System of the eight consciousnesses and role of the afflicted mind (kliśțamanas)
Lectured by Dr. Fa Qing
System of the eight consciousnesses and role of the afflicted mind (kliśțamanas)
Submitted by
Ven. Bopitiye Wimalagnana
M.A (Buddhist studies)
Introduction
The Yogācāra School, also known as vijñānavāda, cittamātra the "consciousness-only" school, is a fourth century outgrowth of Mahayana Madhyamika Buddhism. The Yogācāra that name is taken from one of its foundational text which is yogācarābumi sāstra. At the beginning which had not been as a separate school because monks who were engaged in meditative practice those are known as Yogācāra. But later in Yogācāra itself is not a specific meditative practice, but is meant to be applied as a descriptive tool to understand situations of action and intention. Perhaps rational philosophy and an elaborate system of practice, it provided methods by which one could identify and correct the cognitive errors inherent in the way the mind works, since enlightenment meant direct, immediate, correct cognition. So they would have been developed systematical way to better awareness about mind and its nature. The founding of Yogācāra, one of the two major Indian Mahayana schools, is usually attributed to the two brothers Aaoga and Vasubandhu (fourth to fifth century C.E.), but most of its unique concepts had been introduced at least a century earlier in scriptures such as the Sandhinirmocana sutra elucidating the Hidden Connections or Sutra Setting Free the*Buddha’s+ Intent. Thus lankāvatāra sutra which is the major source of doctrine of Yogācāra School can be found. Yogācāra forged novel concepts and methods that synthesized prior Buddhist teachings into a coherent antidote for eliminating the cognitive problems that prevented liberation from the karmic cycles of birth and death. To successful that task many texts have been done by Yogācāra masters such as Vasubandhu, Paramārtha. Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi vimsika, trimsika and both commentaries most important sources which were contributed for developing mind only philosophy. That was innovation of the Yogācāra School. Significance of the three natures is one of the main teachings of them. As well as their new definition of the mind structure this was allocated into three. Namely, 1. Ālaya vijñāna- storehouse consciousness, 2. Manana vijñāna- afflicted mind, 3. pravŗti vijñāna- six empirical consciousness. Actually they only accepted internal world which is mind nor external world all things are in the mind that is why it is known as mind only philosophy. Here should be examined about the section of eight consciousnesses and the role of afflicted mind.
What is the consciousness?
Consciousness is one of the five groups of existence (aggregates or khandha). Those are rūpa, vedanā, sajñā, sankāra and vijñāna, forms, sensation, feeling, volitions and consciousness. This division is accepted by all traditions respectively. Since, it is the earliest division of the canonical texts that was preached by the load Buddha. In the early Pāli texts, vijñāna was considered equally
(1) As ‘consciousness’, an essential factor of animate existence without which there would be no individual life
Vijñāna as ‘consciousness’ plays a major role in the early Buddhist explanation of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, known as saṃsāra. The whole preceded actions are deposited in the Vijñāna which is call kamma. Because of these kamma the being is engaged in the samsāra. Where there is Vijñāna there is samsāra.
(2) As ‘cognition’, the ordinary sensory and mental models of perception and knowing. The central element within the perceptual processes, vijñāna as ‘cognition’ occurs in six mode depending upon the type of sensory or mental stimulus and its respective perceptual organ (the five sense organs and the ‘mental’ organ). In this context, vijñāna as cognition occurs upon the contact between the relevant sense organ and its respective object and attention.
Yogācāra divisions of consciousness
After the passing away of the Buddha, later scholar monks faced many problems to solve about mind and its function. Such as how previous kamma comes to present and present kamma goes to next life, and how to get cognition so forth. Therefore they interpreted and tried to find solutions to solve those problems. Finally, definitions came out through the several schools such as sutrāntika, sarāstivāda, Mādhyamika and Yogācāra. Among these schools Yogācaras faced how the consciousness temporarily cease during sleep, unconscious states, certain forms of meditation, or between lives, and then suddenly recommence? Where did it reside in the interim? If karmic consequences occur long after the act they are requiting was committed, and there is no substantial self, what links the act to its eventual karmic effect, and in what does this linkage reside? Most importantly, how can consciousnesses that are derivative of contact between organs and objects become projective?
