Esoteric Buddhism

• from Koten Radio
  • According to Yuishiki, if one can control their perception, they can control anything.
  • However, it is difficult to control the unconscious (Manas Alaya-vijnana).
    • This is what Esoteric Buddhism strives to achieve.

from Buddhism in the Heian period

• 　　　Emphasizing spells and spiritual aspects that cannot be understood through words

• 　　　(Contrast: Exoteric Buddhism, “One must remain silent about the inexpressible” or something like that?)

  • I see.
  • Using the term “spiritual” might be misleading, right?
    • It’s like dealing with areas that cannot be expressed in words through sensory practices (blu3mo) (in a positive sense)
      • Instead of engaging in “remaining silent about the inexpressible,” one can strive without doing so, right? (blu3mo)
    • In Uchiyama Setsu’s ”Places of Life”
    • Feel free to delete as needed (makoton)

  • From the perspective of Buddhist Yogacara philosophy, the world around us is only made up of the perceived reality.
    

  •  In this sense, this world is created by the "mind." It is sufficient to think of it as a world consisting of phenomena that are perceivable.
    

  •  In Buddhism, human "consciousness" can perceive these phenomena but cannot understand their essence.
    

  •  This Buddhist "consciousness = six consciousnesses" corresponds to Schopenhauer's intellect [[Schopenhauer]].
    

  •  　The six consciousnesses are ear consciousness, eye consciousness, tongue consciousness, nose consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. For example, the ear is not just an organ for hearing sounds but a "consciousness" that judges through hearing. Similarly, the eye, tongue, nose, body are all forms of "consciousness."
    

    • These descriptive discussions seem to have a Cognitive Science version 0 vibe (blu3mo)
      • It might be more beneficial to read textbooks on psychology/neuroscience rather than Buddhist texts on this subject?
      • I totally get it (makoton)

  •  Beyond the six consciousnesses lies an "unconsciousness" that cannot be grasped. This "unconsciousness" is also seen as consisting of two stages, Manas and Alaya-vijnana.
    

  •  Schopenhauer's concept of "will" corresponds to Manas (which also includes the ego). It is an ungraspable "will" deep within humans. However, beyond that, there is Alaya-vijnana. If even Manas cannot be grasped, then Alaya-vijnana is even more elusive, residing at the deepest level of consciousness and can be considered the root of consciousness. Schopenhauer observes a process where "will" transitions from a universal to an individual level, gradually becoming objectified (in "The World as Will and Representation"), suggesting that while ungraspable, it underlies the creation of phenomenal life and the world, which is also a perspective in Buddhism.
    

  •  Therefore, [[Buddhism does not explain what the truth is]].
    

    • So, they are not saying “truth does not exist” (blu3mo)
    • They are just not explaining it
    • I still haven’t grasped this aspect (blu3mo)
      • Reading about “Thoughts on Emptiness” or Yuishiki, it may sound like they are saying that there is no objective world or truth, but that’s not the case..?

  •  While in Christianity or Islam, truth is presented, Buddhism places truth in the unexplainable root. However, since that would be incomprehensible, some explanation is provided to a certain extent. Nevertheless, even if put into words, it is only said to be like this intentionally, not forgetting that the real truth lies beyond those words, something that cannot be unraveled. Therefore, many forms of Buddhism do not reveal the truth but rather offer methods to realize it. In Zen Buddhism, engaging in Zen practice is the method, and in Dogen's philosophy, it is said that truth can be grasped while sitting in Zazen.
    

    • I see (blu3mo)(blu3mo)(blu3mo)- Methodology, Design theory
  • If asked whether one can know the truth by practicing in such a way, the answer cannot be given. This is because what lies beyond knowing the truth is the truth itself. Despite Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy being written in understandable language, it may be difficult to grasp due to the influence of Buddhist philosophy as its foundation. At the core of human existence lies an “will” that cannot be grasped. This will seeks for humans to live, yet the reason why one must live remains unknown. This is because the nature of the will that seeks life is not understood. Furthermore, as humans live, they come to understand life through intellect. However, intellect cannot grasp the will, leading to a fundamental sense of emptiness in human life as the impulse towards life, not related to the will, seeks to realize the understanding of life through intellect. This fundamental sense of emptiness in human life arises from this. Moreover, since the impulse of the will is not understood, the meaning of death also becomes incomprehensible. For Schopenhauer, the will is something that permeates life and death. The will is not only the impulse to live but also the impulse to live through death. As beings possessing this will, both natural creatures and humans are identical. Therefore, at the deepest level, there exists a shared will among all living beings, which remains incomprehensible. This mode of thought that Schopenhauer adopted was likely learned from Buddhism. However, in Buddhism, there exists a method to understand the unknown essence. This method is through “practice,” and although there are various methods of practice, the means to understand are presented. For instance, in esoteric Buddhism, the goal is to become a living Buddha. If one can understand the truth through practice, then that is tantamount to becoming a Buddha. Similarly, in the Pure Land school of thought, it is believed that when one sincerely chants the name of Amida Buddha, they will achieve rebirth because at that moment, the truth is realized.