The Basis of Life–a Field of Pure Intelligence
Consciousness is a single, unified, unmanifest field of intelligence that exists unseen at the basis of everything in the universe.
To understand consciousness we can compare it to the sap in a flower. When you look at a flower you can’t see the sap, but the sap is within every particle of the flower. The sap holds the intelligence, information, and order that gives rise to every part of the flower. Like the sap in a flower, consciousness holds the intelligence, information, and order that gives rise to our vast, complex, and infinitely varied world.
Consciousness Within Us
As consciousness exists unseen at the basis of everything in the universe, so it also exists as an ocean of silence, bliss, and peace within each of us, at the basis of our own awareness. This deepest, most universal level of consciousness within us is called pure consciousness.
Everyone has the natural ability to turn within and experience the field of pure consciousness. Maharishi brought to light a simple, natural technique, Transcendental Meditation®, that allows the normally active human mind to settle down to its source–pure consciousness–an infinite reservoir of energy, intelligence, happiness, and creativity.
With regular practice of Transcendental Meditation, we infuse these qualities of pure consciousness into our mind and heart, and enjoy increased calmness and alertness, clearer intuition, and greater love and compassion in our day-to-day life. Through this simple programme, we can effortlessly unfold our own divine essential nature and develop the natural ability to nourish, uplift, and enrich the lives of everyone around us.
The Scientific Foundation–The Unified Field
Research in theoretical physics during the past quarter century has led to a progressively more unified understanding of the laws of nature, culminating in the recent discovery of completely unified field theories based on the superstring. These theories locate a single, universal, unified field of intelligence, millions of times more fundamental and more powerful than the nuclear force, at the basis of all forms and phenomena in the universe.
Theoretical and empirical investigation reveals that the unified field is fundamentally a field of consciousness. The fundamental qualities of the unified field–intelligence, dynamism, and self-awareness–are the defining characteristics of consciousness as it is described in the ancient Vedic tradition of India.
Next: A complete science of consciousness–Veda and Vedic Literature
Read about the development of higher states of consciousness–Enlightenment