Reply:
Breathing is a body mind activity. Consciousness does not breathe. A thought arises of a body breathing. And thus it is said that there is breathing. Thought does not impact consciousness that is primordial to thought.
Consciousness remains as it is: Formless and unmoved, no matter how thought or mind appears.
One could say the body breathes, but the body knows nothing of breathing and does not say: I am breathing.
Like a tree knows nothing of leaves growing on the branches nor does water know nothing of flowing streams. It is thought that says such things.
You ask: ‘What is Living?’
Living refers to mind, to thought and sensation. When you realize the Self, you go beyond the duality of living and dying. One may say that living is mind and Life is reality. There is one reality.
You also ask: ‘Who is energy?’: Energy is a conceptual term in physics that refers to the concepts of motion and acceleration. There is no who to it. Consciousness knows nothing of energy. One could say that consciousness is all energies as One. After all, consciousness is the One reality second to none.
You ask if it is through the body that you know yourself. No, it is not. Through the body, you know the world and the body, but not yourself.
It is your assumption, your identification that you are the body mind that gives you the impression that it is through the body mind that you know who/what you are. Thus, erroneously, you rely on the senses and on mind states to find out who/what you are, rather than recognizing consciousness.
First is consciousness and downstream of consciousness is thought and sensation. Consciousness is primary to the secondary mind impressions. The primary does not depend on the secondary. It is the other way around: The secondary relies on the primary.
Consciousness does not know itself via a conceptual system since it is ‘Self-knowing’. In deep sleep as well as in the waking state, consciousness is ever awake, never leaves itself.
In ignorance it seems as if consciousness identifies itself with an imagined form and forgets its true nature (as consciousness).

Friend:
Is consciousness Self-knowing without mind? Does mind exist outside of consciousness? So how can consciousness know itSelf as itSelf? Knowing of sense of identity but of what? Of you? How can space know itSelf? Can what is not space know itself as space?

Reply:
While the mind does not know consciousness. the mind is known by consciousness that is its substance and out of which it arises. It does not exist outside consciousness. Nothing does.
Yes, consciousness knows itself via itself, directly and not via mind. It is mind that asks: ‘How can consciousness know itself?’ Via such questions, the mind is trying to confirm itself as if it is real and maintain itself. It is like Santa Claus asking a question. Santa Claus is a myth. But having a conversation with Santa gives the impression that Santa is real.
The mind refers to thought. Thought cannot reach its source. Thought is downstream. It is an arising that refers to consciousness, that is its substance, its reality, its source.
Mind does not exist as an independent reality. Its reality is consciousness. Only consciousness is real, taking on the form of thought while remaining as it is. Nothing exists outside of its knowingness.
Consciousness knows itself as consciousness. Ask yourself. Are you not consciousness? Don’t you know you are conscious via consciousness?

Friend:
Yes I am consciousness. I am All knowing consciously. But yet in sleeping who is conscious? You say, consciousness NEVER SLEEPS. But is it not the person, is it not the body that goes through that phenomenal state just like when you eat? So where am I while all this takes place? Consciousness when I open my eyes, I say I am consciousness. As soon as I close my eyes and go to sleep who is it that says I am consciousness? Are there two different states taking place?

Reply:
In deep sleep, consciousness is conscious. But there are no mind events, nothing phenomenal to record. Upon the return of the mind (the body waking up), the mind who is impersonating consciousness, says: Consciousness is absent in deep sleep.
That is ignorance.
Consciousness is ever conscious and never turned off. It is the mind that is turned off in deep sleep. There is nothing else but consciousness that is conscious. The mind is known but it is not knowing.
Given it is not the body or mind that is conscious, why look at the body mind for answers? Both body and mind are inert phenomenal events known by consciousness.
Consciousness is omnipresent. It is present in all states, but not Self knowing in all mind states. It is Self knowing in Turiya, the awakened state.
In the waking state (such as this instant), consciousness conceives and perceives events, like this perception. In deep sleep, it does not conceive nor perceive events.
In Turiya, there is peace and happiness in the presence or absence of events, independent of events.
There are many mind states, but only one reality, one consciousness.

Friend:
Can this same event happen when you are awake? Is this Self realization or Samadhi?

Reply:
The Self is ever awake. The body mind experiences sleep and waking. Self realization does not happen in any state. It is the revelation of That which is beyond states.

Friend:
So when one says: ‘Ah man I am tired I just want to go sleep.’ Mind is saying this correct?

Reply:
Yes. Such a statement refers to the body mind. Recognizing that the body needs rest, does not necessarily mean ignorance. Ignorance is confusing yourself to be the body mind.

Friend:
Is God another word for consciousness?

Reply:
Yes. When consciousness is Self knowing and established … it is God smiling. God is another word for universal Consciousness, the one and only reality.