Conceptual and Non-conceptual Mental States in the Yogācāra Tradition

by Jowita Kramer

University of Munich

“concept” (vikalpa) <> “non-conceptual(ity)” (nirvikalpa)non-conceptual awareness (nirvikalpajnana) true awareness (samyagjnana)mind (citta) and mental factors (caitasika)imprints (vasana) stored in the “store mind” (alayavijhana)imprints of

• all sense perceptions (vijhana) • mental perception (manovijhana) • concept of I (klistamanas) • all emotions, such as hatred, anger, jealousy (and all the other samskaras)imprints of • “everyday usage of phenomena, names and conceptions” (nimitta- nama-vikalpa-vyavahara-prapahca) • “sticking to the imagined nature [of reality]” (parikalpitasvabhavabhinivesa) • duality of the grasper and the grasped (grahadvayavasana) • concepts of one's own self (atmadivikalpa) and • concepts of entities, such as matter (rupadidharmavikalpa) concepts of • the nature [of a phenomenon] (svabhavavikalpa) • its characteristics (visesavikalpa), • wholes (pindagrahavikalpa) these first three give rise to "things" (vastu) which themselves become the basis for vikalpa and proliferation • "I" (aham iti vikalpah) • "mine" (mameti vikalpah) • pleasant (priyavikalpa) • unpleasant (apriyavikalpa) • opposite of both (tadubhayaviparitavikalpa)“mental representation only” (vijhaptimatra)from imprint of language from imprint of “the wrong view of the self”

Mental representation (vijhapti) of • body (= five sense faculties) • the one who possesses the body (= klistamanas) • experiencer (bhoktr; manodhatu) • that which is experienced by him (= six objects) • experiencing with regard to this (= six vijhanas) • time • numbers • abode (= surrounding world,bhajanaloka) • conventional speech (vyavahara) • distinction between oneself and others _usmagata mu rd han ksanti laukikagradharma preparatory stage seeing all factors as "mental representation only" 1. no object 2. no subject

1st stage (bhumi) path of seeing (darsanamarga) » non-conceptual awareness (nirvikalpajhana) 2nd to 10th stagemind (citta) in the sense of true awareness (samyagjnana) or neither citta nor acitta

• pure realm (anasravah dhatuh) • liberation (mukti) • abiding in the realm of the mind(cittasyadhatau sthanam) • realm without proliferation (nisprapancadhatu) • “suchness” (tathata) of all phenomena • = non-differentiated truthpreparatory stage usmagata mu rd han ksanti laukikagradharma 1st stage (bhumi) path of seeing (darsanamarga) 2nd to 10th stage1. no object

2. no subject » nirvikalpajnanapreparatory stage usmagata mu rd han ksanti laukikagradharma 1st stage (bhumi) path of seeing (darsanamarga) 2nd to 10th stage1. no object

2. no subject » nirvikalpajhana "non-differentiated" (avyavasthapita)usmagata murdhan ksanti laukikagradharma preparatory stage seeing all factors as "mental representation only"

1. no object 2. no subject

1st stage (bhumi) path of seeing (dars'anomargo) » nirvikalpajhana "non-differentiated" (avyavasthapita)

2nd to 10th stage path of cultivating (bhavanamarga) "differentiated" (vyavasthapita)

alayavijhana manovijnana

5 sense perceptions klistamanas> mirror-like awareness (adarsajnana)

= non-conceptual awareness (nirvikalpajndna)

> awareness of differentiation (pratyaveksajnana)

> awareness of accomplishment of deeds

(krtydnusthdnajndna) > awareness of equality (samatajnana)feelings (vedana) >> mastery of the pleasant abodes (sukhavihara)apperception (samjha) >> mastery of teaching by means of words (naman), phrases (pada) and syllables (vyahjana)

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