!! THAAAAANK YOU!!!

[@rajeshk4502]

Lovely clarity thanks swamiji

[@pranatibagchi4835]

Pronam neben Maharaj 🙏🏻

[@sukumardutta9260]

The phenomenon of spiritual awakening is witnessed in all the great religions of the world in the course of man's higher evolution there arises a new yearning the hunger of the soul

[@ratulnandi508]

SWAMIJI MY UNDERSTANDING IS VERY SIMPLE I.e WITHOUT GRACE NOT EVEN IN THE PIT 🙏❤😊

[@Hrushikeshm85]

The mind (manas/मनस) perceives. Witnessing is also an element of that perception. The self (consciousness/ atman/ आत्मन ) also witnesses. What is the difference between the witnessing done by the mind and the self? Since the self is unchanging and always witnessing, how does the mind's witnessing create any problem for the self? How can the mind attain identity (अहंकार /ahankara), when the self already and eternally has it?

[@pravinakilpady1237]

Beautiful..so well explained 🙏

[@bhuvaneswarinatarajan2583]

Thank you very much Swamiji 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@gireeshneroth7127]

Mind counts itself into reality.

[@rameshdevasi6720]

most important Q&A !

[@thomasdowe5274]

All Life is created into Consciousness by the Design of Life!!! The Design is Great!!!

[@sonalidave8067]

Thank you Swamiji and the questioner. I have been struggling with this as well. Very good question and very grateful for the answer.

[@dayanidhi9391]

I get what Swami says at 1:15 about how "Its a practice of witnessing the movements of the mind, and because it's a practice that you can do or not do, and therefore this can't be the witness consciousness", but I struggle to understand what he means just before this, at 1:10, when he says "The mind can watch itself, you can introspect and look at the thoughts coming up in the mind" how exactly can the the mind watch the mind (or as Swami says, "the mind watching itself"), how can the mind, being unconscious, watch itself? Is it not still the witness (atman) who is ultimately watching the mind, but by means of dharana (concentration) rather than witnessing the mind directly, without the use of the mental faculty of dharana? Surely, whether using dharana for watching the mind, or watching it directly (without using dharana) it's still ultimately the witness (atman) that is watching the mind, isn't it?

[@samratdutta9847]

It is easy to concentrate the mind on external things, the mind naturally goes outwards; but not so in the case of religion, or psychology, or metaphysics, where the subject and the object, are one. The object is internal, the mind itself is the object, and it is necessary to study the mind itself - mind studying mind -Raja yoga, Swami Vivekananda

[@jpmarques7]

I keep coming back here

[@07chandrabhansingh46]

same, been three years since i am practicing but there are days when I need to again look for this

[@amitbiswas1885]

Very profound query. Thanks.

[@venkataramanag415]

Pain is also a thought in the mind.. that means..no mind = no experience. Assume, a person is given anaesthesia, he won't experience pain. Anything in your awareness is a thought in your mind.

[@Signal6000]

Exactly true

[@lingeshsawanth253]

I too see so. Is Consciousness n Thought same? Thought is bound by 'Time-Space-Causation', Consciousness is not bound by 'Time-Space-Causation' Pain/pleasure are nothing other than Thoughts, So If you can simply Drop 'Time-Space-Causation', all Thoughts vanishes, and what's always there Remain, The Consciousness!

[@nitishgautam5728]

I have reached to this conclusion with my theory , your description is matching with my conclusion that witness precedes Awareness or understanding or knowingness or not knowingness . And we don't do anything, everything is happening on it's own is also one of my conclusion.

[@sylviamalkahcalderoncourie6561]

Thank you,Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@prashant199219]

That was such an incredible answer. Awesome!

[@gitanair8000]

Pranam Sarvaji🙏

[@pramodrai3199]

Pranam Swami Jee 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ranadebray5440]

Wonderful explanation, Swami ji.

[@sindhura1341]

Introspection and witness clearly explained

[@ramavarapu1]

Mind is a consciousness which as put on limitations actually you are unlimited.Got it....

[@1959geetha]

Swamiji you are simply fabulous. You made it so simple.

[@healthyliving7226]

Can you please explain it.

