The Buddhist Unconscious

The Alaya-vijñana in the context of Indian Buddhist Thought

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Religion & Spirituality, Eastern Religions, Buddhism, Philosophy
Cover of the book The Buddhist Unconscious by William S Waldron, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: William S Waldron ISBN: 9781134428854
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: December 8, 2003
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: William S Waldron
ISBN: 9781134428854
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: December 8, 2003
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This is the story of fifth century CE India, when the Yogacarin Buddhists tested the awareness of unawareness, and became aware of human unawareness to an extraordinary degree. They not only explicitly differentiated this dimension of mental processes from conscious cognitive processes, but also offered reasoned arguments on behalf of this dimension of mind. This is the concept of the 'Buddhist unconscious', which arose just as philosophical discourse in other circles was fiercely debating the limits of conscious awareness, and these ideas in turn had developed as a systematisation of teachings from the Buddha himself. For us in the twenty-first century, these teachings connect in fascinating ways to the Western conceptions of the 'cognitive unconscious' which have been elaborated in the work of Jung and Freud.
This important study reveals how the Buddhist unconscious illuminates and draws out aspects of current western thinking on the unconscious mind. One of the most intriguing connections is the idea that there is in fact no substantial 'self' underlying all mental activity; 'the thoughts themselves are the thinker'. William S. Waldron considers the implications of this radical notion, which, despite only recently gaining plausibility, was in fact first posited 2,500 years ago.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This is the story of fifth century CE India, when the Yogacarin Buddhists tested the awareness of unawareness, and became aware of human unawareness to an extraordinary degree. They not only explicitly differentiated this dimension of mental processes from conscious cognitive processes, but also offered reasoned arguments on behalf of this dimension of mind. This is the concept of the 'Buddhist unconscious', which arose just as philosophical discourse in other circles was fiercely debating the limits of conscious awareness, and these ideas in turn had developed as a systematisation of teachings from the Buddha himself. For us in the twenty-first century, these teachings connect in fascinating ways to the Western conceptions of the 'cognitive unconscious' which have been elaborated in the work of Jung and Freud.
This important study reveals how the Buddhist unconscious illuminates and draws out aspects of current western thinking on the unconscious mind. One of the most intriguing connections is the idea that there is in fact no substantial 'self' underlying all mental activity; 'the thoughts themselves are the thinker'. William S. Waldron considers the implications of this radical notion, which, despite only recently gaining plausibility, was in fact first posited 2,500 years ago.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Thinking Poetry by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Minority Religions in Europe and the Middle East by William S Waldron
Cover of the book The Voyages of William Baffin, 1612-1622 by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Cities in Crisis by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Comparative Criminal Justice by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Strategic Curriculum Change in Universities by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Russia Unveiled by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Aspect Perception after Wittgenstein by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Public Innovation through Collaboration and Design by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Arabiyyat al-Naas (Part One) by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Becoming a Primary School Teacher by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Prom Night by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Dead for Good by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Critical Sociolinguistic Research Methods by William S Waldron
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy