Consciousness and Existence are often treated as synonyms.  One is not considered as different from the other.  There is however one small but significant difference between the two.  Existence is the awareness of the world perceived through the senses. Consciousness is the awareness of the perceiver.  So consciousness is one step ahead of existence.  Moksham is the knowledge of the perceiver.  So Moksham is a state in which one has complete knowledge of the self, which means that one has complete conrol of the self. 

When complete control of the self is attained, worldly worries and problems will completely disappear. More on this in later sections. 

So we have to evolve from a state of existence to a state of consciousness to a state of knowledge of the self or Atma Gnanam (Moksham). 

Existence is transient. The state of existence comes into being based on an ever changing world.  Consciousness is a permenant awaareness of the perceiver. Consciousness does not perish. As the body and the instruments of perception perishes, it simply takes on a new body. 

When complete knowledge and therefore, control of the self is attained, we then do not have to take a new body and be subject to the forces of this world any longer. We will attain a state of a permenant peace and tranquility, without the body and without worldly needs. 

We assume, mistakenly that the world that we perceive actually exists. Existence cannot be attributed to something that constantly changes. The world that we perceive is only the effect of the forces of the mind. As long as the mind is jumping around, the world that we perceive will also jump around. So the world that we perceive is only an effect. The cause is the imbalance in the mind.  This world can be brought under control by exercising control of the forces of perception, which is the mind. 

So the world exists only as long as the mind is uncontrolled and unstable. 

Turning to the perceiver, perceiption of the world comes into play only when the power of the consciousness is completely entrapped by the imbalance of the mind. 

Consciousness can be released from this entrapment only by what is known as vairagyam or detachment that is developed through Bhakthi.  The knowledge that these forces of unstable perception and consciousness is not our identity and cannot constitute permenance because it will constantly seek new bodies and take on new desires. 

Consciousness has to focus on that which is the cause of everything else, but which was never the effect of another cause.  This implies that in order to attacin Moksham, that within us which is not a tranient object or Maya has to be seperated from the illusory objects and consciousness has to stay locked in on that object.  That object is Easwara or Paramathma and the ability of consciousness to stay locked in on the Paramathma is Bhakthi. 

Whenever we look to KNOW something, we are implying that;

1. The object of the knowledge exists. We are trying to know that which already exists and that which will exist whether we know about it or not.  This is very important to inderstand.  That which we are trying to know should not be dependant on our knowing about it or our perception of it. 

To explain this is little more, recall the Paramathma's basic assertion that the entire universe perceived through the senses is MAYA.  This means that this universe is only a product of our perception, and changes as we change our inner self. It will cease for us when we lose our physical existence. 

On the other hand the identity that we are seeking is not depedant on our perceptive capability through the senses or consciousness. This means that the object that we seek can be perceived in life with consciousness and will be with us to sustain us after our physical demise. 

2. The object is unchanging.  object that we are trying to know about will never change. Because if the object changes form, we will never attain knowledge that is of any value since we have to change our knowledge and understanding along with the object of change.  The knowledge that we have of an object that is changing will be time bound and will be valuless after the time that the object undergoes change.

SO THE OBJECTIVE OF SELF REALIZATION IS TO LOOK FOR AND FIND THAT ASPECT OF US WHICH IS UNCHANGING AND PERMENANT.  WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT OUR INNER SELF, OUR OWN IDENTITY WILL ATTAIN INDEPENDANCE FROM THE FORCES OF CHANGE THAT SUBJECT US TO PAIN, MISERY and EXISTENCE IN A STATE OF UNRELENTING TRANSCIENCE.

3. The object that we seek to know about already exists. So the object that we seek to discover does not depend for its existence on our knowledge or perception.  That the knower seeks to know about an object or event alien to the self  without knowing the qualities of the seeker or knower or the self. 

IT HELPS TO RECALL AT THIS TIME THAT THE BASIC CONTENTION IS THAT ALL OF THE PERCEIVED UNIVERSE IS A REFLECTION OF THE INNER SELF.  

The conclusion that we can come to from this assertion is that the sequence of events, the objects and the fellow living beings are being projected by one part of us and is being perceived by another part of us.  The part that is generating and projecting is also known as the subconsciousness and the part that is perceiving is the conscious part.  These are the two halves of the mind. 

The unconscious or the part that does not possess any consciousness does not have the power to KNOW.  The capability to KNOW and UNDERSTAND (the two most prominent features of the Mind are associated only with CONSCIOUSNESS. 

SO WE CONSCLUDE THAT THE CONSCIOUS  KNOWING OF THE SELF IS REALIZATION.  

We can also conclude that Consciousness is also the home of ignorance.

The journey that the consciousness undertakes to move from ignorance to realization is the journey and purpose of life. 

4. The knower exists and We have the capability to know. We are endowed with the means to know. Consciousness has many components to it.  

Consciousness is born with the capability to EXPERIENCE and the capability to KNOW.

One of the key elements is AWARENESS OF ITSELF.  This awareness of the self,  is the combination of many many components which includes - intelligence, time, senses, needs and their interdependancies.  ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS IDENTITY.  

CONSCIOUSNESS AND IDENTITY ARE INTRICATELY INTERWINED. THE IDENTITY APPEARS TO ACT AS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS TOGETHER ALL OTHER COMPONENTS OF COMPONENTS AND MAKES THEIR INTERACTION POSSIBLE.

5. That in the process of knowing, we will undergo evolution to a higher level by acquiring the capability to adapt, improvise and most importantly, TO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY TO LEARN ABOUT.  As consciousness goes through the experiences and gains knowledge and understanding through the discharge of its Karma, it undergoes transformation. Many of the components that initially constituted it, are dropped or are brought together in a combination different from their initial transformation.  The modification to these attributes causes evolution of consciousness towards attaining permenance.

So consciousness, which was formed by imbalances of forces driving the mind, evolves by observing, learning and then transforming and disengaging from these forces to attain complete freedom from the bondages of life.