How would you define and describe 'consciousness' in the context of suttas?

The dictionary definitions vary, there are many ideas surrounding it, so what sort of ‘consciousness’ you are thinking about when you are reading the suttas, how would you define and describe it?

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Sanna v. Vinnana

I’ve struggled with this question for years. I can’t give a definitive answer, but for now I translate ‘ceto pali, or cetas Skt.’ as consciousness based on चेतस् cetas found in Monier-Williams.

kind regards and best wishes from 2020

After read many of EBTs, in my own words, consciousness means a receptor of object. Only when there is object then consciousness is able to turn on. Objects are only limited in colours, sounds, flavours, odours , sensations, thoughts. And the receptor means just the receiver of these objects.

But if you asked how would it be different from perception / sanna, then sanna would be before the objects put into identification.