Yogācāra

At least in its mystical traditions, Indian philosophy tends to " look down " at human condition, considering it either illusory (māyā) either " accidental " (āgantuka) and seeing its suppression as the soteriological goal. The present paper tries to " redeem " human experience showing how, in Yogācāra Buddhism, it represents the condition for the perpetuity of the cosmic manifestation. Human drama, through the karmic impressions it lives within the cosmic consciousness (ālayavijñāna), represents the condition for the perpetuity of the Universe. The existence of the cosmic manifestation is thus somehow subordinated to human affliction. Yogācāra Buddhism distinguishes two major types of " obstructions " (āvaraa) specific to human condition: the obstructions of the afflictions kleśāvaraa) and the obstructions of the knowable (jñeyāvaraa). Both of them are necessarily involved in the production of new karmic impressions, hence the faults of human beings representing conditions for the continuity of the universal manifestation. The second part of the paper discusses the two major processes undergone by the cosmic consciousness, the outflow (niyanda) and

Mahāyāna Buddhism, hostile to any kind of conceptual construction (vikalpa), which is blamed for operating artificial delimitations within a homogenous and amorphous reality, presents its own doctrine not as a “truth” but rather as psychological “skill-in-means” (upāya), which aims at liberating humans from the illusory reality cast by their own mental discriminations. Thus, doctrine is denied all cognitive value, both in respect to a metaphysical level of reality and in respect to the mere empirical level. Its validity pertains to the psychological efficiency that it could display in the process of “counter-acting/opposing” the errors that ensnare humans. Therefore, the issue of religious truth is transferred from the cognitive sphere to the psychological and existential sphere, its value being of a rather therapeutic type.
The doctrine is considered as an antidote (pratipaksa) which has the sole role of denying the reality of the various mental constructions which create the sphere where the self inflicted human drama takes place. Thus, the doctrine is deprived not only of cognitive value but also of objectivity, its efficiency depending on the existence of some particular errors, of a particular type of bondage. The actual content of a religious teaching does not reflect an „objective truth” but rather a particular kind of error, which is denounced and rejected by the doctrine. Buddhist texts even utterly state that it is not possible to identify an own-meaning of the term „void” (sūnya), the main soteriological concept of Buddhism, which gets a sense only in association with another term, whom it could determine. Thus, religious teachings have more to do with subjective errors than with an objective truth.
Therefore, Buddhism does not hesitate to claim the voidness of its own path („the voidness of voidness” - sūnyatāsūnyatā), which is considered only as a temporary useful tool, which must be itself discarded during the process of liberation. The old school of Buddhism, Hīnayāna, is blamed for having developed an extremely elaborated psychological analysis which turned to be itself an obstacle on the path to liberation; this way, their religion itself opposed the accomplishment of the religious goal.
Mahāyāna Buddhism considers its own doctrine in a relativist, instrumental manner, rather existential and therapeutic than cognitive and metaphysical.

Keywords: Buddhism; Mahāyāna; doctrine; void; pluralism; relativism; non-cognitive religion.

This is an edited volume on the Yogācārabhūmi and its reception history. The Yogācārabhūmi, a fourth-century Sanskrit treatise, is the largest Indian text on Buddhist meditation. Its enormous scope exhaustively encompasses all yoga instructions on the disciplines and contemplative exercises of śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva practitioners. The thoroughness of the text meant that the Yogācārabhūmi became the fundamental source for later Buddhist writings on meditation across Asia. The present edited volume, conceived by Geumgang University in South Korea, brings together the scholarship of thirty-four leading Buddhist specialists on the Yogācārabhūmi from across the globe. The essays elaborate the background and environment in which the Yogācārabhūmi was composed and redacted, provide a detailed summary of the work, raise fundamental and critical issues about the text, and reveal its reception history in India, China, and Tibet. The volume also provides a thorough survey of contemporary Western and Asian scholarship on the Yogācārabhūmi in particular and the Yogācāra tradition more broadly. The Foundation for Yoga Practitioners aims not only to tie together the massive research on this text that has been carried out in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Europe, and the United States up to now, but also to make this scholarship accessible to all students and scholars of Buddhism.

For the book's front matter, dedication, foreword, acknowledgements, list of contents, and preface, see the PDF.

释迦佛说每个众生是个五蕴聚，可是五蕴也是宇宙万法，也就是说一众生为一宇宙。那么无数无量的众生便有无数的宇宙。这个概念要到唯识学比较清晰。根据唯识学无外境的学说，每一个众生都是活在自己的宇宙里，其中没有一个所谓共同的宇宙，至少这个共同的宇宙和今天科学家的认知完全不同。今天已经有实验显示，我们所谓共处的一个世界只是个幻觉。而物理学最先进的弦理论其中的一个最重要的依据是有无数的宇宙或平行宇宙。

现在物理学是最牛的科学，未来的科学不是物理学，物理学已经到了尽头。20世纪初，物理大师普朗克说，意识比物质更基本，因此意识学是更为根本的科学。可是过了一个世纪，没有人能够建立起一套完整的意识学。意识学应该比物理学更复杂因为它是在科学的最底层。很多学者在尝试建立意识学，其实真正的意识学是佛学，佛学的各个宗派最完善的是唯识学。当物理学家尝试建立物理大统一理论的时候，有了弦理论，可是弦理论却是有许多地方让人莫名其妙。这些莫名其妙的地方却是唯识学必须的理论。这里建立为什么弦理论是唯识学的数学版。

这里大概说明。弦理论有波色子理论、超弦理论、F理论、M理论。它们分别有二十二额外维次、六额外维次、第十二维次、第十一维次。很多批评弦理论的学者认为这些都是乱七八糟的数学作业，完全凑不到一起。可是从唯识学来看，它们的总和却是一套完整的理论。它们分别对应着唯识学的二十二根、前六识、第七识、第八识的理论。唯识学的识都要比弦理论少四时空维次，因为时空在佛法属于假法。这与许多弦理论学者今天的认知相同。

