About: is a stone conscious? Is everything conscious? Is a bird or a cat conscious?

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Consciousness refers to the knowingness that I am and the knowingness that I am aware.

Namely, I know I am and I know I am aware.

Whatever it is that knows I am and that I am aware is ever present, meaning it is eternal. You can check on this anytime. Anytime you can ask : Am I and/or am i aware?, immediately the answer is a resounding yes.

Whatever it is that knows that I am and knows that I am aware is awareness itself.

Awareness is and awareness is aware and is aware that it is aware.

That does not apply to a rock, to a tree or to a cat which are objects of I am/awareness.
There are degrees of sentience such as between a rock and a bird, but there are no degrees of consciousness.