Mental Consciousness | Sanskrit: मनोविज्ञान | IAST: mano-vijñāna | Framed Zen Art | 12 inch x 12 inch

Mental Consciousness, called mano-vijñāna in Sanskrit, is one of the important concepts in Buddhist philosophy. 

Mental Consciousness is often called the sixth consciousness, which occupies an important position in the eight consciousness system.

The unique position of consciousness is that it is the center that integrates and distinguishes the first five consciousnesses (eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, and body consciousness). 

Mental Consciousness has the functions of thinking, analysis, judgment, memory and decision-making. It is the main carrier of our daily psychological activities.

Mental Consciousness brings "discrimination and cognition": it has the function of discrimination and cognition. It is able to synthesize, analyze and judge the information received from the first five senses. For example, when we see an object, the visual information received by the eye consciousness will be passed to the mental consciousness, and the mental consciousness will distinguish and recognize it based on past experience to obtain specific information about the object.

Mental Consciousness brings "the formation of good and evil karma": it is one of the sources of the formation of good and evil karma. Since mental consciousness can make judgments and decisions, our good and evil behaviors are all formed under the influence of mental consciousness. Mental Consciousness determines our behavior patterns, and these behaviors will accumulate into our karma and affect our future.

Read our meditation blog to understand more about Body Consciousness: The Six Sense-Consciousnesses in Eight Consciousnesses of Yogācāra.

*** Meditate with Every View 🖼️ ***