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amala-vijnana

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 7:56 am
by Yogicfire
I have been reading about the amala-vijnana (the ninth consciousness). Up until recently, I thought that the mind only school had eight consciousnesses, and that the alaya-vijnana was the base consciousness. However, some of the Far Eastern schools appear to have added a ninth consciousness, amala-vijnana, the pure consciousness.

I would be interested in hearing any thoughts on this doctrinal development, and some explanation on the exact correspondence between the alaya-vijnana and the amala-vijnana. Why was there a need to introduce this extra consciousness? Is this a teaching that is only in the Far Eastern schools, and not in Vajrayana?

Amala-vijnana seems to have been a popular concept in the Hua Yen and T'ient'ai schools.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 1:35 am
by Huifeng
Ask Paramartha / Zhendi. That's where it comes from in China.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 9:42 am
by Yogicfire
Thanks, Huifeng. I will get in touch with them.

One thing that I find a little surprising is the fact that it is a Sanskrit term. If the idea came exclusively from China then wouldn't we be using Chinese terminology?

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 10:13 am
by Anders
It was introduced by Paramartha who was an Indian monk in China.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 3:06 pm
by Dexing
Yogicfire wrote:I have been reading about the amala-vijnana (the ninth consciousness). Up until recently, I thought that the mind only school had eight consciousnesses, and that the alaya-vijnana was the base consciousness. However, some of the Far Eastern schools appear to have added a ninth consciousness, amala-vijnana, the pure consciousness.
As I have seen it is not a "ninth consciousness", as if it is in addition to the common eight.

Rather, it is the term used for the eighth consciousness in the stage of a Tathagata, which corresponds to the Great Mirror Wisdom, which is the result of the transmutation of the alaya-vijnana (per Ven. Xuanzang's Chengweishilun).
I would be interested in hearing any thoughts on this doctrinal development, and some explanation on the exact correspondence between the alaya-vijnana and the amala-vijnana. Why was there a need to introduce this extra consciousness?
If understood in the above sense, it is not actually an extra consciousnes.

The excerpt from Chengweishilun: Chapter 3, Section 20. "Names and Types of Eighth Consciousness";

".... Finally, it is called the 'immaculate consciousness' [amala-vijnana], which is extremely pure, because it is the support for all unsoiled dharmas. This name only applies to consciousness in the stage of a Tathagata, because among bodhisattvas, [saints of] the two vehicles, and ordinary people, consciousness holds seeds and can be perfumed, and these people have not yet acquired an eighth consciousness that is purified, etc.. As a scripture says, 'The immaculate consciousness of a Tathagata is the realm of purity and nondefilement, free of obstacles, and corresponding to perfect mirror knowledge.'"

:namaste:

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:56 pm
by Huifeng
But of course, asking Xuanzang about this is probably not going to be the way to find out how Paramartha used and understood it. After all, this is a major difference between their two systems of Vijnaptimatra.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:26 pm
by Dexing
From what I have seen, Paramartha's teaching on the amala-vijnana — as underlying the alaya-vijnana, and only being realized upon eradication of the eight — is not necessarily a "ninth" pure-consciousness which would be functioning simultaneously with the defiled consciousness, which would then cancel each other. Would that agree with scripture and reason?

If it is only fully functioning upon complete eradication of the eight consciousnesses, then it is not really different from the understanding put forth by Ven. Xuanzang.... as I've come to understand it thus far.

:namaste:

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:42 am
by klesha13579
I know this is a very old topic, but I just wanted to say something about amala-vijñāna

According to the mind-only school teaching, ālayavijñāna has the two layers The pure layer and the impure layer.

Various lotus Schools (Tien-Tai schools, Nichiren schools, etc) teach that the pure layer is amala-vijñāna. The impure layer is ālaya-vijñāna. Ālaya-vijñāna is the storehouse for karma and the pure layer is supposed to be free from all karma and immaculate, so they have different names. They cannot be really separated from each other, though.

They also teach that ālaya-vijñāna is the realm of Bodhisattva and amala-vijñāna is the realm of Buddha all sentient beings possess.

I believe this idea (about ālaya-vijñāna and amala-vijñāna) was not created by Tien Tai but the original Lotus Sutra in Sanskrit contained the idea.

The entire Dharmic world(in everyday word, universe, though it's not exactly the same) is made of all sentient beings and equals one Bodhisattva and this Bodhisattva contains immaculate Buddha within him. but various karma in ālaya-vijñāna split us from each other.

