I repeatedly mention the “ālayavijñāna.” What does it actually mean? In essence, it refers to what we commonly call the mind, though the Yogācāra (Consciousness-Only) school designates it specifically as the “ālayavijñāna.” However, the ordinary notion of “mind” is not entirely the same as ālayavijñāna. What people usually mean by “mind” refers to conscious thoughts and feelings, whereas the ālayavijñāna spoken of in Yogācāra is far deeper than ordinary thought and sensation.
What kind of state is the ālayavijñāna? It is a condition in which the six sense faculties have completely quieted down. The eyes no longer truly see—even when open, forms are seen yet not perceived. The ears no longer truly hear—sounds may arise, yet one does not register them. Bodily sensations begin to fade. The tastes and smells perceived by the tongue and nose completely disappear. Even conceptual thinking within consciousness ceases.
Some people meditate, yet their thoughts do not stop even for a single second. But when one abides in the state of ālayavijñāna, thoughts are essentially absent. Even if thoughts occasionally arise, they carry no force; like clouds or mist in empty space, they arise and dissolve on their own. If the mind can remain stably absorbed in that condition, then it is abiding in the state of ālayavijñāna.
If one continues to explore and experience this deeply over a long period of time, one will discover that all phenomena—everything seen, heard, and felt—arise from there, from the ālayavijñāna. One of its functions is to absorb all manifested phenomena back into latent “seeds” (bīja), and then, according to conditions, recombine these seeds once again. “According to conditions” means according to the various karmic forces and tendencies operating within the mind.
—Excerpted and compiled from The Relationship Between Buddhist Theory and Practice
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
