Vijñāna (Sanskrit, faded: vinnana ), being able to be translated state of consciousness , is the Buddhist concept of Conscience.
It is not a question of the conscience like characteristic to a being, Vijñāna does not indicate the conscience as a gasoline: Buddhism refuses the concept of " Atmân " (heart), regarding on the contrary any phenomenon as impersonal. Vijñāna thus indicates the conscience like simple phenomenon psychique.
Vijñāna has two synonyms, which are:

  • Citta - or state to be ;
  • Manas , or frames of mind .

Vijnana in Buddhist teaching

Vijnana indicates a phenomenologic conscience. It is about an accident rather than of a gasoline, of a simple mental phenomenon rather than of an eternal reality. If the Buddhist teaching of vijnana took seat in the context of rupture with the Hindouisme, this teaching very dissociates as much many European ways of thinking.

Because Vijnana as any phenomenon, in Buddhism is afflicted with Three characteristics - with knowing, it is about an impersonal, transitory and unsatisfactory phenomenon.

Vijnana among the aggregates

Vijnana belongs to the four " agrégats" psychic, which, with the body, constitutes what is often taken for a to be.
Various philosophies question the place of Vijnana compared to the other phenomena which are confused, because of ignorance, with a person: they are for example idealistic Buddhist philosophies. But, much more largely, any Buddhist philosophy questions this aspect.

Vijnana in the conditioned Coproduction

According to the Coproduction-conditioned , mental creations, constructions conditions the state of consciousnesses, which condition in their turn the five aggregates (Namarupa or Skandhas).
The most traditional interpretation is that this link indicates the conscience like " bond-of-renaissance" , paṭisandi, i.e. conscience as at the base of this (Re) samsaric birth . The conditioned Coproduction can however be interpreted by making conscience an act of discrimination, within the meaning of a mental seizure of aggregates: according to this interpretation, the conscience then distinguishes simply various aggregates which it takes for a person.

Six vijñāna

Traditional teaching presents six consciences:
  1. Conscience of the eye, or visual conscience
  2. Conscience of the ear
  3. Conscience of the nose
  4. Conscience of the taste
  5. Conscience of the body (to touch)
  6. mental Conscience

Just as the visual conscience has as an aim the visible objects, the forms, the Lumière, the mental conscience, Manovijñāna, has as an aim the mental phenomena.

Eight or nine vijñāna

To the six “traditional” consciences are added, in teaching Cittamātra, two consciences:
  • the Ālayavijñāna, fundamental conscience which is responsible for all the other consciences, which are thus not distinct substances. It is the base of any thing, at the same time producing and fruit of Karma.
  • Kliṣṭamanas : the mental one soiled; they are four passions - the belief in one oneself (or me or ego), ignorance perceiving this ego, the orgeuil and the self-love. This mental leads the six consciences to take Ālayavijñāna for such me. All the conciences are some deceived and see a relation of observer with observed where there is not “only spirit”.

Certain teachers of Cittamātra ajouttent to these two there the Amalavijñāna, the pure and non-duelle conscience. This conscience is regarded by the Faxiang as leaves the Ālayavijñāna.

Analyzes state of consciousnesses

The Pattana , important book which belongs to the Abhidhamma , states the various types of conscience.

Three state of consciousnesses must be distinguished: manas beneficial, harmful and neutral.

Beneficial consciences

The pattana considers twenty and one beneficial state of consciousnesses, distributed according to the spheres : sensory sphere, physical sphere, nonphysical sphere and supramundane level. ---- In the sensory sphere, one finds, according to the pattana, eight state of consciousnesses, which are decided between as follows:

  1. Satisfaction, knowledge

  2. Satisfaction, knowledge, incentive
  3. Satisfaction
  4. Satisfaction, incentive
  5. Indifference, knowledge
  6. Indifference, knowledge, incentive
  7. Indifference
  8. Indifference, incentive

According to Buddhaghosa, children who, for example, greet naturally and with joy a monk then illustrate the third of these eight states to be. But if they give because that their is required, then it acts of the fourth. ---- In the pure physical sphere, five states of different beings correspond to the five jhana S: thus, these five major states méditatifs correspond to five manas (frames of mind) different.

  1. Taken firm (faded vitakka), application (Vicara), joy (Piti), happiness (Sukkha), concentration (Ekkagata);
  2. Application, joy, happiness, concentration;
  3. Joy, happiness, concentration;
  4. Happiness, concentration;
  5. Équanimité (Upekkha), concentration.
---- In the nonphysical sphere, are counted four states to be beneficial, which correspond again in four states méditatifs, of the nonphysical sphere, or Arupajhana S.
  1. Domaine of infinite space
  2. Domaine of the infinite conscience
  3. Domaine of nothing
  4. Domaine of nor-perception nor not-perception

Harmful consciences

The Buddhist analysis distinguishes twelve pernicious state of consciousnesses. These 12 state of consciousnesses are in the sensory world - Kāmavâcara -, and are based, either on the attachment, or on the aversion, or on confusion. ---- Eight state of consciousnesses are based on the attachment:
  • attachment, satisfaction, belief, incentive;
  • attachment, satisfaction, belief;
  • attachment, satisfaction, incentive;
  • attachment, satisfaction;
  • attachment, indifference, belief, incentive;
  • attachment, indifference, belief;
  • attachment, indifference, incentive;
  • attachment, indifference.
---- Two Vijñāna are based on the aversion:
  • aversion, repulsion, incentive;
  • aversion, repulsion.
---- Lastly, two states to be are founded on confusion:
  • confusion, indifference, hesitation;
  • confusion, indifference, agitation.

