Epistemology

This is the first post of a series on Buddhist epistemology entitled Awareness and Knowledge. An introductory post for this series can be found here the benefits of understanding Buddhist epistemology and psychology. If you haven’t read this post as yet, do so before reading further.

As I post each new section I will link to it from here. This will enable people to bookmark this page for future reference and make it easier for new readers to follow the progress of the series.

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Part One: Objects
(1) Appearing objects.
(2) Determined objects.
(3) Objects of engagement

Part Two: Subjects
I. Persons

II. Awarenesses
   (1) Valid cognizers
      (A) Direct perceivers
         (1) Sense direct perceivers
         (2) Mental direct perceivers
         (3) Self-knowing direct perceivers
         (4) Yogic direct perceivers
      (B) Direct valid cognizers
         (1) Self-knowing direct valid cognizers
         (2) Sense direct valid cognizers
         (3) Mental direct valid cognizers
         (4) Yogic direct valid cognizers
      (C) Facsimiles of a direct perceiver
         (1-6) Conceptual facsimiles of a direct perceiver
         (7) Non-conceptual facsimiles of a direct perceiver
      (D) Inferential valid cognizers
      (E) Terminological divisions of valid cognizers
         (1) Inference for oneself and for another
         (2) Ancillarily, minds apprehending a sign
         (3) Valid cognizers that induce ascertainment by themselves and valid cognizers when ascertainment is induced by another
         (4) Valid cognizers that are persons, speech, and consciousnesses
      (F) Definite enumeration of valid cognizers 
   (2) Non-valid consciousnesses
      (A) Subsequent cognizers
         (1) Directly perceiving subsequent cognizers
         (2) Conceptual subsequent cognizers
      (B) Correctly assuming consciousnesses
      (C) Awarenesses to which the object appears without being ascertained
      (D) Doubting consciousnesses
      (E) Wrong consciousnesses
   (3) Threefold division of awarenesses and knowers
      (A) Conceptual consciousnesses that take a meaning generality as their apprehended object
      (B) Non-conceptual non-mistaken consciousnesses that take a specifically characterized phenomenon as their apprehended object
      (C) Non-conceptual mistaken consciousnesses that take a clear appearance of a nonexistent as their apprehended object
   (4) Twofold division of awarenesses
   (5) Another twofold division of awarenesses and knowers
      (A) Minds
      (B) Mental factors
         (i) Five omnipresent factors
            (1) Feeling
            (2) Discrimination
            (3) Intention
            (4) Contact
            (5) Attention
         (ii) Five object determining mental factors
            (1) Aspiration
            (2) Belief
            (3) Mindfulness
            (4) Meditative stabilization
            (5) Wisdom
         (iii) Eleven virtuous mental factors
            (1) Faith
            (2) Shame
            (3) Embarrassment
            (4) Non-attachment
            (5) Non-hatred
            (6) Non-ignorance
            (7) Effort
            (8) Pliancy
            (9) Conscientiousness
            (10) Equanimity
            (11) Non-harmfulness
         (iv) Six root afflictions
               (1) Attachment
               (2) Anger
               (3) Pride
               (4) Ignorance
               (5) Doubt
               (6) Afflicted views
                  (a) View of the transitory collection
                  (b) View holding to an extreme
                  (c) Conception of a afflicted view as supreme
                  (d) Conception of afflicted ethics as supreme
                  (e) Wrong view
         (v) Twenty secondary afflictions
               (1) Belligerence
               (2) Resentment
               (3) Concealment
               (4) Spite
               (5) Jealousy
               (6) Miserliness
               (7) Deceit
               (8) Dissimulation
               (9) Haughtiness
               (10) Harmfulness
               (11) Non-shame
               (12) Non-embarrassment
               (13) Lethargy
               (14) Excitement
               (15) Non-faith
               (16) Laziness
               (17) Non-conscientiousness
               (18) Forgetfulness
               (19) Non-introspection
               (20) Distraction
         (vi) Four changeable mental factors
               (1) Sleep
               (2) Regret
               (3) Investigation 
               (4) Analysis
   (6) Ancillarily, the mode of asserting tenets

III. Expressive Sounds
(1) Names
(2) Phrases
(3) Letters

Awareness and Knowledge an Introduction

Buddhism asserts the mind is not merely a function of the brain nor is it an emergent property of physical processes. Buddhist epistemology - a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of knowledge - defines consciousness as: that which is clear and knowing. Consciousness, knower and awareness are synonymous. Awareness is ‘clear’ as in it is not obstructed by physical phenomena. It is the luminous aspect of mind and the knowing is the minds capacity to know or cognize phenomena - both internal and external phenomena. Therefore it is that which is clear and knowing.

