Expert: Justin Choo - 2/8/2009

Question
Hello, I have a questions pertaining to Anatta. I believe I already asked you a question, and it helped, so I thought I'd try again...

Quite simply, there is one thing of which I am confused; the nature of consciousness, which, to me, seems to imply that it does not decay and die, and so may in fact be an atman.

Now, what I understand of it is that, like any other skandha, this aggregate "dies and decays with every passing moment". However, this does not seem to be the case (or so I think). If, as is stated, every time we become aware of something new, and awareness of something else dies, should we not pass into oblivion, literally dying every second? Why then am "I" still here? For it does not seem to me that I have died. You see, I understand the idea in theory, but in practice, when I try to apply to to real-life situations, it simply does not seem to fit.

Right now, as I turn to look out the window, should the 'part' of 'me' that was aware of the computer screen not die, pass away, never to return again? In essence, what I call 'dying' would be that one loses all consciousness, and never 'wakes up' again. Why do I not feel as if I have fallen asleep? Why am "I" still here then? I suppose that what I am saying is that I refer to each individual consciousness, though it may exist for only a split second, as a separate 'self', which must then die as soon as it arises. I would think of it as the "I of now". Yet it does not seem to me that it has literally died, only that it has changed. For there is still consciousness, no? And I do not see now at this very moment that I am becoming unconscious as awareness of each passing letter arises and disappears. It seems to me that it is different, but NOT ANOTHER. If it is not another, then that means that it is "one", no...?

Answer
Hi Nicolaas,

Welcome back.  I am happy to know that my answers to your previous questions are of help to you.

Now to answer your question.  What you are relating is actually pertaining to the thought moments (TM) of consciousness.  The thought moments make up the stream of consciousness.  Each TM lasts only a split second, and followed by another; and this goes on as if there is a continuation.

A good example is to look at the clock with a "seconds" hand. Each second is by itself; but the continuation of the ticking seconds make up the passage of time which never stops.  While each second dies, followed by the "birth" of a new second, the clock shows the time.  This "time" is the consciousness.  It is neither exactly the same nor completely different.  Time is a continuation of a flux of "activities" of the "seconds" ticking away non stop.  Consciousness is the flux of continuous thought moments.

Hope this helps.

Justin Choo