What is Universal Consciousness?

Is it God, a universal principle, or the laws of nature? 
This depends on our level of understanding.

Whatever it is, the idea causes confusion and conflict. We have to ask, does this universal principle have other aspects, both gross and subtle? When we talk about being part of a universal consciousness, which part are we talking about? The gross or the subtle?

When we identify with anything, a duality is created. This is a belief in self and other. Universal principle or consciousness should be visible to all. It is, but we see it as a concept that may give some intellectual comfort, while separating us from others who don’t see it that way.

What we can observe is the three principles or laws of attraction, repulsion and indifference. In human terms: I like, I dislike and I don’t care. In chicken terms: fight, flight or freeze. These are the universal principles that govern every creature’s daily life – and cause constant conflict.

For individuals who can look more closely, these universal laws are subtle wisdoms of emptiness, cognisance and compassion. 

Here’s how it works.
The essence of mind is pure consciousness. This is emptiness and cognisance, manifesting, when realised, as empathetic compassion.

The natural state of mind is uncontaminated emptiness, but when we’re attracted to something, desire arises, filling our mind with fixations. It is because of these fixations that consciousness forgets its purity and judges, holding on to these fixated ideas. Because of our fixations, we lack empathetic compassion. 

It is ignorance of these subtle laws that causes conflict and confusion to arise, initiated by our demonic Mara activity.

It all depends on which universal consciousness we’re talking about.
It has nothing to do with an outside entity.