<p>"Awareness" is an English word used by Westerners that (to my knowledge) does not really exist in the terminology of Pali Buddhism. </p>

<p>I agree with the view that "mindfulness" ('sati') is a purposeful application of awareness or consciousness. 'Sati' means to 'remember' or 'bring to/keep in mind'. </p>

<p>The Pali uses the word '<em>anupassi</em>' ('continous seeing') when referring to being aware of meditation objects or uses the word '<em>sampajjana</em>' ('ready wisdom') when referring to knowing clearly what is going on in meditation.</p>

<p>Westerners like using the word 'awareness' but I do not know a Pali equivalent. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-04T22:44:10.477Z
2016-10-05T05:22:13.340Z
2016-10-05T05:22:13.340Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>I think the reverse is true.</p>
<p>Consciousness is simply awareness without any engagement. Consciousness is primordial to awareness.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-03T23:41:35.913Z
+1 for pointing out the link between consciousness and awareness. There are times when our consciousness is impaired e.g. presence of intoxicants or lack of sleep; this in turn impacts our awareness and sharpness.
Desmon
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2024-12-03T15:45:58.537Z
2024-12-03T15:45:58.537Z
Duane Banks
<p>Before differentiating between Consciousness and Awareness we'd first have to define what Consciousness is and what Awareness is on its own.Try to answer these questions How do you know that your aware? What's the evidence?Where do you find your awareness,your knowing?Not What you know but what's it like to be knowing?What's it like to be aware?</p>

<p>Can you sense how some experiences goes beyond words,concepts and intellectualised ideas.
And can only be described by our relationship or attachments to it.</p>

<p>So what is awareness?Maybe Awareness is A, Maybe Awareness is B, Maybe Awareness just IS.</p>

<p>I have to add that consciousness is an aggregate and is biased.It may well be the result of clinging to awareness.Seeing it as My awareness.But i still think its difficult to pin down.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-17T21:22:06.677Z
2015-01-17T22:11:53.803Z
2015-01-17T22:11:53.803Z
Orion
<p>You could think it like this. Consciousness means cognizing something. Or become aware of. In other words Vinyana. So Awareness and Cognizing is somewhat the same in terms of terminology. Mindfulness is knowing that you know something. In other words knowing that you cognize or knowing that you are aware of.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-05T04:06:21.047Z
2016-10-05T04:06:21.047Z
Akila Hettiarachchi
<p>This is how I understand it:</p>
<p>Sense Consciousness is composed of the 5 sense bases plus mind which has mental formations (fundamentally perception of the other 5 sense consciousnesses) as its sense object(s).  That is what awareness is.</p>
<p>As long as conditions are present, i.e. contact between a sense organ and its corresponding sense object, that particular consciousness arises.</p>
<p>That does not necessarily imply awareness though. It is like CCTV footage that was never watched by anyone at any point. I believe the Buddha compared the senses to a deserted village because the sense organs are hollow.</p>
<p>An example that immediately comes to my mind is that while in a state of deep sleep, someone knocks on my door.  If they knock loud enough the conditions are present for ear consciousness to arise without my mind actually being aware of it.</p>
<p>That is how I see it any way.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-08T09:31:12.183Z
2024-12-08T09:31:12.183Z
Jared W
<p>Awareness is simply consciousness without any engagement. Consciousness when it engages in senses results in mind and emotional activities. Awareness can also be stated as mindfulness but I find this defintion has mind in it therefore confusing. If you are in your natural state i.e. without thoughts and emotions you are aware or conscious. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-04T20:56:24.130Z
2016-10-04T20:56:24.130Z
Shashank Khare
<p>Here is a short passage from <a href="http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf" rel="nofollow">What the Buddha Taught</a> by Dr. Walpola Rahula that discusses how consciousness is different than perception. I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I found the example given helpful to my own understanding of consciousness.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It should be clearly understood that consciousness does not recognize an
  object. It is only a sort of awareness-awareness of the presence of an object. When
  the eye comes in contact with a colour, for instance blue, visual consciousness arises
  which simply is awareness of the presence of a colour: but it does not recognize that
  it is blue. There is no recognition at this stage. It is perception (the third Aggregate
  discussed above) that recognizes that it is blue. The term 'visual consciousness' is a
  philosophical expression denoting the same idea as is conveyed by the ordinary
  word 'seeing'. Seeing does not mean recognizing. So are the other forms of
  consciousness.</p>
</blockquote>

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2015-01-17T21:49:19.107Z
This passage seems to differentiate between consciousness and conception (rather than perception).
Med
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2015-01-17T21:52:13.907Z
Nonetheless, good choice of a passage.. I think it goes something like this:
Consciousness is the bare naked awareness of something existing.
Perception is the full recognizing of that object before a name has been given to it..
Conception is the delineation of that object as a thought (this is blue).
Med
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-16T20:48:23.677Z
Per Dr. Rahula in the above quote, "It is perception (the third Aggregate discussed above) that recognizes that it is blue."
Robin111
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-15T21:26:23.903Z
2015-01-15T21:26:23.903Z
Robin111
<p>What Buddhist distinction is made between "awareness" and "consciousness"?
I view "mindfulness" as a purposeful application of awareness.
However, I am at a loss for a clear distinction between awareness and consciousness.</p>

<consciousness>
What distinction is made between "awareness" and "consciousness"?
# What distinction is made between "awareness" and "consciousness"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-15)

What Buddhist distinction is made between "awareness" and "consciousness"?
I view "mindfulness" as a purposeful application of awareness.
However, I am at a loss for a clear distinction between awareness and consciousness.