今天许多物理学家认为我们生活在一巨大的宇宙全息图里。就像电影黑客帝国里的世界。这全息图理论来源于弦理论。我们生活在全息图其实是佛学的中心思想。也许很多佛教徒不知道，也许有很多对佛学很有认识的也可能不同意。可是在瑜伽师地论卷六，弥勒菩萨在排斥外道和说一切有部认为三世实有时，曾经说佛说只有十二处是实有。这十二处也是唯识学第八识的因相。这十二处便是现代所谓的全息图。这十二处能生宇宙万法，这和全息图里的信息比时、空、能量、物质更为重要是一样的。十二处又可分十八界甚至六十二界，六十二界便有过去、现在、未来种种界。这显示了外道和一切有部认知的局限性。佛学又把众生称为补特伽罗或意译数取趣，意思是众生无数次的索取趣向、欲望而有无数次的轮回。这数取趣从今天的认知来说便像是那些沉迷于电动游戏者。这是也是今天科学界讨论的热门课题：宇宙模拟理论。这又证实弦理论是唯识学的数学版。

要是说意识是更为根本，那么我们所认知的所有物质世界又怎么解释？唯识学对物质分内、外。内为我们的身体，外为其他宇宙所有的物体。这些都是第八识所执持的。第八识便是弦理论的M理论的第十一维次。第十一维次连接宇宙三维空间的每一个点，这和第八识执持宇宙所有物质是一致的。可是第八识有更深的内涵，比如从物理学的物质，到化学性的物质，再到有机物的物质，再到细胞，人体、人脑，都是第八识在执持的。这里面有个二十二根的解构，二十二根是佛学一个非常重要但常被忽视的概念。这里解释二十二根怎么帮助第八识在执持我们的身体内处物质与外处物质。最重要的是：唯识学的第八识不只是纯心理性质的，它也是具物理性质的。这里也依地、水、火、风四大来解释所有自然科学现象从而破除四大不科学的外道见解。

接着解释大脑的解构。其实意识不知局限于大脑，心脏根据唯识学是第八识也是一切种子识，也是所有法的来源。现在已经有研究证明这一点。人类的心脏、小脑、脑干、边缘系统、大脑皮层其实是根据唯识学的第八识、第七识、前六识而架构的。到了大脑皮层便能清楚看到唯识学五蕴的识、行、受、想、色。

对于根据佛法修行的人来说，色界与无色界有着非常重要意义。这里可以从两个角度去理解。其一是这二界所定义的禅定的境界是必修的，因为要禅定是达到证悟的必要途径。其二是在还未达到完全解脱之前，有个不还果的阶位是会到色界四禅天的五净居天。那么有没有这个地方还有色界无色界众生在哪里便是一个至关重要的问题。可惜的是，两千六百年过去了，没人知道这色界与无色界的众生在哪里、还有他们的形态如何等？似乎修行者也没多大兴趣知道，这非常科学的佛学理论便沦为一种宗教信仰。这里会探索色界四禅的众生其实是行星、恒星、星云与黑洞。这里面有佛学与科学的根据。无色界的四禅天则是完全没有物质能够进入的白洞。

所有的佛法都是法尔如是，自然就是如此，没有谁制造也没有谁主宰。比如爱因斯坦广义相对论算出的黑洞再到白洞，就是如此。弦理论是数学，特别是几何学自然的产物，里面出了一堆让人完全没有头绪的怪现象，因为自然就是如此。这里会从佛学的角度来看意识学的数学，或者一些佛学的常数与方程式。比如虚数、欧拉数、圆周率、欧拉方程式、无穷和等。这些都与佛学的五蕴、十二处、十八界、二十二根有着密切的关系。

自从量子力学问世以来，揣测量子与意识的理论多不胜数。从以上得到的结论分析，量子世界是宇宙所有众生共同所造的。这里有几个依据。第一，弦理论是一个结合和统一爱因斯坦相对论与量子力学的理论，其中共有八个额外维次。这对应一个众生是八个识的所聚。那么其实每个众生本身也是在个量子场。特别是波色子弦理论与超弦理论都可以说是量子理论。再来，从唯识的观点来说，一个人看到的光，这些光子是这个人自己的第八识的种子显现出来的。要不这个人是看不到这个光的。这也说明每个众生本身也是在制造量子。

要谈的题目非常的多，原因是唯识学与弦理论的对比结合下，我们对自然界的认识将会有翻天覆地的改变。这里列举一些：

--  佛学的五果已被弦理论算出。这能根本上从科学角度确立因果关系。这五果便是超弦理论的五个版本。这五果版本与M理论的第十一维次有多种二元性。第十一维与全息图也有二元性。上面说过，全息图其实是十二处，十二处在唯识学是第八识的因相，而果相则是阿赖耶识。果相里面就有五果，因此这五个超弦理论的版本其实是佛学的五果。

-- 中国人的周易之学，说的多是对现象解释。佛学非常注重对体、相、用的认识。比如阴、阳是平衡，或者物理学说是守恒。阴阳生八卦到六十四卦便是守恒破坏，物理学虽然对守恒与守恒破坏非常注重，可是这其中的内涵或体是什么？这个可以从二十二根的角度去探索。

-- 中医把人体经络与五脏六腑的认识联系到太阳系。这里多少有点科学依据，可是要是通过弦理论与唯识学，这科学的认识将会有突破性的改变。佛陀说我们是五蕴所聚，可是这五蕴里便是弦聚，中医的经络便是弦聚。

从以上的认识能够更清楚了解与印证佛学的内涵。比如：

-- 人无我、法无我。唯识学认为，我、法只是宇宙的诸行，其中没有我也没有法。唯识学清楚的说明这个道理。一切法只是这许多维次的凑合，其中找不到一个我、找不到一个不变的法。特别是弦理论认为每一个宇宙，也就是唯识学说的每一个众生，的物理性、物理法则是可以完全不同的。

