Skandhas and the 8 Consciousness's

[Tirisilex]

I'm trying to understand how the Skandhas and the 8 consciousness's relate. Both is a structure of self and some of the 8 Consciousness's have the skandhas as a trait for example the Skandha of perception and senses relate to the first 5 consciousnesses. Anyone know how these 2 things fit together? if they do at all?

[CosmicWisdom323]

Hi Tirisilex,

Here is how I understand it:

1st Skandha: Material Form: The eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body.
2nd Skandha: Feeling/Sensation: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching/feeling/physically sensing
3rd Skandha: Perception: sight, sound, scent, taste, texture
4th Skandha: Mental Formations/Concepts: here is where 7 of the 8 consciousnesses reside. Once the energetic information is perceived and decoded, we become conscious of 5 sense reality, and our minds as perceiving entities (consciousnesses 1-6). The 7th level is thinking that this is all there is.
5th Skandha: Pure Consciousness = 8th Level.

I prefer a very stripped down, basic as basic can get form of Buddhism. 4 Noble Truths, Eight Fold Path, Three Poisons, Three Marks of Existence, Three Jewels, Five Hindrances, Five Precepts is what works for me. I found the skandhas somewhat confusing at first, but it was mostly because of the translations I found. Once I put it in terms that made sense to me, I got it.

[Ground]

the 8 consciousnesses are just a subdivision of the consciousness aggregate which are not common to all buddhist schools

At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said, "Monks, I will teach you the five aggregates & the five clinging-aggregates. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, lord," the monks responded.

The Blessed One said, "Now what, monks, are the five aggregates?

"Whatever form is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: That is called the form aggregate.

"Whatever feeling is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: That is called the feeling aggregate.

"Whatever perception is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: That is called the perception aggregate.

"Whatever (mental) fabrications are past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Those are called the fabrications aggregate.

"Whatever consciousness is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: That is called the consciousness aggregate.

"These are called the five aggregates.

"And what are the five clinging-aggregates?

"Whatever form — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near — is clingable, offers sustenance, and is accompanied with mental fermentation: That is called the form clinging-aggregate.

"Whatever feeling — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near — is clingable, offers sustenance, and is accompanied with mental fermentation: That is called the feeling clinging-aggregate.

"Whatever perception — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near — is clingable, offers sustenance, and is accompanied with mental fermentation: That is called the perception clinging-aggregate.

"Whatever (mental) fabrications — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near — are clingable, offer sustenance, and are accompanied with mental fermentation: Those are called the fabrications clinging-aggregate.

"Whatever consciousness — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near — is clingable, offers sustenance, and is accompanied with mental fermentation: That is called the consciousness clinging-aggregate.

"These are called the five clinging-aggregates."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....048.than.html

[Ground]

The Eight Consciousnesses is a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogacara school of Buddhism. They enumerate the five senses, supplemented by the mind, defilements of the mind, and finally the fundamental store-house consciousness, which is the basis of the other seven.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Consciousnesses

[shiningstars]

You learn about Buddhist theory through practice, insight i.e. direct seeing, meditative awareness. The rest is just fairy floss, in my opinion.

shiningstars

[Tirisilex]

Originally Posted by shiningstars

You learn about Buddhist theory through practice, insight i.e. direct seeing, meditative awareness. The rest is just fairy floss, in my opinion.

shiningstars

Practice alone is folly.. If you do not know Dharma then your practice is empty and ignorant.. You would not know what to do in your practice without Dharma.

You can meditate till your blue in the face.. without knowledge you'll go nowhere.