Knowingness is in-built into consciousness.
But this knowingness is being mistaken for a doer or a self.
This impression of a self is compounded by the illusion of
subject-object division. Click
here for a more detailed explanation of subject-object
division.
Awareness or knowingness is there...but we think that this awareness is a 'self, I or a person'. We think that it is 'I or self' that knows... but it is really consciousness that knows. There is no person knowing... but just knowing.
Because there is knowingness and being compounded
by the illusion of subject-object
division, the belief of 'a self' or personal doership
comes about.
In a state of no-self or obvious non-duality,
knowingness can still be there even in the absence of a 'sense
of self'. However, when the sense of self is present, there
is more grasping to thoughts and this knowingness gets attributed
to this sense of self. It is quite surprising how a sense
of self can significantly modify our state of consciousness. |