People may claim that pure existence – the act of living – necessitates consciousness of existence. Even when a newborn may not realise that they are alive, those around them – their parents, family friends, doctors – hold the consciousness.
I object to this and would prefer to call this general state an acceptance of existence.
Consciousness develops in some people, while acceptance develops in all. And I make no claims that consciousness is the better path, for people in either state can lead happy or unhappy lives.
I can’t even describe what exactly consciousness of existence contains. It’s a deeper thought, a level of the mind. And I feel that everyone has the potential for consciousness, but not all have the need to delve in to it.
Consciousness of existence has the greater chance of holding unhappiness; it raises questions and concerns in the mind, many of which have no answers. Some people will devote their lives to finding the answers, and occasionally they experience the joy of reaching a conclusion they thought was beyond grasp. But an answer for one won’t be an overall answer for all because each mind is an individual creation whose paths differ from each other.