Regardless of your inclination toward either the current Western notion of the nature of consciousness or the Buddhist definition. The project of developing a ‘good life’ or to use Buddhist terminology ‘practicing Dharma’ or ‘the path to Enlightenment’ is contingent upon understanding your own mind. Given that consciousness in the Buddhist tradition has been the primary object of investigation for more than 2500 years, it makes sense to at least understand what Buddhist literature has to say about the subject regardless of whether you are Buddhist or not.

The Buddhist approach to epistemology and psychology is one of enumerating the basic functions of the mind, as opposed to understanding it through brain processes or behavioral manifestations. By understanding how perception, conception and various mental factors such as the mental factor of feeling - one of the Five Omnipresent mental factors - operate and how the mental factor of feeling plays a crucial role in determining how we relate and react to most of life’s events, one can develop a greater understanding of our dependent nature. We, that is, you and I are after all dependent on various factors other than ourselves. My mind is not me, although it is a part of what makes up me. So by developing a deeper understanding of this very fact, we can better understand who we are, and how we exist. To a greater of lesser extent, it is this process that Buddhists are undertaking.

The lineage of Buddhist epistemology comes from two Indian scholars Dignaga 5th CE and Dharmakirti 7th CE. Dignaga wrote a treatise on what constitutes valid cognition, valid ways of knowing, called Compendium of Valid Cognition. While Dharmakirti wrote Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition his treatise called Commentary on (Dignaga’s) Compendium of Valid Cognition is the foundational text for much of Tibetan monastic education of Buddhist logic and epistemology . The study of mental factors or psychology comes from Compendium of Knowledge written by Asanga 3rd CE.

In the Tibetan monastic education system, the study of epistemology and psychology are studied under the topic of Awareness and Knowledge (blo-rig) pronounced Lo-rik. Lo-rik is the study of consciousness, of mind and the understanding of mind is seen as essential in both it’s practical and theoretical aspects, as the process of the enlightenment project is one of replacing dysfunctional mind with functional ones. Therefore the clear identification of dysfunctional states of mind and the recognition of why they are dysfunctional is of vital importance in the progression from an unenlightened experience to an enlightened one. Meditation which is seen as an indispensable tool in a spiritual aspirant life, is used as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in this process. The culmination of this process is a state of mind, an experience that is free from all dysfunctional states. According to Buddhism, such a mind has the capacity to know all objects of knowledge without error. Buddhists merely label this experience Enlightenment. Perhaps this is what can explain gamma levels leapt’s of 700 to 800 percent

In Lo-rik, consciousness is studied by dividing it into types and sub-types from several different point of view, such as the seven-fold division of:

1. Direct Perceivers
2. Inferential cognizers
3. Subsequent cognizers
4. Correctly assuming consciousness
5. Inattentive awareness
6. Doubting consciousness
7. Wrong consciousness

The Three-fold division:

1. Conceptual consciousnesses that take a meaning generality as their apprehended object.
2. Non-conceptual non-mistaken consciousnesses that take a specifically characterized phenomenon as their apprehended object.
3. Non-conceptual mistaken consciousnesses that take a clear appearance of a nonexistent as their apprehended object.

The Two-fold division:

1. Self-knowers
2. Other-knowers

Another Two-fold division of:

1. Minds
2. Mental factors

This enables a student to develop a sense of how consciousness exists and manifests, by understanding the various types, their functions and how they interrelate. The study of Lo-rik also plays the role in formulating foundational concepts that a student will use in their future studies of Madhyamaka, as well as the Grounds and Paths found in texts like Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realizations.

Awareness and Knowledge - Table of Contents