Mind As Knower of Forms, And Awareness as The Knower of Being: A Phenomenological View

Abstract

This article phenomenologically describes our ontological situation and our two modes of knowing. There is the knowing of mind as the knower of forms and the knower of awareness as the knower of Being. This paper links and integrates the tantric Dzogchen view of the mind - awareness distinction within the continental phenomenological view of the mind- awareness distinction as expressed in the work of Heidegger and Merleau Ponty. This distinction of mind and awareness allows us to clarify the confusion about our knowing of forms and our knowing of Being. The paper emphasizes the intertwining of awareness and mind. When mind and awareness are in oneness, then the knower can know the Being-ness of being through a being. The person can know the duality of beings within the non duality of Being. And the person can know the non duality of Being within the duality of beings.

Keywords

• Tantra
• Being
• Consciousness
• existence
• duality
• non-duality
• nothingness
• potential