Buddhism

A Dictionary of Buddhism The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions Further reading

ālaya-vijñāna

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | | Copyright

ālaya-vijñāna (Skt.). The eighth consciousness, being the substratum or ‘storehouse’ consciousness according to the philosophy of the Yogācāra school. The ālaya-vijñāna acts as the receptacle in which the impressions (known as vāsanā or bīja) of past experience and karmic actions are stored. From it the remaining seven consciousnesses arise and produce all present and future modes of experience in saṃsāra. At the moment of enlightenment (bodhi), the ālaya-vijñāna is transformed into the Mirror-like Awareness or perfect discrimination of a Buddha.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

DAMIEN KEOWN. "ālaya-vijñāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "ālaya-vijñāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-layavijna.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "ālaya-vijñāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-layavijna.html

Learn more about citation styles

Ālaya-vijñāna

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Ālaya-vijñāna (‘receptacle-consciousness’). In Yogācāra (Buddhist Idealism, also known as Vijñānavāda) the continuum of subjective consciousness underlying cognition and personal experience through time (given that there is no ‘self’ supplying this continuity). The concept was introduced by Asaṅga in the 4th cent. CE as an elaboration of the Abhidharmic notion of a stream of consciousness (bhavaṅga-sota) which constitutes personal continuity over a series of lives. See also ANĀTMAN; ARAYA-SHIKI.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Ālaya-vijñāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Ālaya-vijñāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-layavijna.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Ālaya-vijñāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-layavijna.html

Learn more about citation styles