[@Narcissist808]

Great question and answer

[@youpurbayan]

There is this big difference between the thoughtlessness in waking state and deep sleep - in waking state even when there is no thought arising in the mind, one is still experiencing the world by five senses. So the waking world is there. But in deep sleep there is no world let alone thoughts. There is no object of knowledge. Only the pure consciousness with the veiling power of Maya is there in deep sleep. When there is no world, no mind, no 'vritti' how can such question about ' not feeling the same way of the thoughtlessness' come. It is obvious that you don't feel it in deep sleep, as you need mind for that yet you are aware of the state deep sleep. Stick to that awareness. That is you. You alone exist with Maya in deep sleep in your causal body.

[@sumanaghosal5072]

Maya can be unveiled by True knowledge...

[@devotee6863]

That's a great explanation 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@youpurbayan]

@@sumanaghosal5072 theoretically, yes. True.

[@shreyasj6437]

Why do you say that Maya exists in deep sleep.mind itself is a component of Maya.Mind is absent in deep sleep

[@youpurbayan]

@@shreyasj6437 In deep sleep if Maya is not there then you would have realized yourself as Brahman. But that is not the case. Deep sleep experience is attached with ignorance(In fact any of the waking, dreaming, sleeping experience is due to ignorance or Maya). But Samadhi is exactly same as Deep sleep but you are fully conscious, so there is no Maya or veil of ignorance in Samadhi. Yes mind shuts down during deep sleep, but there is a specific definition of mind in Vedanta e.g 'Chittah, Ahamkara etc which is called the Subtle body ('Sukshma Sharir). It shuts down. But due to ignorance you stay in Causal body ('Karana Sarira') during your deep sleep. The subtle body shuts down in deep sleep not the Causal body. Therefore Maya is there (or conclude the otherway round).

[@mokshajetley9244]

Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna

[@Music-eo6ts]

Pranam swamiji🙏

[@kursk124]

DIVINE GRATITUDE

[@torimusblake6377]

This is the crucial issue, whether AV is a bunch of beautiful but mere philosophical ideas or the living experience and final liberation of human problems. It can not have any dependent origin due to its noumenological nature, so even the most clever intellectual reasoning or deepest faith can not substitute it due their limitations and impermanence. The tragi-comedy of life, the laws of karma in our relative world also determine who attain this enlightenment by freeing itself from totality of mind. Even actions tend to positive karma are fully under laws of former cause-effect chains.

[@vismayagrawal]

Thank you so much Swami.

[@AlexHop1]

Thank you!

[@suryakirankankipati8649]

Om shanti

[@ujwalmokashi6702]

Answer ends with same question itself. It's the mind noticing the mind.

[@Sidtube10]

Yes, however that noticer is not trapped is the key!

[@avinashautade0369]

Yes , the mighty mind which is notice to mind may be known as god or consciousness....... Just like in Hinduism we always say भगवान सब कुछ धेख ता हे, or in islam muslim say अल्ल्हा सब कुछ धेखता हे😂.......

[@r.s6669]

I think the only way out is to get rid of chitta mala... otherwise drig drishya vivek “ practice” wont help, because of the mind’s Introspective ability...and if we dont “practice “ the act of witnessing consciousness at all, then the sadhana will not move ahead .

[@darrenang8994]

善哉 善哉（great great!） Thanks alot swami ..

[@thetransferaccount4586]

Done well

[@gobindobanerjee6069]

Please repeat this talk in details 🙂

[@kush3764]

So our conciousness only here to witness.. Nothing else

[@rosappan]

Namaskaram Guru 🙏 🙏🙏 🙏🙏 🙏

[@jamal16493]

Becoz every spiritual practice even goal of samadhi and moksha is about mind.... may be mind enabling itself to go there. While real you is already in samadhi and moksha!

[@prasoonpandey3689]

Very nice question

[@divyaalok5538]

जय श्री कृष्ण🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@SaiKrishna-mo3tl]

But Osho says that if the consciousness expands to a certain level u can seperate the body sleeping from the witness consciousness. Seems like it was Buddha who first introduced the concept of witnessing the sleep.

[@sukumardutta9260]

The new urge the aspirant is not satisfied with the finite and fleeting pleasures of life physical mental but longs for the Eternal and Infinite which.alone can bring nourishment and peace to hungry soul

[@iloverumi]

great clip! thanks

[@rekhav4757]

🙏🙏🙏 Guruji .

[@ChaitanyaSayi]

This is liberating

[@rohitl4792]

Love J Krishnamurti study 📖

[@ArunMarwah-ms1sr]

All thoughts arise only after the I thought

[@TheDeepening718]

So to abide as the witness I have to attain Wu-Wei (Non-Action). Because Non-Action or action-less action in Taoism is precisely abiding in the state of the one who said "ouch".

