Chittachaya – Borrowed Consciousness!
Question:
Ekta didi, please would you explain Chittachaya [borrowed consciousness]?
Answer:
Just like we cannot see gravity but we can experience it, knowingness cannot be seen but its effects are experiential.
Let me use the analogy of sunlight:
During the daytime, there is light coming from the Sun. This light makes all things visible. In the night time, the same things are not visible. This shows that things don’t have their own light. They borrow light. They shine in the borrowed light.
Similarly, the body/breath/mind/memory/intellect/ego complex is not inherently conscious. Each component of this complex seems to be individually conscious and alive on account of a borrowed sense of being alive.
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- The body appears to have a sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
- The senses appear to have their own sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
- The mind appears to have a sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
- The intellect appears to have a sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
- The memory appears to have a sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
- The Ego appears to have a sense of ‘being conscious’ during the waking state. That is borrowed consciousness.
Why do I say that they appear to be conscious?
That is because this borrowed consciousness is absent at night in deep sleep. This shows that they do not have their own inherent consciousness.
From where are they borrowing this consciousness?
They borrow this consciousness from the witness that is beyond the body/breath/mind/memory/intellect/ego complex. That is why their borrowed sense of being conscious is called a shadow of the ‘Pure Consciousness’. In Sanskrit, it is called Chittachaya.
Chittachaya is Borrowed Consciousness!
#AtmaNirvriti #AtmanandaKrishnaMenon #AdvaitaVedanta #Non-Duality

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Very nicely explained Ektaji. Thank you for sharing the highest knowledge in such an easy manner.
We’re is the real Consciousness? Were I this real sun?if everything is borrowed then what is the real Consciousness?
Appreciate your answer. I need to understand this intellectually
You are the real Consciousness dear. Your real nature cannot be understood by the intellect as you are beyond the intellect, it can only be sensed by you, experientially.
Thanks for the answer Ekta ji. I see that my sense appears to be Consciousness. When I go into meditation. All I see is thoughts. Lots of thoughts. But when I close my mind I can still things. I can see my eyes, feel my body, feel emotions passing through, thoughts passing by, Some of my Thoughts either provoke emotions or come with emotions. I don’t know who this person is who is watching my train of thought, my emotions, my body. I
Practice Vippassana BTW. I don’t see Consciousness. It’s very difficult to see. Thoughts always fog my experience. Hopefully one day I will experience this Consciousness!
Can the eyes see themselves?
So beautifully explained
Love
Also like this good explanation, clear and simple, thank you Ektaji…