Consciousness is prior to all that exists as the universe and it, itself is uncaused.+

Q: ~ Life is prior to consciousness. Without life, there cannot be consciousness. Consciousness can be graded into degrees. Life is absolute. Please comment.

Santthosh Kumaar: ~ As per my conviction: ~

From the dualistic perspective, dualist thinkers think that Life is prior to consciousness.

But deeper self-search reveals the fact that life itself is consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Consciousness is prior to all that exists as the universe and it, itself is uncaused. Thus, the universe is nothing but consciousness because the universe is single clay. That single clay is consciousness.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it.

Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Until one thinks that his body as the body, the ego as the ego the universe as the universe he remains in ignorance because he is still in ignorance and he is unaware of the fact that they too are consciousness.

The seeker has to grow from the inside out. None can teach him, none can make him spiritual. There is no other Guru but his own Soul.”

Consciousness is not an object, but it is the subject. Within the dualistic illusion, it is the subject and object together. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, Self-existent, Self-delight, Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. It is the essence. It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and the Witness of the dualistic illusion (universe).

Even the Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, that God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Even Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (consciousness) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC- v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together

Thus, it is necessary to realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the Self is the Soul to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. in reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence. That essence is the consciousness. Without consciousness, the worlds in which we exist cease to exist. Thus consciousness is the only real thing in the illusory universe. : ~Santthosh Kumaar