-- 空宗的思想。第十一维次连接着宇宙三维空间的每一个点，可是在这第十一维次是不断生灭的。因此现在科学家认为光子的速度不变，可是前一秒的光子和这一秒的光子像是一样可是是完全不同的光子，都是连接在第十一维次上。这不但能够解答所有量子力学的谜团，还能印证空宗的理论。比如量子纠缠，前一秒的两颗光子和后一秒的两颗光子像是一样是完全不同的。从空宗的理论来说是不来不去、不一不异。因为真正是没有空间与时间的。

其他还有许多佛法也可以通过这个研究来印证。

注：不是所有以上内容都在这初稿版，有的刊在：Facebook: How Big is Your Universe?， 有的在主页的英语论文。

In Buddhist literature the application of metaphors and other affiliated forms of comparison are significant. The current study examines the core concept of the Yogācāra tradition, the ālayavijñāna, through the working of metaphoric models associated with it. Specifically, employing the method of Cognitive Metaphor Theory (CMT) within the textual framework of the first chapter of Asanga’s Mahāyānasaṃgraha. The metaphors under investigation in this study are predominantly “dead metaphors” within the Buddhist traditions. Hence, by examining their metaphoric structures and functions, they are essentially being revived to their original metaphoric state and conceptualization and to gain insight about their effect on the subject matter of the ālayavijñāna.
CMT proposes that metaphors are cognitive in nature. They create meaning by bringing two concepts, a topic and vehicle, into contact with each other, causing their distinct meanings to interact, where relationships from the vehicle field are transferred to the topic domain to construct relationships in it. This mapping of vehicle to topic functions for individual terms through semantic fields, but also their relationships through grammatical syntactic analysis. Findings from the current thesis show that the major metaphoric model employed by the Yogācāra tradition for explicating the concept of the ālayavijñāna is a botanical model. The vehicle field of “seeds” (bīja), the growth of the plant life, the “granary”, “field” and “ground” are utalized as topic domain which express the relationship between the potentiality of dharmas and the ālayavijñāna.
The cognitive aspect of metaphors found in the text sustains networks of meanings and characteristics of ālayavijñāna, as well as confines and delimits the framework in which one understands its function. The purposeful employment of botanical metaphors for the ālayavijñāna reveals implications unique to this system of thought. Through cognitive metaphor analysis, the current thesis proposes to gain an understanding into how ancient Buddhist practitioners and intellectuals understood, constructed and conveyed the dynamics of consciousness with the use of metaphors, as well as what cognitive implications and effects of these metaphors have on the understanding of a present day reader.

The question of what, if anything, remains for the yogin who realizes emptiness gave post-classical Bka’ brgyud exegetes a fruitful hermeneutical instrument for differentiating between affirmative (cataphatic) gzhan stong and negative (apophatic) rang stong strains of Buddhist thought. The wide-ranging Buddhist philosophical interpretations of the remainder, which all turned on a famous passage from the Cūḷasuññatasutta (The Lesser Discourse on Emptiness) of the Pāli Canon, and the divergent Tibetan assimilations of them, provided the raw materials for Bka’ brgyud exegetes to evaluate different lines of response to an overlapping set of key soteriological problems that had long been discussed and hotly debated by Buddhist scholars. Paramount among the issues were [1] whether phenomena are best deemed to be empty of own [nature] (rang stong) or empty of other (gzhan stong), [2] whether a buddha can be said to have any cognition or wisdom at all, [3] what happens during states of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti), particularly the cessation of mind (cittanirodha), and [4] whether realization is ineffable and in what sense. This paper explores the broad range of Indian and Tibetan views of the remainder considered by the Eighth Karmapa Mi bskyod rdo rje and shows how he presented and defended his own tradition’s view in relation or reaction to these.

About string theory which is supposed to be a theory of everything:

-  It says everything can be traced to vibrating strings

-  It started with bosonic string which has 22 extra dimensions.

-  Among many perceived deficiencies, tachyon which cannot be eliminated is the fatal issue as its existence will decay a system quickly to nothing.

-  It later evolved into superstrings with 6 extra dimensions with supersymmetry.

- The problem is there are now 5 versions of superstrings since 1980's till today.

-  Until today, after almost 40 years, nobody knows why there are 5 versions of everything even though Edward Witten consolidated the 5 versions into M-theory with one more extra dimension in1995.

-  Note that bosonic string doesn't go away, it is hidden in 2 versions of heterotic superstrings: E8xE8 and SO(32)

-  There is another version that is not popularized is F-theory which is dual to M-theory and a version of superstring (Type II B), it requires another extra dimension. Within this extra dimension in F-theory, there are two dimensions always have to be curled up.

-  One other development was AdS/CFT Correspondence which shows there is a universal hologram.

-  AdS/CFT shows there is a duality between strings (without particle theory) in another space with gravity and particle theory without gravity in our 3D space

-  Note that not considering the 22 extra dimensions of bosonic string, there are total 8 extra dimensions: M-theory + F-theory + 6 in superstrings


Yogacara Buddhism is also a theory of everything (which is far beyond what string theorists can imagine today):

-  Its entire theory is based on Seeds (strings).

-  There are total 8 Consciousness arisen from Seeds (strings).

-  All our conscious experiences, which are called Phenomena (particle theory), are arisen from Seeds (strings).

-  Seeds (strings) and Phenomena (particle theory) are NEITHER THE SAME NOR DIFFERENT. Note particles are not made up by strings but particles and strings are NEITHER THE SAME NOR DIFFERENT.

-  The entire mechanism related to Seeds is extremely complex and among which is the concept of 22 Indriya (22 extra dimensions of bosonic string).

-  22 Indriya, which is a universal form of energy, is a MUST HAVE for Superior Conditions for 3 of the 5 Fruits (Effects): Superior Fruits (E8xE8 Heterotic), Ripen Divergently (SO(32) Heterotic), and Nirvana (Type I) before final stage (note Type I belong also to symmetry group SO(32)).

