How Far Bīja Sutta Influenced Ālaya Vijñāna.

Abstract

Citta sutta of Samyuttanikaya explains that the world is controlled by mind. According Dhammapada mind is far-going and fore-runner. Nibbedika Sutta explains volition (cetanā) as the kamma. We do kamma bodily, verbally or mentally, but results will come according to the volition. The place given to the mind can be recognized with these explanations clearly. Even though there are two sections called mind and matter (nāmarūpa) in early Buddhism, the role of the mind is of greater importance. There are two schools in Mahayana Buddhism named as Yogacara and Madhyamaka. Yogacara is a Buddhist Philosophy as well as Psychology that study cognition, perception and consciousness. Some scholars see it as a kind of Idealism while others argue that it is closer to a kind of phenomenology. Indian brothers, Asaṅga and Vasubandhu, are considered the classic philosophers of this school. Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi is the greatest work compiled by Vasubandhu. It has two sections called Viṃśatikāvijñaptikārikā (twenty-two verses) and Trinśikāvijñaptikārikā (thirty verses). The matters explained in this text are very profound and subtle. Hence, the author himself compiled a commentary called Viṃśatikāprakaraṇavṛtti for the first section of the text. Then, Sthiramati, one of the best students of Vasubandhu compiled a commentary which is named as Trinśikāviñaptibhāṣya. Moreover, Ālaya vijñāna is depicted in the second section of Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi.