Can Cessation Be a Cognitive State? Philosophical Implications of the Apophatic Teachings of the Early Buddhist Nikāyas
Philosophy East and West July 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1353/pew.2023.a903371 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that cessation in the Nikāyas suspends globally available phenomenal consciousness, which is necessary because its processed character blocks direct cognition of reality. Proposes that the mind can function independently of phenomenal consciousness, allowing liberating insight during cessation. |
Abstract
Abstract:The Nikāyas contain several apophatic descriptions of a state of cessation that occurs during the life of an individual. Furthermore, some texts suggest that this cessation paradoxically coincides with liberating insight. This article attempts to draw out philosophical implications of these passages and to reconstruct the ideas serving as their basis. To make better sense of these ideas, the article compares early Buddhist views with certain developments in modern philosophy of mind. It argues that cessation of khandha-s and saḷāyatana-s may be viewed as suspension of various aspects of globally available phenomenal consciousness. It hypothesizes that this suspension is necessary due to the latter's processed character, which precludes direct cognition of reality. It attempts to account for a cognitive nature of cessation by suggesting the possibility of the mind (citta) working independently of phenomenal consciousness. It also considers the issue of cognitive content of cessation and of its expressibility.
Comparable studies
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| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The Pleasure of Not Experiencing Anything: Some Reflections on Consciousness in the Context of the Early Buddhist Nikāyas Religions October 25, 2023
- Beyond Self and No-Self: Reconstructing the Buddha’s Middle-Way Account of Selfhood in the Early Buddhist Nikāyas Religions September 14, 2026
- Pansemioticism and Cognition: On the Semiotic Anthropology of Early Buddhism Meditation Humans January 14, 2026
Cites 7
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- Why and how access consciousness can account for phenomenal consciousness. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences September 19, 2018
- Knowing Blue: Early Buddhist Accounts of Non-Conceptual Sense Perception Philosophy East and West 2017
- Chasing the Rainbow: The Non-conscious Nature of Being. Frontiers in Psychology November 14, 2017
- Dual-process theories and consciousness: the case for 'Type Zero' cognition. Neuroscience of Consciousness May 9, 2016
and 2 more in the library