-  Phenomena (all our conscious experiences) come in 5 Fruits or Effects: Same Order (Type IIB), Man-made (Type IIA), Superior (E8xE8 Heterotic), Ripen Divergently (SO(32) Heterotic), and Nirvana (Type I). The reason why there are 5 is the first, Same Order (Type IIB)). is the base scenario everyone starts with. The other 4 are what one chooses to do or will experience above the base scenario. The first 4 are considered to be in cycles of rebirth or the Matrix where in the last one will slowly exit samsara and finally out of the Matrix.

-  How we each experience these 5 types of experiences, or Phenomena (particle theory), of 5 Fruits or Effects (5 superstrings), is through each of our first 6 Consciousness of Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body, and Mind. There are many functions of Consciousness but simplistically, every Consciousness has 2 functions: Visual Function (cognition) and Image Function (object of cognition). For example, whatever we see in LHC experiment is the result of our Eye Consciousness' Image Function and all physical theories including what we think of as particles are the result of Mind Consciousness' Image Function.

-  As long as each continues to experience Phenomena, it is called samsara or staying in the Matrix. Buddhism is all about getting out of the Matrx. The key to get out of the Matrix is to get to Nirvana (Type I). This is a gradual process. At some critical point, there are Pure Seeds (tachyons) that will be produced to clear some existing undesirable Seeds (strings). This happens a number of times until the final stage of Nirvana (Type I through orbifold from Type IIB). There are 3 Indriya out of 22 Indriya (22 extra dimensions of bosonic string) responsible for Pure Seeds (tachyons). This is why tachyons cannot be eliminated in bosonic string. Tachyons which are very undesirable for physicists are very desirable for Yogacara practitioners.

-  8th Consciousness (M-theory), is said to manage all the experience among the 5 Effects (5 superstrings), as it is also called the Store House Consciousness storing all Seeds (strings). It is also a "machine" in which while it manages the Seeds (strings), it also processes them in a way when conditions (4 Cause-Conditions) are ready, it then produces an effect (Phenomenon > (strings > particle theory). The result MUST BE EFFECT CONSERED.

-  7th Consciousness (F-theory) and 8th Consciousness are "root" to each other (duality of M-theory).

-  Seeds of 7th Consciousness together with first 6 Consciousness: (first 7 Consciousness) are said to be Seeds of Same Order (F-theory duality to Type IIB).

-  7th Consciousness is said to develop its own Image Function while holding on to 8th Consciousness' Visual Function. 7th Consciousness later creates another Image Functions of "I". So, 7th Consciousness has 2 Image Functions (2 dimensions which are always curled up).

-  12 Ayatana (universal hologram) is a central concept in Buddhism which can be expanded to 18 Dhatus or even 62 Dhatus with information of past, present, and future. Dhatus and Seeds are also synonyms where these combination gives rise to Consciousness and all Phenomena we know in the universe (Ads/CFT Correspondence and the universal hologram).


This package is centered around the above discussion with more.

-  First section: 10 topics each with subpoints, focuses on basic discussion why is string theory a mathematical version of Yogacara Buddhism.

-  Second section: 12 topics, focuses on deeper meaning of what string theory yet to realize.

-  Third section: 12 topics (more in progress) expands the deeper meaning of Yogacara Buddhism.


The following are 2 famous quotes by Max Planck:

-  "I regard consciousness as fundamental. ... We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness."

-  "All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter."

We have to recognize Max Planck for his extremely sharp intuition. First, he started quantum mechanics with Planck constants which are still being used today after 122 years by solving the ultraviolet catastrophe - even he wasn't sure what he was doing then. Second, he repeatedly mentioned that consciousness is fundamental and the mind-matrix.


We are now on another catastrophe with the most successful theory quantum field theory which is tested to be accurate up to 12 decimal points. But it is also the worst theory as its prediction shows a difference of 124 order of magnitude different from observation. Considering both effects, it is actually the worst theory ever. What is it telling us? Has this anything to do with Max Planck's intuition: consciousness and mind-matrix?

What M-theory, which is now a cornerstone of string theory, is revealing is the Matrix-Machine-Mechanism as described by Yogacara Buddhism which is 8th Consciousness which is also cornerstone to Yogacara Buddhism. We also need to know that the entire universe is filled with conscious beings that are Form (ordinary matter) and Formless (non-ordinary matter) which are also part of the mind-matrix as described by Yogacara Buddhism.

It is only by dropping the past excess baggage of success we can move on to new milestones and frontiers. We are in a totally new era of theory of consciousness which string theory is about.

The Yogācāra school of Buddhism is well known for maintaining that the sentient beings are divided by nature according to five different spiritual dispositions (gotra). These five spiritual dispositions are established as a pentad and explained in one of Xuanzang's Chinese translations, but the Indian origin of the pertinent textual passage is debated. In the introductory part of this paper, it is argued that Xuanzang's explanations of the five spiritual dispositions in themselves are, to a great extent, in line with the orthodox Indian Yogācāra doctrine, although such pentad is hardly mentioned. The second and main part of this paper discusses a textual passage of Sthiramati's Madhyāntavibhāgaṭīkā in which he juxtaposeswithout bias-the orthodox position and the diametrically opposed idea of the potential of all sentient beings to attain the state of a buddha. By examining other parts of his work, it is shown that the author clearly favors and approves of the orthodox position.

The Pātañjalayogaśāstra concludes with a description of the pinnacle of yoga practice: a state of samādhi called dharmamegha, cloud of dharma. Yet despite the structural importance of dharmamegha in the soteriology of Pātañjala yoga, the śāstra itself does not say much about this term. Where we do find dharmamegha discussed, however, is in Buddhist yogācāra, and more broadly in early Mahāyāna soteriology, where it represents the apex of attainment and the superlative statehood of a bodhisattva. Given the relative paucity of Brahmanical mentions of dharmamegha in the early common era, Patañjali appears to adopt this key metaphor from a Mahāyāna context—and to revise its primary meaning from fullness to emptiness. This article traces the early elaborations of dharmamegha in Buddhist texts, and, drawing on conceptual metaphor theory, lays out four arguments that each, in part, can account for the stark contrast in how classical yoga and yogācāra employ the superlative metaphor of dharmamegha.