Yogācāra’s eight consciousnesses theory answered these questions. Manovijñāna became the organ of the sixth consciousness, rather than its by-product; manas became the seventh consciousness, responsible for appropriating experience as “mine” and thus infesting experience with a sense of self-hood (and thus also called ādānavijñāna, “appropriative consciousness,” and kliṣṭamanas, “defiled mind”). The eighth consciousness, the ālayavijñāna (storehouse consciousness), was Yogācāra’s most important innovation.
Ālayavijñāna (store consciousness)
When examine about the ālayavijñāna for which can be found synonyms in the Yogācāra texts. In Sandhinirmocana sutra which has been mentioned as Ādādavijñāna as well as vijñaptimātratāsiddhi trimsikā was cited as sarvabhījaka.8 Sometimes it is called mūlavijñāna root of the all consciousness.9 According to above texts previous experiences produce seeds (bīja) and perfuming (vāsanā) that are deposited in the ālayavijñāna. These seeds, embodying wholesome or unwholesome implications, regenerate new seeds each moment. These causal seed chains remain latent until a new conscious experience causes the seed to sprout, infusing a new cognition. Hence the ālayavijñāna was also called vipākavijñāna (karmic requital consciousness). Like a warehouse, the ālayavijñāna serves as a repository for seeds that are stored there, across a lifetime or many lifetimes, until dispatched. So it was also called all-seeds consciousness (sarvabījakavijñāna). Vāsanās “perfume” the ālayavijñāna, like the smell of incense perfumes a cloth in its proximity. Various Yogācāra texts debate whether seeds and perfuming describe the same phenomenon with different metaphors, or whether they are different types of mental events. In either case, the ālayavijñāna flows onward like a constant stream, changing each moment with each new experience, thus providing karmic continuity as the seeds reach fruition. The ālayavijñāna continues to function even while the other consciousnesses become temporarily inoperative, unconscious. Hence it is also called “foundational consciousness” (mūlavijñāna). Although it stores karmic seeds and engenders their projection, the ālayavijñāna is a karmically neutral mechanical process (anivṛta, avyākṛta). In the vijnaptimatrāta siddhi trimsika also cites ālayavijñāna which is represented unknown objects and places it always associated with touch, attentiveness, knowledge, conception and volition. The ālayavijñāna is not yet obscured by āvaranas, whether kleśāvaranas or jñāvarans, and, therefore, is described as un-obscured
(anivŗtam). Nor can it be defined as either good (kuśala) or as bad (akuśala), and,
therefore, it is described as undefined (avyākŗtam). The ālayavijñāna, which is like a torrent of water (srotasaughāvat), ceases to exist only at the attainment of arhatva.
In the lankavatāra sutra also which has been mentioned with simile the ocean is like store consciousness (ālayavijñāna). By nature it is calm by nature it is tranquil. The afflicted mind (kliṣṭa manas) like wind stirs up the surface of the ocean because of the subject-object discrimination. The afflicted mind as the great and powerful wind disturbs the peacefulness and calmness of the ocean, which is ālayavijñāna and stirs up waves. These waves are the six everyday empirical consciousnesses, which of course are agitated and disturbed. They are always in the state of agitation because afflicted mind or here, the wind. If we take some time and observe our own experience, we notice that for some reason or other consciousnesses are agitated because of sensory stimuli like something to see, something to hear, something to touch or some sort of thought process. All these processes create agitation. This is how the initial vijñāna come into exists and its function. As well as it can give nirvana also which is the tathāgatagarbha it pertains to Buddha hood. Pravŗti vijñāna (six empirical consciousnesses)
Here supposed to be discussed kliśțamanas, but it the main point of this easy, therefore which is examined later. According to yogācāra school triad of the consciousness third one is Pravŗtivijñāna. In lankāvatāra sutra when describes the eight vijñānas, Pravŗti vijñāna is also cited there. “the system of the five vijñānas is together with the Mano vijñānas, and there is an undivided succession and differentiation of good and bad, and the entire body moves on continuously and closely bound together; moving on, it comes to an end; but as it fails to understand that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of Mind-only, there is the rising of another Vijñāna [system] following the cessation of the first; and the Manovijñānas in union with the system of the five vijñānas, perceiving the difference of forms and figures.”1 It is clear that these are the six active consciousnesses.
