Consciousness can definitely be studied and learnt. Everyone can teach something ‘about the consciousness’ however, none can teach ‘the consciousness’. The consciousness can only be attained through the association (satsang) with the individuals in whom we see the glimpse of spiritual attainment(divine consciousness). For example, for Ram it was Vashisth, for Vivekanand it was Ramkrishna for Paul Brunton it was Raman Maharshi… For every seeking soul there is a special someone already present to guide towards that Self. But one has to look honestly for such One, recognise (identify) and seek guidance . Honesty here mostly means being open minded and free from snarls of ego. Openness has very important role in the journey of spiritual seekers or the seekers of ultimate truth (not the relative truth). Consciousness best touches us in the moment of innocence and openness and, it ceases to rub itself with us in the absence of innocence and openness.
There is an anecdotal story in the Upanishadic lore that, once upon a time a group of seers who used to live at the outskirts of the village touching boundaries of forest mediated deep upon deity of their mutual choice to have a darshan in flesh and blood form. Deity agreed and said I will come tomorrow when you all are ready to perform a Yagna. Next day seers prepared themselves for Yagna, they kept roots and fruits to offer the deity, waiting eagerly for him, remembering his subtle form which they were accustomed of glimpsing during their meditations. Meanwhile a wild boar came and started eating all those roots and fruits which were kept for Yagna. Seers got angry and beaten up the boar black and blue and shooed it away and sat back again before Yagna-Vedi waiting for the godot (deity). After a while when yagna-muhurt was over and none appeared before them not even the messenger or progeny of god came to offer them solace.
Then seers got up and went to their meditating place and meditated again lo and behold the deity appeared in their meditation smilingly, they prayed, what mistake have we made lord? why didn’t you appear before us after giving us the boon (your word) to do so, lord ?
Deity said I had come very much in flesh and blood and right at the appointed moment, but my form was that of wild boar!
Along with innocence, openness is also needed to look for real guru. Most of us are carried away by brand presence and miracle mania. Neither of two are attributes of ultimate spiritual attainment (supreme consciousness).
