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Welcome
to “From the Academy,” a new newsletter inspired by a previous Tricycle
column by the same name. This monthly email series, exclusive for
Premium subscribers, introduces a topic of interest in the world of
Buddhism from an academic perspective, and offers recommended reading
for going deeper. This month’s newsletter discusses the history and
importance of Yogacara philosophy, known as the “mind-only” or
“consciousness-only” school, and provides resources for further
learning.
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What if everything you experience is a product of your mind?
This
idea isn’t new to most Buddhist practitioners, and versions of it
permeate much of modern Western Buddhist thought. But its source in the
Yogacara, one of Mahayana Buddhism’s most philosophical schools, is less
well understood. Known as the “mind-only” or “consciousness-only”
school, Yogacara’s teachings turn our everyday understanding of reality
on its head. But what does it mean that everything is mind-only? And why
should we care?
What is Yogacara?
Emerging
from various Mahayana sources, Yogacara thought developed in India
around the 3rd century CE, and by the 4th or 5th century, two
half-brothers and scholar-monks named Asanga and Vasubandhu had
systematized this new thread of Buddhist teachings. The central idea is vijnaptimatrata,
a Sanskrit term translated as “mind-” or “consciousness-only,” which
suggests that what we perceive as the world around us is actually a
construct of our mind. This doesn’t mean that the external world
ultimately doesn’t exist (which some have interpreted the Yogacara to
claim) but rather that our experience of it is mediated through our
karma, perceptions, and past experiences. Yogacarins sought to
understand these workings of the mind with the final goal of liberation
from suffering.
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Early 13th-century Japanese statue of Asanga and Vasubandhu
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Why is Yogacara important?
Yogacara’s examination of consciousness provides a map of the mind’s movements, showing us how habitual patterns (vasanas) and mental afflictions (klesas)
shape our experience. Drawing from the insights of Nagarjuna’s
Madhyamaka school (c. 2nd century CE), which emphasizes the emptiness (sunyata)
of all phenomena, Yogacara focuses on the mechanisms by which we
perceive and interpret that emptiness. It provides a framework for how
we construct our reality and experience suffering due to our ignorance
of the processes of the mind.
It’s difficult to overstate the school’s influence. Yogacara teachings
directly or indirectly influence most East Asian Buddhist traditions and
are of major concern in Tibetan Buddhism. In Zen, the concept of
mind-only converges with the experience of awakening to the illusion of
distinctions and the nondual nature of the mind. Yogacara’s insights can
be seen in many of the most well-known Zen teachings. In Tibetan
Buddhism, Yogacara’s understanding of consciousness fueled debates about
the nature of reality and mind, stimulating a tradition of vigorous
exploration that continues to produce ever more refined awareness of the
intricacy of the mind and its functions. Across Asia, Yogacara’s views
provide the foundation for practices aimed at freeing ourselves from the
habitual constraints of our minds.
Why should we care about this esoteric 3rd-century teaching?
Although scholars are often careful not to conflate Buddhist teachings and science,
for many Westerners, Yogacara complements modern psychology,
neuroscience, and cognitive science. As a model of the mind, it offers a
way to bring Buddhist wisdom into conversation with contemporary
theories of perception. Studying its teachings can sharpen mindfulness
practice, helping us see how every moment of awareness is shaped by a
complex relationship between the objective and subjective aspects of the
mind. By learning the role of the mind in constructing the world in
which we live, we become better equipped to recognize and let go of
harmful thought patterns.
Yogacara also challenges us to rethink the nature of our personal
identity. In a rapidly developing and hyper-connected global culture
that often emphasizes individual achievement and scientific objectivity,
realizing that the “self” is just another mental construct can be
transformative and aid in cultivating an unbiased bodhisattva-like
compassion—building a better world for ourselves and others.
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Learn more about Yogacara:
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