This volume gathers together six studies published in several journals, between 2013 and 2018, as individual papers. They were not conceived to form a whole but rather as independent articles. Nevertheless, in the present volume, we succeeded in grouping them into two major themes.
The first topic the volume deals with is the apparition of the phenomenon of human individuation within the wide cosmic experience. It is approached by three of the papers. The first one investigates the apparition of the human phenomenon within the cosmic consciousness, apparition which alters the peaceful and neutral character of consciousness. Human states of awareness and their subjective contents are analyzed in the second article, while the third one deals with the relation of reciprocal dependence between the human and the cosmic phenomena.
The second part of the volume is focused on the deconstruction of “knowledge”, as a cognitive issue, and its reinterpretation as a mere subjective experience, as a “whim” of the individual consciousness. Starting with the most basic descriptions and until its higher forms, such as metaphysics and religion, knowledge is considered as a psychological “game”, stirred not by the contact with an objective reality, but by the karmic predispositions of its subject. All cognitive activity, all cognitive categories, including “truth”, are reduced to mere psychological issues, either individual or collective. Even when they are collective, being shared by more individuals controlled by similar karmic tendencies, mental constructions cannot overcome their subjective nature and lack of cognitive value. Truth is rather a matter of “tuning” the mental constructions than one of “knowing” something.

十二处是根触境和合生识的处所，对唯识学来说，十二处是万法所生处。可是十二处像是被动的处所，怎么能够独自生起万法呢？根据根触境和合生识的说法，根应该也是生起万法的主要因素。可是唯识虽然推理有根的存在，但不认为有物质性的根，那是否我们的前五根都是非物质性的根呢？二十二根是早期就有的佛法，通常不被提起也被忽略，这里建立唯识学的根便是二十二根。除了十二处，「种子」是唯识解释宇宙万法的根本，十二处与二十二根共生「种子」便是一个非常重要的课题，而不是简单的归于「法尔本有」。深入探索会发现五蕴、十二有支、色法的四大、甚至四缘五果都出自二十二根。通过这个认识将会深层的了解以上的法，而且根除对于二十二根这么重要的法的严重误会，比如：「男、女二根」、「信等五根」有更深层超越字面上的意思，特别是以为二十二根中的「眼等五根」与「男、女二根」是物质性的根。宇宙万法可以说都是源于二十二根的依、受、生、住的结构。另外，这里也建立十二处的真正意义，一般对于十二处的认识不过是根触境和合生识于十八界的处所，根据「唯识无境」的道理，根不是根而境也不是境，根为二十二根非物质性的根，那么什么是境呢？这里的境便是唯识所谓的「本质」，那么什么是「本质」呢？用今天的术语便是「信息」。因此十二处便是存储「信息」的处所或载体。十二处与二十二根结合能生宇宙万法的「种子」，已被今天科学算出为宇宙「全息图」与「二十二额外维次波色子弦论」的「弦」。

The Awakening of Faith, one of the most seminal treatises in East Asian Buddhism, is well-known for its synthesis of the two Mahāyāna concepts of tathāgatagarbha and ālayavijñāna. Unlike early Yogācāra texts, such as the Yogācārabhūmi, in which ālayavijñāna is described as a defiled consciousness, the Awakening of Faith explains it as a “synthetic” consciousness, in which tathāgatagarbha and the defiled mind are unified in a neither-identical-nor-different condition. East Asian Buddhist exegetes noted the innovative explanation of the Awakening of Faith and compiled the commentaries, among which Huayan master Fazang’s (643–712) commentary had a profound effect on the process of the establishment of the treatise as one of the most representative tathāgatagarbha texts in East Asia. However, as scholarly perceptions that the commentators’ interpretations do not always represent the Awakening of Faith’s tenets themselves have grown, the propriety of relying on Fazang’s commentary for understanding the treatise has also been questioned. What attracts our attention in this regard is that the Silla scholar-monk Wŏnhyo’s (617–686) commentaries, which are known to have significantly influenced Fazang’s, present very different views. This article demonstrates that two distinct interpretations existed in Wŏnhyo’s days for tathāgatagarbha and ālayavijñāna of the Awakening of Faith, by comparing Wŏnhyo and Fazang’s commentaries, and further considers the possibility that the Awakening of Faith’s doctrine of ālayavijñāna is not doctrinally incompatible with that of early Yogācāra on the basis of Wŏnhyo’s view on ālayavijñāna.

This article is the study on the verse of anitya in Yogācārabhūmiśāstra. By detailed explaning the meaning of each sentence  in the verse, it shows the process of eradicating defilements and then liberation. By extensively linking the verse with the theories in Yogācārabhūmiśāstra, it deepens the meaning of the verse and implies the significance of the verse in Yogācārabhūmiśāstra and the entire Buddhist teaching.
key words: anitya, gāthā, impermanence,  Yogācārabhūmiśāstra

After being engendered through the appropriating activity (upadana) of the mind (manas), applied to the universal experience of the storehouse consciousness (alayavijñana), the individual experience is constituted through the conjoint activity of the six "operational consciousnesses" (pravrtti vijñana): the five sensory consciousnesses and the mental consciousness (manovijñana). The brute sensory experience is projected by the five sensory consciousnesses, approximating the senses, but being rather some faculties (indriya), capacities, the potentiality of consciousness to engender some specific types of experience. In Yogacara, the sensory experience is totally devoid of concept (vikalpa), presenting itself as an amorphous flow of sensory inputs. Conceptualization is performed by the mental consciousness which, in an illusory manner, projects the categorically discriminated entities onto the sensory flow. Yogacara authors claim that the conceptually determined entities created by the mental consciousness (manovijñana) are purely fictitious, hence the mental consciousness projecting a totally illusory ontological sphere, which broadly comprises all the states of human awareness. Most of the human conscious experiences take place at the level of this conceptual sphere, this meaning that human awareness and the entire human drama involve mainly illusory entities. Therefore, conceptual experience is severely flawed, firstly, because it is produced at the level of the limited individual self (atman), and, secondly, due to its fictitious character (vitatha).

