A class of ways of being aware of something that cognizes merely the essential nature (ngo-bo) of its object, such as its being a sight, a sound, a mental object, etc. Consciousness may be either sensory or mental, and there are either six or eight types. The term has nothing to do with the Western concept of conscious versus unconscious. Consciousness has the identity-nature of being an awareness of individual detail (so-sor rtog-pa).
Tibetan: རྣམ་ཤེས། rnam-shes
Sanskrit: vijñāna
Synonyms: Primary consciousness; Primary mind
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