Caksur vijñāna - Visual consciousness
Srotra vijñāna, - Auditory consciousness
Ghrāna vijñāna, - Olfactory consciousness
Jihvā vijñāna, - Gustatory consciousness
kāya vijñāna - Tactile consciousness
Mano vijñāna - Thought consciousness
All three vijñānas are mutual and depending each other. Particularly, one hand the store-consciousness is the seed and the support of the active consciousnesses, and since on the other hand the active consciousnesses nourish the seeds of the storeconsciousness, envelop them and plant them, one is forced to admit that storeconsciousness and active consciousness are reciprocal conditions.13 The afflicted mind as the great and powerful wind disturbs the peacefulness and calmness of the ocean, which is ālayavijñāna and stirs up waves. These waves are the six active empirical consciousnesses, which of course are agitated and disturbed. They are always in the state of agitation because afflicted mind is here, as the wind. it is noticed that own experience of the being, for some reason or other consciousnesses are agitated because of sensory stimuli like something to see, something to hear, something to touch or some sort of thought process.14 This is how the working of active consciousness.
12. The Lankavatara Sutra, lxxxvi- 235- 236 verses.
13. Mahayanasangraha, 71.p. 14.
S. peter, lankavatara sutra M.A lecture note 6, (ibc korat 2012), 7.p.
Kliśțamanas/manana vijñāna (afflicted/thinking consciousness)
In Yogācāra system of eight consciousness seventh one is kliśțamanas sometimes which is known as mananavijñāna. There are two kinds of manas can be found in Yogācāra texts. Specially, Mahāyānasangraha says that
“This kinds of consciousness is also called mind (citta). Thus the Bhagavat said: Mind (citta), manas and consciousness (vijñāna)." Among these three, manas is twofold”
1. Manovijñāna - mental consciousness
2. kliśțamanas – afflicted consciousness
The consciousnesses arise because of the first manas as support. The first five consciousnesses have the five material organs, eye, etc., as support; the sixth consciousness, the mental consciousness, does not have a similar support. Consequently, manas or manodhātu or again mana-āyatana and manindriya, is called that which serves as support which is Manovijñāna.
The second one is defilement. Because it cognizes the object (viṣayavijñapteḥ), antecedent (samanantara), as thinking (manana).16 This is the afflicted mind which should be elaborated.
Commentary of trimśikā by Sthiramati afflicted consciousness or defiled consciousness which has been cited as kliśțam manah. For its origin and operation it depends on the store-consciousness (tad ālaya-vijñānam āsritya pravartate). It has the same store consciousness for its object (tadālambam), too.18
kliṣṭamanas, the afflicted consciousness, in this context, is the activity of discrimination, of conceptualization, of bifurcation and dichotomization. It breaks things into subject and object. Afflictions are the roots of our entanglement in saṃsāra. And also about ignorance of being subject-object duality and how the subject-object duality inevitably leads to appropriation or acquisitiveness on the one hand, and hatred, dislike aversion and so forth on the other. So on the one hand, aversion, hatred, anger and so on and on the other hand, have attachment, greed, wish to acquire, wish to appropriate. So this kliṣṭamanas turns up the tranquil and calm original nature of the store consciousness, the ālayavijñāna and produces the waves, the agitation of everyday experience. So it can be called that kliṣṭamanas, the afflicted consciousness as the seed of discrimination and subject-object duality. It is the ego principle. In the analogy, it is the troublemaker. The kliṣṭamanas, the afflicted consciousness has created the agitation of ordinary senses. This is again very close to the real meaning of kleśa. It disturbs the peace of the storehouse consciousness and it stirs up. It produces the agitation, the waves in the empirical consciousnesses. How this process works
It is said that initially the beings have storehouse consciousness, which is tranquil. Its surface is disturbed by the wind of discrimination, by the wind of conception of 'I' and 'other' that brings about the subject-object duality, which in turn generate attachment and aversion towards objects, and so on. So it creates agitation in the six sense spheres. The agitation in the six-sense spheres in turn creates experiences and it creates karma. Because of the subject-object duality and its implicit association with attachment and aversion creates karma. Because, naturally, once people conceive his desire or once who conceive of object as desirable then he act to get that. When see that an object is desirable then he act, reach out to get that object. And that is karma. If there is something we dislike we try to get rid of that. And that is also karma. So the afflicted consciousness leads naturally to karma. And that goes on in our everyday life.