Xuanzang (602–664) is famous for his legendary life, his important translation works, and also his Discourse on the Realisation of Consciousness-Only (Vijñapti-mātratā-siddhi, 成唯識論). This text, which is considered as a synthesis of Yogācāra thought, has been diversely interpreted by modern scholars and is still discussed, in particular about the status of external things. Nevertheless, this issue seems to be of little interest for Yogācāra thinkers compared to other topics such as the Noble Path, or else the three types of wisdom (trividhā prajñā, 三慧): learning (śruta, 聞), reasoning (cintā, 思), and cultivating (bhāvanā, 修). As emphasized in recent research, this topic represents a major issue for Buddhist practitioners. In an attempt to analyse it in Xuanzang’s Discourse, and more generally in Yogācāra thought, this paper will first discuss Asaṅga’s and Vasubandhu’s thought on the three types of wisdom. Secondly, since it is important to replace the three types of wisdom in the general argumentation of Xuanzang’s Discourse, we will present the structure of his text which is modelled on a “path” leading progressively to Supreme Awakening. Then, we will present the main elements of the Noble Path and situate the three types of wisdom into it. Finally, we will explain that Xuanzang follows Asaṅga’s and Vasubandhu’s conceptions and eventually confirm the importance of the three types of wisdom in Yogācāra thought.

The science of psychology is believed to consist of objective and meaningful knowledge about a realm of our own direct experiencing with which we are all intimate and familiar, yet about which we also feel we have very little understanding, and no real insight, and so feel inclined to submit to psychology as if it were revelatory and definitive. Society’s default attitude to psychology is one of deferential, if occasionally grudging, respect. The quasi-medical arm of psychology – psychotherapy - is accorded a similar authority even when it appears to employ questionable methods and dubious reasoning. Yet our submissive, compliant attitude to these disciplines is deeply counterproductive to any serious quest for authentic metaphysical knowledge and self-fulfilment, because it effectively neutralises sceptical enquiry and intellectual self-reliance, both of which are essential precursors to, and indispensable features of, any meaningful commitment to metaphysical gnosis. And if one is to achieve clarity of thought and observational accuracy, it is especially important to approach one’s psychological capacities directly – without intermediary - in an independent and self-reliant spirit, free of the misguided and inappropriate interventions of psychology and psychotherapy, however well intended they might be. One should never allow one’s judgement to be distorted by specious theories formulated by people who can never know more about you than you can know about yourself.

Consciousness is always misunderstood to be just mental processes. The definition and understanding of consciousness in science today are very narrow and myopic. This limitation is comparable to the old world-view of the world is flat. Consciousness, in particular the 8th Consciousness, is not just mental but also physical. 8th Consciousness which each of us has a copy is constantly working without us knowing even when we are sleeping, in coma, or in-between lifetimes. It is said to hold our body and body functions and present to us the entire view of our universe. This is the 11th dimension in M-theory which connects to every point in our three-dimensional world. No body understands quantum mechanics because nobody understands how 8th Consciousness work.  Quantum mechanics is all about wave and wave function collapse after a measurement is made. It is debated if a conscious observer is required. Quantum wave function is said to collapse once it interacts with external environment. The interaction of external environment are the interaction of infinite beings’ 8th Consciousness which is taking place constantly without us realizing, at least, not based on what we are capable of measuring today. In other words, the quantum field is a cocreation of infinite beings which have been metaphorically told as the Indra’s net in Mind-Only school. We each is a microscopic quantum field, though have not been explicitly stated, is the consistent theme since Paper I. Each of us is said to have 22 Indriyas, 12 Ayatana,  8th Consciousness and 5 Skandas. They correspond to bosonic, hologram, M-theory, F-theory, and superstring in string theory. As string theory can be viewed as a quantum theory, therefore, each of us is truly a microscopic quantum field. As one of the early founders of quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein wasn’t comfortable with quantum mechanics as he thought “God does not play dice” even till the day he died. Another well-known physicist Gerald ‘t Hooft had in many occasions expressed that he is not satisfied with quantum mechanics. ‘t Hooft is not rejecting quantum mechanics, he explicitly said that he accepts it in full but thinks there is something deeper below to be understood. The intent of this paper, seventh in the series, is to take a deeper dive into reality using the theory of Mind-Only school and explain the similar concepts in string theory.

While you are reading this paper, there are likely some demodex mites having sex on your face, and some of which just laid some eggs after eating the sebum in your hair follicle. Though not common, there could be dust mites living in your ears or nose. Dust mites are roughly 3 to 5 times larger than demodex mites but they have one thing in common – they depend on us to survive. We are sources of their food. While demodex mites rely on our sebum, dust mites feast on our dead skins. Are they aware that we are beings? Now, do we think we human and all other species are living on a “dead” or “life” Earth? The work in previous papers offer new insights. In Paper III, we see that the way cells are divided in human body, the way proteins are produced in plants, and the way new elements are created in Sun, though on the surface look very different, but the processes are exactly the same. The insight is that Earth and Sun are sentient beings just like human beings and other living creatures. In Paper IV, we have seen that new researches show that human hearts generate strong electromagnetic field. This strong electromagnetic field is not just crucial to our survival, it has fundamental meaning in us being conscious as it is generated by our 8th Consciousness. We know human hearts are not the only place where electromagnetic fields are generated naturally. We know that the Earth and the Sun too have strong magnetic fields. This is another indication that they are sentient beings. The definition of being sentient, in Buddhism, is that they all share the same “being architecture” of 5 Skandas, 12 Ayatana / 18 Realms, and 22 Indriyas. The difference is that their Consciousness are “loaded” differently. Imagine, in future, there is a common device that you can load iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, or any system of your choice and the interfaces will be very different. This is the meaning of same “being architecture”. If the Earth and the Sun are sentient beings, how about nebulae, black holes, and even white holes? Yes, they all are. This might sound totally ridiculous, but the Buddhism definitions of Rupaloka and Arupaloka beings fit the astrophysics observations perfectly. We will see that planets, stars, nebulae, and black holes are Rupaloka beings which are just pure form. White holes where no matter can get in are Arupaloka beings which are formless. Astrophysics will become astrosafari. The cosmos is literally a safari of Rupaloka and Arupaloka beings.

