Individualitatea ca „rău fundamental”, în budhismul Yogācāra

In Yogācāra, the Idealistic school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, human existence is not a fixed being but a mere experience projected by the cosmic store-house consciousness (ālayavijñāna). This experience is an alteration of reality's normal, peaceful, and homogenous state. The alteration occurs when the human mind develops experiences of self-elevation (unnatti) and pride (māna) toward what it appropriates as its own identity. This disturbs reality's natural calm, making the projected experience afflicted (kliṣṭa), which marks the beginning of suffering (duḥkha) and bondage (saṃsāra). Projecting individuality onto the calm cosmic level is thus considered the 'fall' in Yogācāra Buddhism.

Study at a glance

Abstract

According to the Idealistic school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Yogācāra, human existence is not as much the condition of a “being”, of an entity, but a mere experience projected by the cosmic consciousness, by the so-called “store-house consciousness” (ālayavijñāna). Nevertheless, human existence has some special features; it doesn’t represent a simple cosmic experience but rather an “alteration” of the normal condition of reality. The peaceful and homogenous state of reality gets altered when human mind starts developping experiences of self-“elevation” (unnatti), of “pride” (māna) towards what it appropriates as its own identity. The natural calm of reality gets disturbed, and the experience projected by the mind becomes an afflicted (klia) one; this is the beginning of suffering (du1kha) and of bondage (sasāra). Thus, the projection of individuality upon the calm cosmic level can be considered as the “fall” of Yogācāra Buddhism.