What is Buddhism? Applications 6 - Consciousness Only
In our previous discussion of "emptiness," we explored how, as the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha organized and classified his teachings, they came to consider several fundamental constituents of the universe as existing entities.
However, such theories of
existence were seen as contradicting the Middle Way and the teaching of no-self
by Shakyamuni. Therefore, scholars such as Nagarjuna, and Nagarjuna's followers
systematically rejected these theories of existence and asserted that
everything is ultimately "empty," as explained in the previous
chapter.
However, despite everything
being ultimately empty and non-existent, the cycle of delusion of individual
entities as elucidated by Shakyamuni Buddha through the Twelve Dependent
Originations continues to manifest. As explained earlier, this cycle of delusion
persists until one fully comprehends the Middle Way.
Nagarjuna and his followers,
who expounded on "emptiness," later formed the philosophical school
known as the Mādhyamika, engaging in debates with proponents of substantial
existence like those from the Sarvāstivādin school. However, due to the
emphasis on refuting theories of existence in these debates, some people
developed a nihilistic impression that nothing truly exists, and upon
enlightenment, all phenomena dissolve into nothingness.
In response to such concerns,
emerged the proponents of the Yogācāra, also known as the Consciousness Only
school. The primary figure associated with the foundation of this Yogācāra
school is said to be the renowned Bodhisattva Maitreya. Though Maitreya
Bodhisattva as a historical figure is not documented, it is believed that a
person named Asanga met Maitreya Bodhisattva in the heavenly realm of Tusita
through meditation, received teachings, and later recorded them.
Some contemporary scholars
argue that Asanga is essentially the founder of the Yogācāra school. However,
the disparity in writing style between Asanga's records of Maitreya's teachings
and his works leads some to speculate that there might have been another
founder of the Yogācāra school, distinct from Maitreya Bodhisattva of Tusita.
Regardless, the Yogācāra
school, also known as the Vijñānavāda, was known for its focus on meditation
practice. Unlike the Mādhyamika, they didn't dwell solely on the concept of
emptiness but actively sought to explain how phenomena, even if ultimately
non-existent, manifest based on our daily experiences.
According to the Yogācāra
school, each individual is composed of eight consciousnesses. Initially, the
five sensory consciousnesses correspond to the five senses of sight, hearing,
smell, taste, and touch, known as the "five sensory consciousnesses."
Then there is the sixth consciousness, which synthesizes these sensory inputs
into perceptions through language, known as "consciousness."
The sensory consciousnesses
do not merely perceive external information but project internal sensory
information outwardly. For example, the eye consciousness projects various
visual perceptions inwardly and recognizes them as external objects or landscapes.
Similarly, the ear consciousness projects various sounds inwardly and
recognizes them as external sounds. The other sensory consciousnesses—nose,
tongue, and body—function similarly.
Beyond these six
consciousnesses lies the ālaya-vijñāna, or store-consciousness, often likened
to a hard drive in a computer where all data is stored. However, unlike a
passive data bank, the information stored in the store consciousness
continually springs forth, giving rise to the six consciousnesses mentioned
earlier. Additionally, at the root of these six consciousnesses that are based
on the store consciousness, there arises the seventh consciousness, known as
the manas or mental consciousness, which perpetuates the illusion of self, based
on the store consciousness.
The manas consciousness,
arising from the store consciousness, reinforces the notion of self and drives
actions aimed at maintaining this self. It serves as the source of all selfish
thoughts and behaviors.
In this sense, recognizing
the Middle Way and the teaching of no-self by Shakyamuni Buddha and persisting
in the altruistic bodhisattva path can be seen as a way to overcome the selfish
influence of the manas consciousness.
Thus, humans are said to
arise from these eight consciousnesses: the five sensory consciousnesses,
consciousness itself, the manas consciousness, and the store consciousness.
Now, let's delve a bit deeper
into how this mechanism works.
The store-consciousness
contains memories of all actions one has undertaken in the past. It stores
memories of both selfish and altruistic thoughts and actions, as well as those
in between.
When one is reborn and a new
life begins, the store consciousness utilizes accumulated data from the past to
establish the "environmental settings" for the new life.
It's crucial to understand
that in Buddhism, the concept of "karma" refers to the memories of
past thoughts and actions stored in the store-consciousness. These memories
only serve to set the "environmental settings" for the new life.
Therefore, even if one has engaged in numerous misdeeds in the past, it doesn't
mean they will necessarily be reborn as a villain in the next life. However,
the consequences of past selfish actions may manifest in the form of
unfavorable environmental settings, leading to experiences such as being
bullied. Yet, within such circumstances, if one reflects on their past deeds,
maintains a sense of remorse, and refrains from seeking revenge, continuously
expressing remorse and performing good deeds (known as repentance in Buddhism),
the records of thoughts and actions in the store-consciousness for the present
life will be predominantly positive. Consequently, the environmental settings
for the next life will be very positive, surrounded by kind and altruistic
individuals.
In summary, based on memories
stored in the store consciousness, the environmental settings for a new life
are established. Then, one's new thoughts and actions within these settings are
recorded in the store consciousness moment by moment, shaping the environmental
settings for the subsequent life.
Therefore, regardless of
whether one is born into a privileged environment or not, failing to express
gratitude and engaging in selfish behavior will result in a future filled with
hardship. Conversely, even if one is born into the worst circumstances, consistently
expressing gratitude, and remorse, and engaging in altruistic actions will lead
to improvement in one's situation.
Thus, one's current
circumstances and environment are entirely determined by one's past actions,
making it a realm of absolute self-responsibility. However, while everything is
indeed subject to individual responsibility, it should not serve as a reason to
shirk responsibility onto others. Even if someone finds themselves in dire
circumstances due to their past actions, it's essential to offer assistance to
those in need, as mutual aid leads to better lives for all.
Since no one starts as
inherently strong, mutual assistance is necessary for overcoming individual
problems, and therein lies the origin of altruistic conduct.
In this sense, the term
"self-responsibility," often heard nowadays, is often misused as
justification for not helping those in need. However, such usage reflects the
selfish nature of those individuals, who will undoubtedly realize the cruelty
of such an attitude when they themselves drop into such conditions.
Therefore, although often
misunderstood as fatalism, the concept of karma in Buddhism does not imply a
predetermined fate. Rather, it emphasizes that while broad environmental
settings are established, one's freedom of action within these settings is guaranteed,
representing absolute freedom.
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