Q: What is Attention?
A: Attention is the channel through which awareness/consciousness shines and gets focused on a thought wave. This channel is used by the mind to focus on something consciously/subconsciously/unconsciously. Focusing means channeling the received light from awareness/consciousness.
Q: What is the difference between attention and awareness?
A: Awareness is something due to which perception is possible, without awareness everything is insentient. Paying attention on something means concentrating on that thing. It is an act by which mind channelises awareness to shine on something of interest. Object of attention simply means focus of awareness. The following figure illustrates this with an analogy of convex lens:
