Consciousness Yogachara

1 consciousness

1.1 karma, seeds , storehouse-consciousness
1.2 transformations of consciousness
1.3 tathagata-garba thought

consciousness

yogacara gives detailed explanation of workings of mind , way constructs reality experience. vasubandhu used concept of 6 consciousnesses, on elaborated in triṃśikaikā-kārikā (treatise in thirty stanzas).

according traditional interpretation, vasubandhu states there 8 consciousnesses: 5 sense-consciousnesses, mind (perception), manas (self-consciousness), , storehouse-consciousness. according kalupahana, classification of 8 consciousnesses based on misunderstanding of vasubandhu s triṃśikaikā-kārikā later adherents.

karma, seeds , storehouse-consciousness

according traditional explanation, theory of consciousnesses attempted explain phenomena of cyclic existence, including how rebirth occurs , precisely how karma functions on individual basis. addressed questions had long vexed buddhist philosophers, such as,

if 1 carries out or evil act, why , how effects of act not appear immediately?
insofar not appear immediately, karma waiting opportunity play out?

the answer given later yogācārins store consciousness (sanskrit: ālayavijñāna), known basal, or eighth consciousness. simultaneously acts storage place karmic latencies , fertile matrix of predispositions bring karma state of fruition.

the likeness of process cultivation of plants led creation of metaphor of seeds (sanskrit: bīja) explain way karma stored in eighth consciousness. in yogācāra formulation, experience without exception said result ripening of karma. seemingly external world merely by-product (adhipati-phala) of karma. term vāsanā ( perfuming ) used, , yogācārins debated whether vāsāna , bija same, seeds effect of perfuming, or whether perfuming affected seeds. type, quantity, quality , strength of seeds determine , how sentient being reborn: 1 s race, gender, social status, proclivities, bodily appearance , forth. conditioning of mind resulting karma called saṃskāra.

the treatise on action (karmasiddhiprakaraṇa), vasubandhu, treats subject of karma in detail yogācāra perspective.

transformations of consciousness

the traditional interpretation may discarded on ground of reinterpretation of vasubandhu s works. according scholar roger r. jackson, fundamental unconstructed awareness (mūla-nirvikalpa-jñāna) described [...] in yogacara literature. , according kalupahana, instead of positing additional consciousnesses, triṃśikaikā-kārikā describes transformations of consciousness:

taking vipaka, manana , vijnapti 3 different kinds of functions, rather characteristics, , understanding vijnana function (vijnanatiti vijnanam), vasubandhu seems avoiding form of substantialist thinking in relation consciousness.

these transformations threefold:

whatever, indeed, variety of ideas of self , elements prevails, occurs in transformation of consciousness. such transformation threefold, [namely,]

the first transformation results in alaya:

the resultant, called mentation, concept of object. herein, consciousness called alaya, seeds, resultant.

the alaya-vijnana therefore not 8 consciousness, resultant of transformation of consciousness:

instead of being distinct category, alaya-vijnana merely represents normal flow of stream of consciousness uninterrupted appearance of reflective self-awareness. no more unbroken stream of consciousness called life-process buddha. cognitive process, containing both emotive , conative aspects of human experience, without enlarged egoistic emotions , dogmatic graspings characteristic of next 2 transformations.

the second transformation manana, self-consciousness or self-view, self-confusion, self-esteem , self-love . according lankavatara , later interpreters seventh consciousness. thinking various perceptions occurring in stream of consciousness . alaya defiled self-interest;

[i]t can purified adopting non-substantialist (anatman) perspective , thereby allowing alaya-part (i.e. attachment) dissipate, leaving consciousness or function of being intact.

the third transformation visaya-vijnapti, concept of object . in transformation concept of objects created. creating these concepts human beings become susceptible grasping after object :

vasubandhu critical of third transformation, not because relates conception of object, because generates grasping after real object (sad artha), when no more conception (vijnapti) combines experience , reflection.

a similar perspective given walpola rahula. according walpola rahula, elements of yogācāra storehouse-consciousness found in pāli canon. writes 3 layers of mind (citta, manas, , vijñana) presented asaṅga mentioned in pāli canon:

thus can see vijñāna represents simple reaction or response of sense organs when come in contact external objects. uppermost or superficial aspect or layer of vijñāna-skandha . manas represents aspect of mental functioning, thinking, reasoning, conceiving ideas, etc. citta here called Ālayavijñāna , represents deepest, finest , subtlest aspect or layer of aggregate of consciousness. contains traces or impressions of past actions , , bad future possibilities.

tathagata-garba thought

the store consciousness concept developed along buddha nature doctrine , resolved concept of mindstream or consciousness-continuity (sanskrit: citta-santāna) avoid being denounced running counter doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā) , tenets of selflessness (anātman).

it may traceable luminous mind mentioned once in Āgamas, according kalupahana,

the concept of alaya borrowed lankavatara; not have same characteristics nor function in same way. neither pure mind (prakrti-prabhasvara-citta) nor location of womb (of enlightenment) (garbha-samsthana).

to account notion of buddha-nature in beings, yogacara scholars in china such tz u-en (慈恩, 632-682) first patriarch in china, advocated 2 types of nature: latent nature found in beings (理佛性) , buddha-nature in practice (行佛性). latter nature determined innate seeds listed above.

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