[@alankuntz6494]

There is 24/7 witnessing awareness, awake, during dream sleep as well deep sleep.Even deep sleep.I've experienced this. As for self observation, non critical non judgemental self observation as taught by Eckhart Tolle and Gurdjieff if people just understood and practiced that much the majority of global insanity, personal insanity would cease.This question of whether witnessing is of the mind or not seems to be irrelvant .

[@ananda224]

There is no Witnessing in Deep Sleep, if you experience witnessing in deep sleep, it is not deep sleep.

[@anuragchand]

That experience was because you came out of the deep sleep

[@texastexas4541]

At 1:40. Why would pure consciousness say 'Ouch?' Pure consciousness does not feel anything.

[@GUPTAYOGENDRA]

Consciousness is seen as everything including you and me and exists without everything including you and me just as clay is seen as all pots and exists without them.

[@BobbyFischer1975]

At 1.50 he makes a mistake. That which notices the pain and reacts to the pain is definitely not the witness-consciousness. That what notices the pain and reacts to the pain is by definition the mind. The witness is the pure awareness noticing the mind registering the pain and its reaction to it, but itself remaining unchanged and never being in pain.

[@nuthakantirohan4685]

Well thank you I guess (but yeah you can clearly see what he means just that he wanted move forward too quickly his tongue slipped)

[@advaitavedantag4604]

Can u please share the full video..

[@avinashautade0369]

I think Swamiji given ans at the end, Yes , the mighty MIND which is notice to our individual mind may be known as god, भगवान, आल्ल्हा or consciousness....... Just like in Hinduism we always say भगवान सब कुछ धेख ता हे, or in islam muslim say अल्ल्हा सब कुछ धेखता हे😂.......

[@robcheerful]

So first Swamiji says if you try to be an observer of your thoughts that's just the mind being introspective, but at the end he asks what notices the feeling of being trapped in the mind? I'm missing the distinction between the two.

[@sanchitruia4055]

Hello Try this one...... There is X(son) and Y(Father) and there is third thing which is the relationship of father and son between them. It is this relationship which pervades them and is link between the two. Now what is the link between the son and the relation of father and son (please follow carefully or you'll miss it.). Similarly what's the link between Father and the relation of father and son. If you follow carefully you'll notice that you have gone into a term called ''infinite regression''. So what's the problem? The problem is, as pointed out by Shankaracharya.......that there's a mistake in our core understanding of the universe......it is not divide into millions and millions of atoms (parmanu)......it is all one, without even a second. Thanks and regards Hare Krishna

[@rishikesh_p]

Yes ,when you observe the thoughts ,your whole attention is on the thoughts but in later case your attention is on the observer of the thoughts and not the observed.This is the Self Enquiry ,Raja- marga (Quickest way)to realization.. Hope u understood😊

[@sheikmunjah2241]

@@beejumittahb8527 hi, I am an illusion responding in illusory words to your illusory words directed at another illusory speech. How can illusion, no matter how logical it seems, be trustworthy?

[@sheikmunjah2241]

@@beejumittahb8527 ..thank you. that is very deep, truthful and profound.

[@sheikmunjah2241]

@Hustle Loy**It hard to answer this question. You and I may have a different take on what is Islam. If your understanding is that Islam means the complete surrender of the self, then I follow Islam. Complete surrender of the self means that there is only Allah left. Its like the flame of a candle meets its lord, the sun. What remains? I am happy to hold on to and become what is more lasting than to think that I am this body. If A comes from B, then A must have been a "component" of B. I am from Allah and to Allah is my return. The return is a waking up to reality that A never existed except in an illusion!

[@krishanuchatterjee1765]

OM

[@Jakob_Rastafari]

I love how at the end it says “ Thank you for watching ! “ maybe they will change it to “ thank you for witnessing “ 😂

[@chintamanimoghe1178]

😊

[@sandeepkumarkhuntia8839]

Then how after anesthesia effect we could not even experience the absence of deep sleep, but it is like a everything is instant and no past time experience during sleep.

[@prospero6337]

SUPERGOOD

[@sundararajandorairaj1097]

The pain 'ouch' caused by reflex action and experienced by mind Where is consciousness ?

[@prospero6337]

Sundararajan Dorairaj ..funny you mention that...I had issue with that when I heard it, and looked at it as a mistake that was not corrected...like an error in a flow chart presentation. I don’t think that example follows suit with the 5 sheaths. Keen of you to see that....your attention was focused.

[@sundararajandorairaj1097]

@@prospero6337 It is not that I do not understand Sat-chit, but I am playing devil's advocate role to harness my deeper clarity, if someone throws more light it would help me in harnessing the understanding in terms of validation

[@prospero6337]

Sundararajan Dorairaj ...I did not see the pain response as sat chit or the consciousness awareness responding...as the pain is non permanent, as is the reaction...the consciousness observer would be behind the body and mind reaction unchanged....the body reacts in pain and the subtle reacts following that but the observing “witness” consciousness reacts to none. This is where I thought you were going. All Good Things :>

[@timochaturthapaivansalo4629]

Jai!

[@biswabrata1943]

Thank you I need full part Anyone help me please

[@mintusaren895]

Hazar bachhar dhare chiner sange samparko. Samparkoi roilo.

[@constipatedbowels3473]

Mintu Saren...The explanation is very simple!!...i don't know what confused you!!!...

[@Flyingleave]

I dont get it, because watching thoughts is mind ? But feeling trapped in the mind is witness ?

[@joyjeetpaul2218]

Is there any difference between Drig drishya viveka and Vivekachudamani ? What's the core understanding ? Isn't that I'm the Witness Consciousness !!!

[@sanjeevkulkarni4923]

What is the purpose of this discussion

[@vvv2k12]

how would swami explain sages who are aware of their body sleeping??

[@djsinha_subtle39]

When consciousness doesn't feel pleasure and pain, how can you say "when there's physical pain, consciousness reacts ouch" ? The explanation isn't clear.

[@Irongaint]

The problem is the “I” that thinks it has a problem. Drop the I

[@abhisheksinghbhadoriya1926]

How?? I can't drop I, it happens by itself

[@Irongaint]

abhishek singh ok Buddha, you’re just perfect lol

[@Signal6000]

@@abhisheksinghbhadoriya1926 even the i is a thought.

[@Nshree-Tatvamasi]

🙏🙏🌼

[@DharmendraSingh-lq2rc]

The question is, "Why can't be in witness consciousness in deep sleep state, I have no sense of it, why?" Since the witness consciousness is present in deep sleep, we should be able to know, even if there is no object to be aware of. I should experience the bliss state of Samadhi. Why don't I? Swami Ji didn't answer that question. He told a whole bunch of stories that had nothing to do with the question. Can you please answer the question Swami Ji? I don't want to know what introspection is, I already know that. I want to know the answer to the question. Please, it's been a year. Thank you.

[@bhaveshsuthar7777]

there is slight difference between samadhi and deep sleep in deep sleep you are conscious but there nothing be conscious of no mind no instrument no worldly I

[@RK-ln5kx]

In deep sleep, "you" are not the real you.(This was the reply I got for the same question I asked from another yogi). I guess what it means is even in deep sleep you are with maya or ignorant of your true nature. In samadhi, your body is sleeping but the real you are awake and conscious. Just my 2 cents.

[@rocky821]

@@RK-ln5kx your answer is correct, yogis have practical experience so they can answer it directly.

[@sandeepkumarkhuntia8839]

Then how during deep sleep, we are not aware of the experience of absence but after getting up only we feel it.

[@Legend_444-k5q]

So simple 😹 because of thought 😅

[@gretanavarauskaite2904]

❤️

[@debashissutradhar2273]

Hindi version he kisike pas kiya

[@abhimaheshwari594]

I am struggling with this question currently.

[@glamour7538]

same here , any progress ??

[@pratik6342]

Me too....for a long time 😁

[@balasubramanyam8313]

🙏🌺😊

[@factchecker2090]

Convincing explanation TU

[@prsubhadra6598]

👌👌🙏🙏🙏

[@ankushmanhas3648]

My best ideology

[@rajendrarajasingam6310]

I am aware that I am aware of something. Is it consciousness? Expect an answer from any member.

[@bhaveshsuthar9623]

true awareness is who witness that

[@christian.dewanto7498]

6:02

[@ankurgupta3013]

Conscious mind who introspect is not consciousness. Consciousness is when there is no mind and thinker. When there is no thought and still you know that you exist ,then it's consciousness.

[@umakantshukla6891]

Sir, please translate into Hindi.