We get agitated by the subject-object duality, by attachment and aversion and as a result we act. We act to get things, which are pleasant, and we act to get rid of those things, which are unpleasant. Because of that build up experiences; build up mental impressions. And mind becomes familiar with certain things. That is how the happen function in the world. We function in the world because who have certain sense experiences such as past actions. What contain in afflicted mind
Vasubandhu says that kliśțamanas is constantly concealed with four kind of self. The afflicted mind is always thinking store consciousness as self (ātma). In that case it is manifested those four ātma.
1. It is always associated with belief in self (ātma dŗusti)
2. Ignorance about self (ātma moha)
Some of the defilements are obscured but undefined. It is also associated with touch (sparśa), attentiveness (manaskāra), knowledge (vid), perception (sajñā), and volition (cetanā). These associates are of the same nature of the three realms (kāma, rūpa and ārupya) in which one is born. Moreover the consciousness manas does not exist an arahant (arahato na tat). And does not operate in the state of suppress consciousness (nirodha samapatti) nor in the supra-mundane path (na mārga lokuttre).22 These are the constitutes in the afflicted mind. The pure and impure is in the mind, specially, section of the defilement is indicated through the afflicted mind. If eradicate the darkness of the mind then nirvana will be manifested. That is why above mentioned in stage of an arahant , nirodha samapatti and supra-mundane path which cannot be seen.
Conclusion
To conclude that yogācāra school the mind divided in to three stages according to its nature and function. Actually that has been cited in the early Buddhism but not so clear, therefore yogācāra masters they attempted to interpret the nature and function of the mind. Ultimately definitions have been come out as ālayavijñāna, manana vijñāna and pravŗti vijñāna. Of course these are only name to recognize difference sages of the mind. It is clear that as above mentioned system of eight consciousnesses and the role of afflicted mind. kliśțamanas is the impure part of the ālayavijñāna. It is the ignorance, ego and agitator it may be better to understand manas as an ability or activity of consciousness to reflect itself, than to see it as a separate consciousness. The klistamanas has not, however, received as much attention as the ālayavijñāna. It is an only name for that new innovation of defilement mind. If someone eliminates the afflicted mind which is the liberation of kammic perfuming is deposited in the storehouse consciousness that is the nirvana.
Primary sources
1. Dīghanikāya ii, iii pts, (cscd)
2. Samuttanikāya iii pts, (cscd) Secondary sources
3. Mahāyānasangraha (La Somme du Grand Véhicule d'Asaṅga) by Étienne Lamotte (e book) Volume II Translation and Commentary, Translated from the French by Gelongma Karma Migme Chodron.
4. The Lankavatara Sutra, (e book) A Mahayana Text Translated for the first time from the original Sanskrit by suszuki D.
5. Thomas A. k , A Buddhist doctrine of experience, A New Translation and Interpretation of the Works of Vasubandhu the Yogacarin,( motilal baranasidass: Delhi 1989).
6. J.W.Coleman, Toward a Non-Eurocentric Social Psychology: The Contribution of the Yogacara, (e book) California Polytechnic State University.
7. G.M Nagao, Mādhyamika and Yogācāra A studyof Mahāyāna philosophies, (Sri satguru publication: Delhi 1st ed 1992).
8. The Pāli-English Dictionary (PED: 618) entry testifies to the extreme multivalence of the term vijñāna.
9. D.P santina yogācāra school, M.A lecture note 10, ( ibc , korat, 2012)
10. D.P Santina, lankāvatāra sūtra M.A lecture note 6, (ibc korat 2012)
Website
11. W, Rahula Alayavijnana - Store Consciousness <http:// www.budsas.org /ebud/ ebdha195.htm>