This paper investigates the Yogācāra notions of "conceptuality", represented by terms such as vikalpa, on the one hand, and of "non-conceptuality" on the other. The examination of the process of thinking as well as its absence has played a central role in the history of Yogācāra thought. The explanations of this process provided by Yogācāra thinkers in works such as the Yogācārabhūmi, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha appear to be mainly concerned with the contents and the components of thoughts, categorizing them into different classes. These lists are far more than arbitrary collections. Instead they are meant to represent exhaustive summaries of a person's conceptual experience. The first part of the paper focusses on conceptuality, exploring (mostly Abhidharmic) definitions of the relevant terms and ideas. The second part is mainly an investigation of the question which parts of the Buddhist path to liberation were considered to involve conceptual activity and which were described as non-conceptual.

A biography is not only a record of a person’s life, but also what Hayden White calls a ‘narrative’. Xuanzang’s biographies, such as the Da Tang Da Ci’en si sanzang fashi zhuan 大唐大慈恩寺三藏 法師傳 [Biography of Tripitaka Master of the Great Ci’en Monastery of the Great Tang Dynasty], should be also criticized as narratives based on Xuanzang’s personalities imagined and/or idealized by the authors or editors. For example, the biographies found in the Japanese old Buddhist manuscripts, e.g. the Kongōji 金剛寺 version of the Xu Gaoseng zhuan 續高僧傳 [Further Biographies of Eminent Monks], show some different plots, and the differences are useful to understand the authors/editors’ view of Xuanzang. In this paper, I would like to show the differences between Xuanzang’s biographies, especially focusing on the variants of Japanese old Buddhist manuscripts, and investigate the intentions of the authors/editors.

The categorization of the East Asian Yogācāra traditions should be reconsidered, since it is based on later historiographies or orthodoxy in Japanese Buddhism. In this paper, I would like to approach this problem by examining Wŏnhyo’s (617–686) commentary on Vasubandhu’s Madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya (MAVBh), known in Korean as the Chungbyŏn punbyŏllon so 中邊分別論疏 (CPS). The MAVBh is an important work not only in the Indian Yogācāra tradition, but also in the context of broader East Asian Buddhist debates. Although Wŏnhyo was one of the most influential Yogācāra scholars in East Asia, the research on CPS, the only extant commentary on Paramārtha’s translation of MAVBh (MAVBh[P]), has made little progress. Compared with Sthiramati’s Madhyāntavibhāga-ṭīkā (MAVṬ), an Indian commentary on the MAVBh, CPS has some similarities to Sthiramati’s explanations in MAVṬ. Historical evidence which indicates some close relationship between Sthiramati and Paramārtha can be found in East Asian materials, while there is no evidence that connects them with Wŏnhyo. Thus, it seems probable to suggest that in the seventh century there was another lineage of Yogācāra Buddhism in East Asia, which was studied by Sthiramati and Paramārtha in India and brought to East Asia by Paramārtha.

There are two different modal logics: the logic T assuming contingency and the logic K = assuming logical determinism. In the paper, I show that the Aristotelian treatise On Interpretation (Περί ερμηνείας, De Interpretatione) has introduced some modal-logical relationships which correspond to T. In this logic, it is supposed that there are contingent events. The Nāgārjunian treatise Īśvara-kartṛtva-nirākṛtiḥ-viṣṇoḥ-ekakartṛtva-nirākaraṇa has introduced some modal-logical relationships which correspond to K =. In this logic, it is supposed that there is a logical determinism: each event happens necessarily (siddha) or it does not happen necessarily (asiddha). The Nāgārjunian approach was inherited by the Yogācārins who developed, first, the doctrine of causality of all real entities (arthakriyātva) and, second, the doctrine of momentariness of all real entities (kṣaṇikavāda). Both doctrines were a philosophical ground of the Yogācārins for the logical determinism. Hence, Aristotle im...

The brain is probably the most complex object in the universe. Many think that the neuron structure in the brains resembles the structure in the universe, however, this thinking is not supported by any theory other than figurative comparisons. Brain science though have made tremendous advances in the last couple of decades, is based mostly on correlation of scan data, which lacks an underlaying or ontological understanding of the formation or the brain. Or rather, the formation of our brains is thought to be purely a physical process and then consciousness appear.  But one of the hard problems on consciousness is how and why can consciousness result merely from putting together non-conscious matter in certain complex ways? In other words, the current understanding of brain is nothing more than correlation of bunches of organic compounds or meats. This understanding is definitely not built on science of consciousness. That is why a part of critical brain, the limbic system is even termed as unconscious. For Buddhism, all physical phenomena arise from consciousness of sentient beings and this certainly include our bodies and brains. As we have seen and discussed extensively in Paper III , this work of creation is the 8th Consciousness. 8th Consciousness is said to reside in the organ heart although in reality it is non-local or it has the entire universe. If that is true, then the structure of our brains and hearts must follow certain rules of the Buddhism theory. It is the intent of this paper to show that the structure and layout of the brain and heart follows the definitions of 8 Consciousness, 5 Skandas, and 12 Ayatana / 18 Realms in Mind-Only school. Our hearts having a role in our consciousness is a new field of research.  The relationship between heart and brain will be discussed here.  What does string theory have to do with this?  The 11th dimension in string theory is the 8th Consciousness in Mind-Only school has been a central theme from Paper I to III. As mentioned in Paper III, the shape of Calabi-Yau Manifolds in string theory, though much simpler, resembles the many-fold structure of our brains and this cannot be a coincidence especially the Calabi-Yau Manifolds is shown to be Consciousness.  String theory has predicted many unobserved particles, some of which are of different masses and many are massless, these particles especially the massless ones could be biophotons which we are just starting to understand.

