It should be noted that Theravada Buddhist accepts mind door as the sixth sense, in addition to the five physical sense organs of which visible object, sound, odor, taste and tangible thing. The sixth sense has all mental phenomena as its objects, and it is through this sixth sense that consciousness can reflect upon itself and the psychic factors. Without the mind - door, consciousness can not know itself, just as person without eye - door, consciousness knows itself as an object, not as a subject. This is, consciousness by nature is not self - consciousness. It is not implicity aware of itself when it is aware of an object. Consciousness can only be aware of one object at one time. When we attend the present things, we are not able at the present moment to attend to the consciousness by which they arise. This is because consciousness cannot be subject and object at once.
" Just as one cannot cut a sword with that very same sword, an axe with that axe, and a knife with that knife, so also one cannot know consciousness with that very same consciousness. "
It is interesting to note here that the Vijnanavadin of Mahayana Buddhism hold a different view from the Theravada. According to the Vijnanavadin, " every consciousness and very mental phenomenon is self - consciousness. " Knowledge is self - luminous. Just as a lamp illuminates the neighbouring objects and its own - self at the same time, so also consciousness is aware of its object and itself at one and the same moment.
Nevertheless, the Madhayamika does not agree with the Vijnanavadin. The former says that consciousness, being empty, cannot know itself.
" Even the sharpest sword cannot cut itself ; the fingertips cannot be touched by the same fingertips. Consciousness does not know itself. "
In this respect the Madhayamika's position is not different from the Theravada's concept.
By THE BUDDHA'S Core Teachings
No comments:
Post a Comment