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 Changing Europe by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Turkey by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Rigor in the 6–12 Math and Science Classroom by William S Waldron
Cover of the book At the Margins of the Welfare State: Social Assistance and the Alleviation of Poverty in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Designing and Implementing Multimodal Curricula and Programs by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Bach Performance Practice, 1945-1975 by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Africa’s Big Men by William S Waldron
Cover of the book How to Win Campaigns by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Follow the Sun by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Battlefield Events by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Citizenship Agendas in and beyond the Nation-State by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Postcolonial Theology of Religions by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Associated with Bullying and Cyberbullying by William S Waldron
Cover of the book Parking and the City by William S Waldron
Cover of the book The Awkward Spaces of Fathering 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