Eight Consciousness

Yogācāra, or the "Consciousness-Only" school, holds a pivotal place in Buddhist philosophy as one of its fundamental doctrines. The core premise of this theory is that all phenomena are manifestations of consciousness, meaning that the existence of all external entities relies on the cognition of the mind. This perspective emphasizes the mind's creative power and the subjectivity of actual phenomena, advocating that reality exists solely within the consciousness.

The theory introduces the concept of "eight consciousnesses" to explain the interaction between mind and matter. These include the five sensory consciousnesses (corresponding to the five senses), the mental consciousness, the mana consciousness (transitional or ego consciousness), and the alaya consciousness (fundamental or storehouse consciousness). The alaya consciousness, in particular, is seen as the repository for all experiential data, forming the foundation of individual cognition and behavior.

In the pursuit of alleviating suffering and achieving inner peace, the Consciousness-Only philosophy offers a method for self-understanding and world comprehension. By grasping how the mind constructs our experiences and reality, practitioners are empowered to manage their mental states, thus transcending suffering and attaining liberation.