THE OBSERVATION OF ONE’S THOUGHT HAPPENS AT WHICH LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS?
Caller: Hi Master, after practising Buddhism, we have been reminding ourselves to guard against our arising thoughts, that is, we should always observe our thoughts.
Such self-awareness can be likened to having someone constantly watching over our thoughts. When an unwholesome thought arises, we can use some of Master Lu’s Words of Wisdom to transform it into a right thought. The moment such self-awareness is relaxed that’s when scattered thoughts start to proliferate.
Master, I would like to know to which level of consciousness does this faculty of observing and guarding our awareness belong to? Will that be the sixth or seventh consciousness?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It can happen at any level. Within your six sense organs – eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and consciousness – consciousness in this context refers to your sixth consciousness. When the first five sense organs react to external stimuli, your sixth consciousness attaches importance to it.
For example, you said something that gets you into trouble today. Your eyes can see that the other person has lost his head over your remark. When this notion enters your sixth consciousness, fear arises in you and you start to think, “Gosh, he may take revenge and strike back at me.”
Your ‘discernment awareness’ will then go, “Will it happen?” If this seventh consciousness which is the ‘discernment awareness’ tells you, “Gosh, he will surely take revenge on me”, this will then lead to the arising of fear in you which then prompts you to either escape or dodge the possible onslaught. At this juncture, the experience penetrates your eighth consciousness.
Source: Wenda20200726 53:46, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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