Vijñānakāya (Sanskrit: विज्ञानकाय) or Vijñānakaya-śāstra (विज्ञानकायशास्त्र) is one of the seven Sarvāstivāda AbhidharmaBuddhist scriptures. "Vijñānakāya" means "group or substance of consciousness". It was composed by Devasarman (according to both Sanskrit and Chinese sources), with the Chinese translated by Xuanzang: T26, No. 1539, 阿毘達磨識身足論, 提婆設摩阿羅漢造, 三藏法師玄奘奉 詔譯, in 16 fascicles.
Vijñānakāya is the first Abhidharma text that is not attributed to a direct disciple of the Buddha, but written some 100 years after the Buddha's parinirvana, according to Xuanzang's disciple Puguang. Yin Shun however, concludes it was composed around the 1st century CE, and was influenced by the Jñānaprasthāna, though differs in several aspects. In this regard, he likens it to the Prakaranapada, which is also a different position on the Sarvāstivāda as a whole.
This is an esteemed Sarvāstivāda text wherein the Sarvāstivāda is upheld against Vibhajyavada objections, in the first of its six sections. It is here that the theory of "sarva-asti", the existence of all dharmas through past, present and future, is first presented.[1] The issue is only brought up when Moggaliputta-tissa makes the standard claim of the Vibhajyavada, "past and future (dharmas) do not exist, (only) present and unconditioned (dharmas) do exist". The Vijñānakāya has four main theses to refute this:
The impossibility of karma and vipāka being simultaneous
That vijñāna only arises with an object
Attainments are not necessarily present.
In addition to refuting the Vibhajyavāda view, the second section is a refutation of the Vatsiputriya Pudgalavada claim of: "the paramartha of the ārya [truths] can be attained, can be realized by the 'pudgala', present and complete, therefore it is certainly [the case] that the 'pudgala' exists".[2] The Sarvāstivāda take the title 'śūnyatāvāda' in order to refute this claim, though this obviously means "empty of pudgala", rather than the later Śunyavāda of the Mahāyāna, i.e. the Madhyamaka. The first refutation centres on the two extremes of "absolute identity" and "absolute difference". The second hinges on the continuity of the existence of the skandhas in the past, present and future – Sarvāstivāda – proper.[3]
The third and fourth sections concern the causal condition, and the conditioning object of vijnana respectively. The fifth includes the two other conditions, the immediate condition and predominant condition. These conditions are discussed in terms of their realm, nature, temporal location, etc. in a format that came to be standard for the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma. Such a system also appears in Abhidharma type analysis of dharmas in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra and Mahāprajñāpāramitāupadeśa. The remaining five sections are doctrinal elaborations of the Sarvāstivāda school, including issues regarding perception, dependent origination and conditionality[4]
vijnanakaya, vijñānakāya, sanskrit, नक, vijñānakaya, śāstra, नक, यश, seven, sarvāstivāda, abhidharma, buddhist, scriptures, vijñānakāya, means, group, substance, consciousness, composed, devasarman, according, both, sanskrit, chinese, sources, with, chinese, t. Vijnanakaya Sanskrit व ज ञ नक य or Vijnanakaya sastra व ज ञ नक यश स त र is one of the seven Sarvastivada Abhidharma Buddhist scriptures Vijnanakaya means group or substance of consciousness It was composed by Devasarman according to both Sanskrit and Chinese sources with the Chinese translated by Xuanzang T26 No 1539 阿毘達磨識身足論 提婆設摩阿羅漢造 三藏法師玄奘奉 詔譯 in 16 fascicles Vijnanakaya is the first Abhidharma text that is not attributed to a direct disciple of the Buddha but written some 100 years after the Buddha s parinirvana according to Xuanzang s disciple Puguang Yin Shun however concludes it was composed around the 1st century CE and was influenced by the Jnanaprasthana though differs in several aspects In this regard he likens it to the Prakaranapada which is also a different position on the Sarvastivada as a whole This is an esteemed Sarvastivada text wherein the Sarvastivada is upheld against Vibhajyavada objections in the first of its six sections It is here that the theory of sarva asti the existence of all dharmas through past present and future is first presented 1 The issue is only brought up when Moggaliputta tissa makes the standard claim of the Vibhajyavada past and future dharmas do not exist only present and unconditioned dharmas do exist The Vijnanakaya has four main theses to refute this The impossibility of two simultaneous cittas The impossibility of karma and vipaka being simultaneous That vijnana only arises with an object Attainments are not necessarily present In addition to refuting the Vibhajyavada view the second section is a refutation of the Vatsiputriya Pudgalavada claim of the paramartha of the arya truths can be attained can be realized by the pudgala present and complete therefore it is certainly the case that the pudgala exists 2 The Sarvastivada take the title sunyatavada in order to refute this claim though this obviously means empty of pudgala rather than the later Sunyavada of the Mahayana i e the Madhyamaka The first refutation centres on the two extremes of absolute identity and absolute difference The second hinges on the continuity of the existence of the skandhas in the past present and future Sarvastivada proper 3 The third and fourth sections concern the causal condition and the conditioning object of vijnana respectively The fifth includes the two other conditions the immediate condition and predominant condition These conditions are discussed in terms of their realm nature temporal location etc in a format that came to be standard for the Sarvastivada Abhidharma Such a system also appears in Abhidharma type analysis of dharmas in the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra and Mahaprajnaparamitaupadesa The remaining five sections are doctrinal elaborations of the Sarvastivada school including issues regarding perception dependent origination and conditionality 4 References Edit Vijnanakaya Sastra T26n1539 p0531a27 Vijnanakaya Sastra T26n1539 p0537b03 Yin Shun Study of the Abhidharma Texts and Commentators of the Sarvastivada 說一切有部為主的論書與論師之研究 Zhengwen Publishing 1968 pg 168 See Mahaprajnaparamitopadesa T25n1509 p0493a b Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vijnanakaya amp oldid 1076739224, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
