What is the Cessation of manovijñāna in the Laṅkāvatāra?
Roujia Zeng
JOURNAL OF INDIAN AND BUDDHIST STUDIES 2017 DOI: 10.4259/ibk.65.2_881 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | The paper addresses an apparent inconsistency between the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra's claim that nirvana is the cessation of manovijñāna and the Yogācāra view that nirvana comes through conversion of the ālayavijñāna. It reports two scholarly interpretations: Funahashi Naoya's view that this manovijñāna plays the role of ālayavijñāna, and Kubota Chikara's argument that its function is indistinguishable from manas or self-consciousness. |
Abstract
“The cessation of the manovijñāna, or consciousness, with the function of conceptualization represents nirvana” (vikalpakasya manovijñānasya vyāvṛttir nirvāṇam), says the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra (LAS. 126) which is one of the Mahayana scriptures composed under the influence of Yogācāra thought. This statement, however, seems to be confusing, because in the system of the Yogācāra thought nirvana seems at least not to be associated with the cessation of manovijñāna, but should be attained by the conversion of the ālayavijñāna. Thus, some scholars attempted to interpret the meaning of the manovijñāna in this context. Funahashi Naoya was of the opinion that this manovijñāna plays the role of ālayavijñāna. On the contrary, Kubota Chikara reasoned that the function of manovijñāna is not distinguishable from the manas or self conscioussness.