Vibrations caused by various karma create manas-vijñāna -the seventh consciousness(sub-consciousness) that is the source of individual ego and this manas-vijñāna causes the mano-vijñāna-the six consciousness. And the the mano-vijñāna causes the physical existences.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 7:05 am
by Son of Buddha
(1)Does anyone have any links on this subject?

(2)Is there any books/translations published from Paramartha / Zhend on this topic

(3) Where in the Sutras is the amala-vijnana mentioned/taught?

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 7:01 pm
by hop.pala
Rarely used the term:amala vijnana.I see no practical use to this term since stated that in storehaus consciousness samsara and nirvana findable.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 9:39 pm
by Lotus_Bitch
Son of Buddha wrote:(1)Does anyone have any links on this subject?

(2)Is there any books/translations published from Paramartha / Zhend on this topic

(3) Where in the Sutras is the amala-vijnana mentioned/taught?
If it's any consolation, you can read more on the topic of Paramartha's "ninth consciousness", as discussed in this thread: http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7126

:namaste:

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:00 pm
by Yogicfire
In the Lankavatara sutra, the bedrock of the Yogacara school, the following is said:

Sagathakam, Verse 59: There is the highest Alayavijnana, and again there is the Alaya as thought-construction (vijnapti); I teach suchness (tathata) that is above seized and seizing.


So, we find a description of two sides of the alaya-vijnana, the conditioned reflection, and the highest, purest form of consciousness.

To say that Paramartha created the idea of the amala-vijnana from nothing and 'on his own' with no scriptural basis is not quite true...

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:24 pm
by Lotus_Bitch
"Amalavijnana", may very well be an intermediary device, not to be taken literally, an indication of the "revolution of the basis", completion of the bodhisattva path, hitherto the eight consciousnesses are transformed into the wisdoms of a buddha. At that time, all traces of the alayavijnana, are extinguished.

Re: amala-vijnana

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 2:56 am
by ronnymarsh
It's a pretty old post, but I'd like to contribute what I understand for Amala Vijnana.

First of all, it is a "vijnana", meaning consciousness.

Consciousnesses do not arise out of nowhere and do not remain without causes and conditions.

In Buddhism, consciences are the products that occupy the final position when there is a contact between subject and object.

If I observe a ball, for example, the contact between my eye (subject) and the observed object gives rise to a sensation.

From this comes perception.

From this arises volition (the impetus to act).

And at the conclusion of the process an awareness arises.
There is one for each sense.

Through this entire process, I establish an action, which can be one of aversion, acceptance, or indifference.

This experience that ends with the action creates a sense of separation between the observer and the observed, and thus a consciousness emerges that is marked by the notion of separation, the consciousness of an "I".

Then there is the need to register this experience, so that if it is pleasant, desire may arise, or if it is unpleasant, repulsion may arise.

Through this need, an awareness arises that stores the "marks" of the experience. This is Alaya consciousness.

Normally, the repository of consciousness ends here, however there is a condition that gives rise to another consciousness.

When the object of contact is the Buddha, the Dharma or the Sangha, the whole process of arising consciousness takes place again.

But this time, if contact with the Three Treasures causes a positive experience, then a seed arises in the eighth consciousness whose information is the yearning to attain Buddhahood.

Being in the eighth consciousness, this seed has the necessary condition for it to manifest and become the Basis for Enlightenment.

In the Sutras this base is called Tathagatagarbha, and Paramartha called it "Amala Vijnana", the Pure Consciousness.

Amala consciousness does not exist within a person by itself, which is why in terms of consciousnesses that arise spontaneously from the ordinary relationships of sentient beings, there are only eight.

But once a person has established a relationship with the Buddha, either directly with the Buddha himself or indirectly through his teaching or his sangha, when that person takes refuge this purified consciousness arises in him, which is what provides the realization of Buddhahood.

Unlike what people believe, not all people have Buddha Nature, that is, not all people have Tathagathagarba. In the Tathagatagarbha sutras the Buddha speaks of the icchantikas, which are people who theoretically cannot attain Buddhahood because they are unable to develop the necessary seed for it.

So Amala is the awareness that arises when there is taking refuge in the three gems.

[note: the universality of the possibility of attaining enlightenment only exists when interpreting the Tathagatagrabha Sutras through a Universalist Sutra such as the Kegon or Lotus]