Vijñāna


Vijñāna or viññāa is translated as "consciousness," "life force," "mind," or "discernment."
In the Pāli Canon's Sutta Pitaka's first four nikāyas, viññāa is one of three overlapping Pali terms used to refer to the mind, the others being manas and citta. Each is used in the generic and non-technical sense of "mind" in general, but the three are sometimes used in sequence to refer to one's mental processes as a whole. Their primary uses are, however, distinct.

Buddhism

This section considers the Buddhist concept primarily in terms of Early Buddhism's Pali literature as well as in the literature of other Buddhist schools.

Pali literature

Throughout Pali literature, viññāa can be found as one of a handful of synonyms for the mental force that animates the otherwise inert material body.
In a number of Pali texts though, the term has a more nuanced and context-specific meaning. In particular, in the Pali Canon's "Discourse Basket", viññāa is discussed in at least three related but different contexts:
In the Pali Canon's Abhidhamma and in post-canonical Pali commentaries, consciousness is further analyzed into 89 different states which are categorized in accordance with their kammic results.

Sense-base derivative

In Buddhism, the six sense bases refer to the five physical sense organs , the mind and their associated objects. Based on the six sense bases, a number of mental factors arise including six "types" or "classes" of consciousness. More specifically, according to this analysis, the six types of consciousness are eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness and mind-consciousness.
In this context, for instance, when an ear's receptive field and sound are present, the associated consciousness arises. The arising of these three elements - e.g. ear, sound and ear-consciousness - lead to the percept, known as "contact" and in turn causes a pleasant, unpleasant or neutral "feeling" to arise. It is from such feeling that "craving" arises.
In a discourse entitled, "The All", the Buddha states that there is no "all" outside of the six pairs of sense bases. The "To Be Abandoned Discourse" further expands the All to include first five aforementioned sextets. In the famed "Fire Sermon" the Buddha declares that "the All is aflame" with passion, aversion, delusion and suffering ; to obtain release from this suffering, one should become disenchanted with the All.
Hence, in this context, viññāa includes the following characteristics:
In Buddhism, consciousness is one of the five classically defined experiential "aggregates". As illustrated, the four other aggregates are material "form", "feeling" or "sensation", "perception", and "volitional formations" or "fabrications".
In SN 22.79, the Buddha distinguishes consciousness in the following manner:
This type of awareness appears to be more refined and introspective than that associated with the aggregate of perception which the Buddha describes in the same discourse as follows:
Similarly, in a 5th-century CE commentary, the Visuddhimagga, there is an extended analogy about a child, an adult villager and an expert "money-changer" seeing a heap of coins; the child's experience is likened to perception, the villager's experience to consciousness, and the money-changer's experience to true understanding.
Thus, in this context, "consciousness" denotes more than the irreducible subjective experience of sense data suggested in the discourses of "the All" ; it additionally entails a depth of awareness reflecting a degree of memory and recognition.
All of the aggregates are to be seen as empty of self-nature; that is, they arise dependent on causes and conditions. In this scheme, the cause for the arising of consciousness is the arising of one of the other aggregates ; and the arising of consciousness in turn gives rise to one or more of the mental aggregates. In this way, the chain of causation identified in the aggregate model overlaps the chain of conditioning in the Dependent Origination model.

Dependent origination

Consciousness is the third of the traditionally enumerated Twelve Causes of Dependent Origination. Within the context of Dependent Origination, different canonical discourses represent different aspects of consciousness. The following aspects are traditionally highlighted:
Mental-fabrication conditioning and kamma
Numerous discourses state:
In three discourses in the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha highlights three particular manifestations of as particularly creating a "basis for the maintenance of consciousness" that could lead to future existence, to the perpetuation of bodily and mental processes, and to craving and its resultant suffering. As stated in the common text below, these three manifestations are intending, planning and enactments of latent tendencies
Thus, for instance, in the "Intention Discourse", the Buddha more fully elaborates:
The language of the post-canonical Samyutta Nikaya commentary and subcommentary further affirm that this text is discussing the means by which "kammic consciousness" "yield fruit in one's mental continuum." In other words, certain intentional or obsessive acts on one's part inherently establish in present consciousness a basis for future consciousness's existence; in this way, the future existence is conditioned by certain aspects of the initial intention, including its wholesome and unwholesome qualities.
Conversely, in the "Attached Discourse", it states that if passion for the five aggregates are abandoned then:
Mind-body interdependency
Numerous discourses state:
In addition, a few discourses state that, simultaneously, the converse is true:
In the "Sheaves of Reeds Discourse", Ven. Sariputta uses this famous analogy to explain the interdependency of consciousness and name-form:
"Life force" aspect and rebirth
As described above in the discussion of mental fabrications' conditioning of consciousness, past intentional actions establish a kammic seed within consciousness that expresses itself in the future. Through consciousness's "life force" aspect, these future expressions are not only within a single lifespan but propel kammic impulses across samsaric rebirths.
In the "Serene Faith Discourse", Ven. Sariputta references not a singular conscious entity but a "stream of consciousness" that spans multiple lives:
The "Great Causes Discourse", in a dialogue between the Buddha and the Ven. Ananda, describes "consciousness" in a way that underlines its "life force" aspect:
Discourses such as this to describe a consciousness that is an animating phenomenon capable of spanning lives thus giving rise to rebirth.
An Anguttara Nikaya discourse provides a memorable metaphor to describe the interplay of kamma, consciousness, craving and rebirth:

Abhidhammic analysis

The Patthana, part of the Theravadin Abhidharma, analyzes the different states of consciousness and their functions. The Theravāda school method is to study every state of consciousness. Using this method, some states of consciousness are identified as positive, some negative and some neutral. This analysis is based on the principle of karma, the main point in understanding the different consciousnesses. Altogether, according to the Abhidhamma, there are 89 kinds of consciousness. Fifty-four are of the "sense sphere", 15 of the "fine-material sphere", 12 of the "immaterial sphere", and eight are supramundane.
More specifically, a viññāa is a single moment of conceptual consciousness and normal mental activity is considered to consist of a continual succession of viññāas.
Viññāa has two components: the awareness itself, and the object of that awareness. Thus, in this way, these viññāas are not considered as ultimate phenomena as they are based on mental factors. For example, jhānic states are described as based on the five ultimate mental factors of applied thought, sustained thought, rapture, serenity and one-pointedness.

Overlapping Pali terms for mind

According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the post-canonical Pali commentary uses the three terms viññāa, mano and citta as synonyms for the mind sense base ; however, in the Sutta Pitaka, these three terms are generally contextualized differently:
The citta is called "luminous" in A.I.8-10.

Across Buddhist schools

While most Buddhist schools identify six modes of consciousness, one for each sense base, some Buddhist schools have identified additional modes.

Six vijñānas

As described above, in reference to the "All", the Sutta Pitaka identifies six vijñānas related to the six sense bases:
  1. Eye consciousness
  2. Ear consciousness
  3. Nose consciousness
  4. Tongue consciousness
  5. Body consciousness
  6. Mind consciousness describe the consciousness of "ideas" - Buddhism describes not five but six perceptions.

    Eight vijñānas

The Yogacara / Cittamatra school consider two more consciousnesses.
  1. a consciousness called klistamanas, which gathers the hindrances, the poisons, the karmic formations.
  2. the ālāyavijñāna is the consciousness "basis of everything" and has been translated as "store consciousness". Every consciousness is based on this one. It is the phenomenon which explains the rebirth.
According to Walpola Rahula, the "store consciousness" of Yogacara thought exists in the early texts as well, as the "citta."

Amalavijñāna

The :fr:Amalavijñāna|amalavijñāna, "immaculate consciousness", is considered by some Yogācāra schools as a ninth level of consciousness. This "pure consciousness is identified with the nature of reality or Suchness." Alternatively, amalavijñāna may be considered the pure aspect of ālāyavijñāna.
Some buddhists also suggest hrdaya consciousnesses, or an eleven consciousnesses theory or an infinity consciousness.

Contemporary usages

Viññāna is used in Thai Buddhism to refer specifically to one's consciousness or life-force after it has left the body at the moment of death. Thais differentiate between winyaan and "jid-jai", which is the consciousness while it is still connected to a living body. Even though the jid-jai leaves the body while you dream at night and can also externalize during advanced meditation practice, it is still connected to the body.

Hinduism

Sri Ramakrishna defines vijñāna as
Ayon Maharaj has characterized Sri Ramakrishna's views as manifesting what he called a "philosophy of Vijñāna Vedānta". In his book Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality, Maharaj describes six major tenets of Ramakrishna's Vijñāna Vedānta. These include the notion that "the vijñānī returns from the state of nirvikalpa samādhi and attains the richer, world-affirming nondual realization that God has become everything."
Based on ancient texts, V.S.Apte provides the following definition for vijñānam :
  1. Knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, understanding; यज्जीव्यते क्षणमपि प्रथितं मनुष्यैर्विज्ञानशौर्यविभवार्यगुणैः समेतम्। तन्नाम जीवितमिह... Panchatantra 1.24;5.3; विज्ञानमयः कोशः 'the sheath of intelligence'.
  2. Discrimination, discernment.
  3. Skill, proficiency; प्रयोगविज्ञानम् - Shringara Tilaka 1.2.
  4. Worldly or profane knowledge, knowledge derived from worldly experience ; ज्ञानं ते$हं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषत - Bhagavad Gita 7.2;3.41;6.8;.
  5. Business, employment.
  6. Music.
  7. Knowledge of the fourteen lores.
  8. The organ of knowledge; पञ्चविज्ञानचेतने - Mahabharata 12.187. 12.
  9. Knowledge beyond the cognisance of the senses
In addition, Monier Williams provides the following definition:
  1. to distinguish, discern, observe, investigate, recognize ascertain, know, understand - Rig Veda, etc., etc. ;
  2. to have right knowledge - Katha Upanishad
  3. to become wise or learned - Mn. iv, 20;
  4. to hear or learn from - Chandogya Upanishad ; Mahabharata ;
  5. to recognize in - Panchatantra ;
  6. to look upon or regard or consider as, Mn.; MBh., etc.; Kāv., etc.;
  7. to explain, declare - BhP.