Transformation of Consciousness and Conversion of The Basis

• Main Authors: DaoHou-Shi, 釋道厚
• Other Authors: 蔡伯郎
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/29670576848863887737

碩士 === 法鼓佛教學院 === 佛教學系 === 99 === In the philosophy of yogacara school, the “Transformation of Consciousness” and “Conversion of the Basis”explain that ,with the exception of Transformation of Consciousness, self and dharma do not really exist. This theory constitutes to the establishment of “vijñapti-mātra (consciousness only)” theory. By following this theory in meditation, a practitioner is able to realize vijñaptimātratva（the nature of consciousness）, then one can attain the Conversion of the Basis. The above two concepts, which are the main topics in my thesis, discuss the theories of existence and practice , relationship and construction between the two concepts in the Buddhist Yogacara school, as well as discuss conflicting theories by commentarial authors of the Yogacara School, such as Sthiramati and Dharmapāla. In this way it is hoped that my research will contribute to a more systematic and better understanding of the historical lineage of the “Transformation of Consciousness” and “Conversion of the Basis”, also to clarify the two main later developed ideologies and basis from the Yogacara school. Regarding the concept of Transformation of Consciousness, there are obvious differences in the views of Sthiramati and Dharmapāla. The greatest difference is that Sthiramati emphasized that when consciousness is transformed, it manifests self and dharmas, whereas Dharmapāla emphasized that subjective view（見分）and objective aspect（相分）are manifested when consciousness is transformed. These two are the other-powered nature (paratantra-svabhāva).When the subjective view apprehends the objective aspect, self and dharmas of the imagined nature（parikalpita-svabhāva）will then be formed. My paper employs a comparative and historic methodology for Buddhist research. I explore the madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya and mahāyānasaṃgraha to examine the origins and possible meanings of Transformation of Consciousness and Conversion of the Basis. The main theory of the madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya is to employ concept of the unreal imagination of the existence and non-existence of the two graspings to state the middle way. The theory is tilted towards cognitive structure. In the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, although unreal imagination is also asserted, the other-powered nature is mostly emphasized. Among the eleven consciousness of the other-powered nature, there are divisions of subjective consciousness（darśana-vijñāna）and consciousness of the aspect（nimitta- vijñāna). Consciousness of the aspect belongs to the other-powered nature. This kind of construction does not explain the function of cognition but expresses the existence of the world of phenomena. Sthiramati, Paramārtha, and others state that when consciousness manifests, it is the imagined nature: this is similar to the theory of the madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya. The representation of consciousness appears as two graspings, which do not exist from the point of view of the theory of cognition. Dharmapāla developed ''subjective view'' and ''objective aspect'' in accordance with the theory of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. The concept of other-powered nature is the existence of subjective consciousness and consciousness of the aspect, at the time of the appearance of the representation of consciousness. This is the view of the theory of existence.