Jen-Sheng, Liao

Using the Nine-Consciousness Concept of VijAAnavAda in Moral Judgment

Amalavijñāna has often been interpreted as an attempt to forge links between Yogacara and Tathāgatagarbha thought—that is, to synthesize the two major strands of Chinese Mahayana Buddhist doctrine (Mahayana and Vijñānavāda). In this article, amalavijñāna is used to build a nine-consciousness model that relates to an understanding of consciousness itself from the Vijñānavāda perspective. The nine-consciousness model comprises the first five consciousnesses (seeing, hearing, smell, taste, and bodily sensation), the conscious mind, the manas, the ālayavijñāna, and the amalavijñāna. Herein it will be explained how the nine-consciousness model can increase our understanding of ethical decision-making and develop a perspective that can facilitate enlightenment. The nine-consciousness model can distinguish judgment from moral judgment, explain the intuition source, integrate cognitive and emotional influences, interpret the reasons of moral failure and postulate how emotions and cognition work together. Considering that the nine-consciousness model comprehensively describes decision processes that take place in the mind, it not only provides a guideline for moral judgment but is also helpful in instructing and teaching mindfulness.