Thanks for your reply.
And exactly the same can be said for expressions in plain English. In fact, there’s no stimulus in the conditional world that isn’t influenced by bias, interpretation, and selectivity.
With the suttas, imo, we’re doing the best we can with the original teachings of the Buddha, as best as we have them.
The authenticity of the Nikāyas is well supported by modern scholarship:
Also in the works of Mark Allon, Richard Gombrich, Ven. Anālayo, Bhikkhu Bodhi, and others.
So I favor bringing citations into many of the discussions as a means to clarify and support a position during a Dhamma discussion – rather than just hashing and re-hashing opinions. And I’m not saying you’re doing this – speaking generally here.
And so, citations!
While I know of no sentence in the suttas where the Buddha explicitly says this, it’s based on hundreds of suttas where the Buddha speaks of consciousness as always conditional. So I follow from that.
Several are: DN15, SN12.125, MN43, Snp3.12, SN22.136, MN35, Snp734 and more.
Also MN38: "… aññatra paccayā natthi viññāṇassa sambhavo; “consciousness does not arise without a cause.”
On the other hand, what’s missing in the suttas are clear and explicit teachings about any other kind of unconditional consciousness.
There have been a number of posts and topics about this on D&D over the years.
Those who profess an unconditional consciousness can be asked to provide sutta references…
Finally, when there is a description of the attaining of liberation, arahantship, the common phrases used do not mention an unconditional consciousness (not surprisingly), but rather the knowledge and realization of liberation from all defilements – the freedom from dukkha.
SN43.2: “And what is the unconditioned? The ending of greed, hate, and delusion. This is called the unconditioned.”
SN22.61: "They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’
Santi 