**Tags:** consciousness


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## 7 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2015-01-15. Score: 4

Here is a short passage from [What the Buddha Taught](http://www.dhammaweb.net/books/Dr_Walpola_Rahula_What_the_Buddha_Taught.pdf) by Dr. Walpola Rahula that discusses how consciousness is different than perception. I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I found the example given helpful to my own understanding of consciousness.

> It should be clearly understood that consciousness does not recognize an
> object. It is only a sort of awareness-awareness of the presence of an object. When
> the eye comes in contact with a colour, for instance blue, visual consciousness arises
> which simply is awareness of the presence of a colour: but it does not recognize that
> it is blue. There is no recognition at this stage. It is perception (the third Aggregate
> discussed above) that recognizes that it is blue. The term 'visual consciousness' is a
> philosophical expression denoting the same idea as is conveyed by the ordinary
> word 'seeing'. Seeing does not mean recognizing. So are the other forms of
> consciousness.

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: This passage seems to differentiate between consciousness and conception (rather than perception).  
> **username_9**: Nonetheless, good choice of a passage.. I think it goes something like this: Consciousness is the bare naked awareness of something existing. Perception is the full recognizing of that object before a name has been given to it.. Conception is the delineation of that object as a thought (this is blue).  
> **username_8**: Per Dr. Rahula in the above quote, "It is perception (the third Aggregate discussed above) that recognizes that it is blue."  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2016-10-04. Score: 3

"Awareness" is an English word used by Westerners that (to my knowledge) does not really exist in the terminology of Pali Buddhism.

I agree with the view that "mindfulness" ('sati') is a purposeful application of awareness or consciousness. 'Sati' means to 'remember' or 'bring to/keep in mind'.

The Pali uses the word '*anupassi*' ('continous seeing') when referring to being aware of meditation objects or uses the word '*sampajjana*' ('ready wisdom') when referring to knowing clearly what is going on in meditation.

Westerners like using the word 'awareness' but I do not know a Pali equivalent.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-12-03. Score: 2

I think the reverse is true.

Consciousness is simply awareness without any engagement. Consciousness is primordial to awareness.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: +1 for pointing out the link between consciousness and awareness. There are times when our consciousness is impaired e.g. presence of intoxicants or lack of sleep; this in turn impacts our awareness and sharpness.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-01-17. Score: 2

Before differentiating between Consciousness and Awareness we'd first have to define what Consciousness is and what Awareness is on its own.Try to answer these questions How do you know that your aware? What's the evidence?Where do you find your awareness,your knowing?Not What you know but what's it like to be knowing?What's it like to be aware?

Can you sense how some experiences goes beyond words,concepts and intellectualised ideas.
And can only be described by our relationship or attachments to it.

So what is awareness?Maybe Awareness is A, Maybe Awareness is B, Maybe Awareness just IS.

I have to add that consciousness is an aggregate and is biased.It may well be the result of clinging to awareness.Seeing it as My awareness.But i still think its difficult to pin down.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2016-10-05. Score: 0

You could think it like this. Consciousness means cognizing something. Or become aware of. In other words Vinyana. So Awareness and Cognizing is somewhat the same in terms of terminology. Mindfulness is knowing that you know something. In other words knowing that you cognize or knowing that you are aware of.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2024-12-08. Score: -1

This is how I understand it:

Sense Consciousness is composed of the 5 sense bases plus mind which has mental formations (fundamentally perception of the other 5 sense consciousnesses) as its sense object(s). That is what awareness is.

As long as conditions are present, i.e. contact between a sense organ and its corresponding sense object, that particular consciousness arises.

That does not necessarily imply awareness though. It is like CCTV footage that was never watched by anyone at any point. I believe the Buddha compared the senses to a deserted village because the sense organs are hollow.

An example that immediately comes to my mind is that while in a state of deep sleep, someone knocks on my door. If they knock loud enough the conditions are present for ear consciousness to arise without my mind actually being aware of it.

That is how I see it any way.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2016-10-04. Score: -1

Awareness is simply consciousness without any engagement. Consciousness when it engages in senses results in mind and emotional activities. Awareness can also be stated as mindfulness but I find this defintion has mind in it therefore confusing. If you are in your natural state i.e. without thoughts and emotions you are aware or conscious.


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