In East Asia, many Mahāyāna Abhidharma literatures, such as Huiyuan’s Dacheng yizhang, Ji’s Dacheng fayuan yilinzhang and so forth, were written mainly based on Yogācāra Buddhism. Silla Buddhists also wrote same kind of literatures, and some of them, including Uijok’s Daeseung uirim jang, have a close relationship with Dacheng fayuan yilinzhang. Since there are many citations of Daeseung uirim jang although the original does not exist now, it seems to be highly regarded in East Asia. In previous studies, Daeseung uirim jang has been regarded as a commentary of Dacheng fayuan yilinzhang. Considering Zenju’s way of quotation, however, it cannot be reasonably assumed to simply regard Dacheng fayuan yilinzhang as the central platform of Silla texts. It may be presumed that there was a flexible interaction of Mahāyāna Abhidharma literatures, including Dacheng fayuan yilinzhang and Daeseung uirim jang, in the mid 7th century.
In this paper, I would like to examine Uijok’s interpretation of the four kinds of śrāvakas found in the fragments of Daeseung uirim jang in order to clarify the characteristic of his Yogācāra thought. The theory of four kinds of śrāvakas is based on Miaofa lianhua jing youbotishe (Fahua lun; Vasubandhu’s commentary on the Lotus Sutra) and Yogācārabhūmi, and there remains a part of Uijok’s commentary on Fahua lun. While recent investigations have proposed the Uijok and Wonhyo shared similar thought, Uijok’s understanding of the four kinds of śrāvakas is inherited from Sinbang (and perhaps Xuanzang) but different from Wonhyo’s. We might go on to even more detailed examination of the East Asian Yogācāra literatures without prejudice to Silla tradition.
In addition, from the point of view of the visualization of Buddha, the repentance of transgressions based on Zhancha shan’e yebao jing has a close relationship to the Bodhisattva precepts of Yogācāra tradition. Taken in the light of recent studies on the visualization of Buddha, the background of Jinpyo and Geumsansa temple, at where Uijok also stayed, should be examined.

According to Vijnanavada, the idealist school of Buddhism, individual being represents an erroneous limited projection of the universal consciousness, of the storehouse consciousness (alayavijnana). The sphere of human experience does not represent a mere type of experience among many others, but a specific one which represents a “deviation” from the authentic reality.
The function of projecting the individual, when looked upon from the perspective of the universal level of the storehouse consciousness, is described as the “appropriation” (upadana) of an individual identity by the universal consciousness; when it is looked upon from the perspective of the individual himself, the function of projecting and maintaining individuality is described as “mind” (manas). In Vijnanavada, the mind represents that function of consciousness which, appropriating a determined sphere of experience as its own identity, gives birth to the individual being.
As the mind represents the very condition through which the person is projected, the personal experience automatically includes the activity of the mind. The mind is the one that, in a non-deliberate, non-conceptual manner, appropriates the person, the individual self; nevertheless, at its level, the experience of the ego is still conceptually undetermined, irrational, unconscious, instinctual, subliminal. The attachment to ego, as it is experimented at the level of the mind, manifests as irrational instincts or natural urges. Only at the level of the mental consciousness, the ego, the individual self, is rationally, conceptually depicted, acquiring a clearly determined conceptual identity.
When a certain series of factors is ascribed the status of “individual self” (atman), of “person” (pudgala), the entity thus created is nothing else but an ontological fiction. The consciousness affected by the error (viparyasa) of the individual self projects itself within a sphere of ontological illusion, a sphere wrongly identified as reality. What is truly real, i.e. the ultimate reality (dharmadhatu) and the conditional flow (pratityasamutpada) of an ideatic nature, gets out of comprehension when the person, the individual self are considered as real and the whole experience starts to be structured according to the tendencies induced by the individual identity.
The activity of the mind creates the “fundamental error” (viparysamula), the “fundamental ignorance”, its veiling activity which engenders that background ignorance affecting the human being during all his experiences. The absence of the absolute knowledge in case of the human beings is explained precisely by the fact that their experience is constituted on the basis of the experience of the mind.
The attitude of the subject towards those components of the experience that have been assumed as his own self changes and becomes one of “elevation” (unnati), of “pride” (mana). The attitude meant by these terms is that of a special importance paid to certain components of experience, due to the new status that has been ascribed to them. Once his own nature has been identified within the fleeting experience, this experience stops being only experience and illusorily becomes his own nature. He is no longer indifferent to the transformations of the experience, which are no longer mere experiences, but appear as alterations of his own nature. This way, the subject undergoes affliction (klesa), gets entrapped in his own experience. The anxiety and the suffering that characterize human existence are due to this erroneous identification of the human nature with the illusory identity appropriated by the mind.

Keywords: Buddhism, Vijnanavada, mind, manas, individual self, atman, affliction, klesa

This paper examines the potential of theological collaboration between Buddhists and Christians given similarities between Yogacara thought and Husserlian phenomenology, adopted by Western thinkers in the "French Theological Turn" of the mid-20th century.

The article deals with the relationship between the two levels of phenomenal existence accepted by Yogācāra Buddhism: the conceptual and linguistic sphere, specific to human experience, and the all-encompassing conditional flow. Unlike other early tenets of Mahāyāna, Yogācāra has a "softer" approach to reality, considering the conditional flow as real, as a natural adjunct of the ultimate reality (parinispannasvabhava). Devoid of any objective reality is only the level of conceptual constructs, which refer to nothing at all, neither to the absolute reality nor to the conditional flow. They simply make up a world of their own, stirred by the Karmic energy; within this purely subjective constructed world, the entire human drama takes place. All the painful features of human life have nothing to do with anything existing outside of the individual subject but are simply fanciful creations of human mind. The objectively existing conditional flow is not only devoid of any existentialistic characteristic but lacks any determination whatsoever, being simply an amorphous stream of momentary apparitions, where nothing ever acquires any determined identity, as a particular " entity " (bhava). The voidness (sunyata) of Yogācāra Buddhism is " softer " than in other schools of Mahāyāna, being rather a " relational " void. It is not equated with nothingness but only with the absence of the claimed constructed characteristics from the real conditional flow.