Consciousness and conscience, though they sound and seem similar and often confused for each other, they are different. Another similar sounding word – conscientiousness - compounds the confusion.
Conscious and consciousness signify being mindful and being in a state of awareness and responsive to the surroundings. Conscience represents the inner voice of a person and is regarded as God’s own voice. It is used often, like in the conflicting situation with several opposing choices, he acted as directed by his conscience. Conscientiousness means a desire to do a task well, and to view obligations to others seriously.
Conscience is the inherent and instinctive inner chord, capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, helping us to choose the right action in conflicting situations. It conforms to and upholds the moral principles imbibed in everyone and is equated with the heart.
Everyone has a conscience which keeps a vigil on one’s thoughts, feelings, plans, and actions, and guiding him appropriately, provided he listens to it. It is always calm, positive, compassionate, and empathetic and its promptings aim at universal welfare, thereby supporting the feeling
of oneness.
When we ignore and silence the conscience, we make wrong decisions, invite disasters and lose the grace of God. An indication that a person is listening to his conscience is that he feels a sense of fulfilment in working towards obtaining the supreme good of all, obeying the commands of divinity. We often mistake and confuse the voice of our ego to be that of conscience. Though difficult, it is not impossible to identify and distinguish conscience from ego. Ego is the “I” or self of any person; as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others.
Ego is illusory and exists only in the wrong perception of a person, leading to wrong decisions based on piecemeal information and experience whereas conscience is capable of acquiring wholesome information and experience imbibed from the infinitude of spirit beyond that of the ego.
Therefore, whenever we are required to make some critical decisions, we should be conscious of and listen to our conscience. Just listen to your conscience, the inner voice. Use this wisdom sourced from the divinity as compared to the illusory ego whose source is limited. Watch the triumph of conscience, grounded in universal welfare, over the cunning baits of the ego, rooted in a bundle of selfishness.