Neutral consciences

Vijñāna neutrals, neither goods neither bad, neither beneficial nor harmful, are of two types: vipāka and kiriya.
  • Vipāka indicates the resulting state of consciousnesses, consequences of Karma, but not producing a Karma;
  • Kiriya-citta indicates the state of consciousnesses which do not have effects karmic and occur only at the noble beings, having reached at least the first stage of the Awakening.

Vipāka consciences

The 36 state of consciousnesses vipāka are distributed in the " four spheres " and are classified according to this distribution. But whatever the " sphère" frame of mind considered, this last does not produce any karma, does not have any result karmic. ---- In the " sensory sphere " , 16 states result from beneficial and 7 of the pernicious one. The beneficial states are divided, between those " without cause" and those " with cause" .
" Without cause" mean whereas the states are not caused by the absence of attachment, the absence of aversion or the absence of confusion, which are three beneficial causes. These frames of mind, without cause, are of eight types.

  1. ocular conscience

  2. auricular conscience
  3. nasal conscience
  4. lingual conscience
  5. body conscience
  6. element of mental conscience " having for function of recevoir"
  7. element of mental conscience having for function to probe, determine, etc
  8. idem that precedent (lower cf)

These consciences are accompanied by satisfaction, or pleasure or indifference; their object is désirable.
The elements of mental conscience follow , in time, the sensory consciences. For example, the ocular conscience perceives only the images. Then, an element of mental conscience " receives this objet" , then taking support on the disappearance of the ocular conscience.
As for the two mental elements of conscience (7 and 8), they fulfill several functions; the first exists when the object is very desirable, and the second when the object is slightly desirable.

Other classifications can apply in these eight state of consciousnesses.
---- State of consciousnesses " with cause" are eight; their classification is similar to the vijñāna beneficial of the sensory sphere, with the difference close that they " remain passifs" , not having any karmic efficiency. In addition, according to Buddhaghosa and Nyanamoli, the term of incentive does not have the same direction in this context: it refers in fact to the causes state to be (and not at the state to be itself).

  1. Satisfaction, knowledge, incentive;

  2. Satisfaction, knowledge;
  3. Satisfaction, incentive;
  4. Satisfaction;
  5. Indifference, knowledge, incentive;
  6. Indifference, knowledge;
  7. Indifference, incentive;
  8. Indifference.
---- Seven consciences are harmful result of karma. They are comparable with the consciences resulting from the beneficial one, but their object is not desirable, and they are accompanied by pain or indifference.

  1. ocular conscience

  2. auricular conscience
  3. nasal conscience
  4. lingual conscience
  5. body conscience
  6. element of mental conscience " having for function of recevoir"
  7. element of mental conscience having for function to probe, determine, etc
---- In the " physical sphere pure" , the five consiences result are similar to the beneficial states of beings, although they do not have the same functions.
In the same way, in the " sphere immatérielle" , four consciences results are similar to the beneficial consciences of the immaterial sphere.

Kiriya-citta

The frames of mind " fonctionnels" , present only at the noble beings do not generate a Karma. '" kiriya-citta" are distributed according to the sphere, Paṭṭhāna counts twenty of them. ---- In the " sphere sensorielle" , Kāmâvacara, is distinguished three functional consciences, without causes:
  • a mental element, conscience of the physical objects, characterized by the equanimity;
  • a " element of mental conscience ordinaire" , characterized by the conscience of the " six objets".
  • a " element of mental conscience extraordinaire" , associated with satisfaction, having for role of " to give birth to the smile from Accomplished in connection with poor objects " (Buddhaghosa, transl. Christian Maës).
---- Always in the sensory sphere, eight consciences with cause are enumerated: according to the same diagram as the beneficial consciences. ---- In the pure physical sphere, there are five Kiriya-citta, each one corresponding to a Dhyana. ---- In the same way, in the nonphysical sphere, count four functional states of conscienc, according to the four Arūpajhana S.

Functions allotted to the frames of mind

See principal article Viññāṇa-kicca.
After having enumerated Vijñāna, the Paṭṭhāna details the fourteen functions (pāli " viññāṇa-kicca") who are exerted inside a process of conscience:

  1. Rebirth or bond-of-rebirth, pāli Paṭisandi;

  2. Subconsciousness or mode-existential, pāli Bhavaṅga;
  3. Attention or turning, pāli āvajjana;
  4. vision;
  5. hearing;
  6. smell;
  7. gustation;
  8. feeling of touching;
  9. reception, receptivity, pāli Sampaṭicchana;
  10. survey, investigation pāli Santīraṇa;
  11. determination (or determining), pāli Voṭṭhapana;
  12. impulse, pāli Javana;
  13. recording or repetition, pāli Tadārammaṇa;
  14. death, pāli Cuti-reaction.

References

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