Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters
    Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters
    Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters
    Ebook553 pages7 hours

    Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters

    By William S. Waldron

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Through engaging, contemporary examples, Making Sense of Mind Only reveals the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism as a coherent system of ideas and practices for the path to liberation, contextualizing its key texts and rendering them accessible and relevant.

    The Yogacara, or Yoga Practice, school is one of the two schools of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in the early centuries of the common era. Though it arose in India, Mahayana Buddhism now flourishes in China, Tibet, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. While the other major Mahayana tradition, the Madhyamaka (Middle Way), focuses on the concept of emptiness—that all phenomena lack an intrinsic essence—the Yogacara school focuses on the cognitive processes whereby we impute such essences. Through everyday examples and analogues in cognitive science, author William Waldron makes Yogacara’s core teachings—on the three turnings of the Dharma wheel, the three natures, the storehouse consciousness, and mere perception—accessible to a broad audience. In contrast to the common characterization of Yogacara as philosophical idealism, Waldron presents Yogacara Buddhism on its own terms, as a coherent system of ideas and practices, with dependent arising its guiding principle.

    The first half of Making Sense of Mind Only explores the historical context for Yogacara’s development. Waldron examines early Buddhist texts that show how our affective and cognitive processes shape the way objects and worlds appear to us, and how we erroneously grasp onto them as essentially real—perpetuating the habits that bind us to samsara. He then analyzes the early Madhyamaka critique of essences.

    This context sets the stage for the book’s second half, an examination of how Yogacara texts such as the Samdhinirmocana Sutra and Asanga’s Stages of Yogic Practice (Yogacarabhumi) build upon these earlier ideas by arguing that our constructive processes also occur unconsciously. Not only do we collectively, yet mostly unknowingly, construct shared realities or cultures, our shared worlds are also mediated through the storehouse consciousness (alayavijñana) functioning as a cultural unconscious. Vasubandhu’s Twenty Verses argues that we can learn to recognize such objects and worlds as “mere perceptions” (vijñaptimatra) and thereby abandon our enchantment with the products of our own cognitive processes. Finally, Maitreya’s Distinguishing Phenomena from Their Ultimate Nature (Dharmadharmatavibhaga) elegantly lays out the Mahayana path to this transformation.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWisdom Publications
    Release dateNov 7, 2023
    ISBN9781614297413
    Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters
    Author

    William S. Waldron

    Bill Waldron got his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1990 after extensive travel and study in Asia with native Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese scholars and three years of research at Otani University in Kyoto, Japan. He has been teaching courses at Middlebury College since 1996 on Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, comparative philosophies of mind, and theory and method in the study of religion. His publications focus on the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism in dialogue with modern thought. His first book, The Buddhist Unconscious: The Alaya-Vijñana in the Context of Indian Buddhist Thought, was published by RoutledgeCurzon in 2003. He regularly gives talks and workshops at Dharma study groups in America and Asia, focusing on Yogacara and contemporary topics. When he is not teaching, he may be found wandering the shores of Lake Huron or doing kora with his wife in Kathmandu, Nepal.

    Related to Making Sense of Mind Only

    Related ebooks

    Philosophy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Problem with Calling Buddhism a Science

      Feb 11, 2020

      The Problem with Calling Buddhism a Science
      8 min read

    • Article

      Was There a Fifth Noble Truth?

      Jan 22, 2019

      MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS have passed since twenty-eight fragile birch bark scrolls, now known to be the oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts in the world, came to light. Dating back to as early as the first century BCE, the scrolls—originating in the

      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Briefs

      Dec 6, 2022

      WE CALL SHAKYAMUNI the “historical Buddha,” yet mostly treat him as a quasi-mythic figure who transcends time and space, whose actual existence on our planet is but a faint memory. Xinru Liu, a historian of ancient India, would beg to differ. In Earl

      4 min read

    • Article

      How Do We Make Sense of Rebirth?

      Jun 28, 2022

      How Do We Make Sense of Rebirth?
      15 min read

    • Article

      Book Briefs

      Mar 8, 2022

      BUDDHADASA BHIKKHU (1906–1993), one of Thailand’s most revered monks of the twentieth century, wants us all to be problem solvers. In an edited series of his lectures recently published as Seeing with the Eye of Dhamma: The Comprehensive Teaching of

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Buddhist Science of Mind

      Mar 2, 2021

      The Buddhist Science of Mind
      6 min read

    • Article

      Up-to-date Dharma

      Jul 19, 2022

      Up-to-date Dharma
      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Briefs

      Nov 3, 2020

      Human beings have written paeans to everything from shadows to nightingales, but few things inspire more admiration in bodhisattvas than compassion. Yet what exactly does compassion, a word used so liberally today, consist of? In Praise of Great Comp

      4 min read

    • Article

      Can We Know Others’ Worlds?

      Mar 8, 2022

      Can We Know Others’ Worlds?
      6 min read

    • Article

      Why Meditation Isn’t Enough

      May 21, 2019

      IN THE TIBETAN tradition, the study of Buddhist philosophy is known as “learning and reflecting on the view.” Through a process of sustained inquiry, we can become free from all doubts about the true nature of reality as described by the Buddhist tea

      4 min read

    • Article

      Drink In Wisdom

      Nov 22, 2022

      Drink In Wisdom
      4 min read

    • Article

      Nothing Is More Important Than Your Buddhanature

      Sep 20, 2023

      BUDDHISTS OFTEN talk about suffering, emptiness, interdependence, and other philosophies and practices, but behind all of it is one simple teaching: buddhanature. Buddhism is notoriously complex, and sometimes it seems difficult for people to know wh

      2 min read

    • Article

      Freda Bedi

      Jan 21, 2020

      FREDA BEDI WAS BORN Freda Houston above a quaint watchmaker’s shop in Derby, England, in 1911. Tall, blue-eyed, and with an imposing manner, she wore many hats: Oxford scholar, professor, social worker, champion of women’s rights, wife and mother of

      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Briefs

      Nov 7, 2017

      Shozan Jack Haubner’s SINGLE WHITE MONK (Shambhala 2017) is self-deprecating, blunt, humorous, and profoundly troubling. Haubner was a close disciple of the Zen teacher Joshu Sasaki, whose reputation crumbled when his long history of sexually abusing

      4 min read

    • Article

      “I Take Refuge In Amida Buddha”

      Mar 22, 2022

      Pure Land Buddhism teaches that there was a monk named Dharmakara who lived in the distant past. Horrified by the defiled nature of the world, he engaged in ascetic practices for many years until he realized enlightenment, becoming Amida, the Buddha

      1 min read

    • Article

      Looking Into Vajrayana Buddhism’s Future

      Mar 11, 2024

      Looking Into Vajrayana Buddhism’s Future
      20 min read

    • Article

      Joseph Goldstein: It’s Not Either-Or

      Sep 20, 2023

      Joseph Goldstein: It’s Not Either-Or
      8 min read

    • Article

      Why Should I Care about the Abhidharma?

      Jun 5, 2020

      Why Should I Care about the Abhidharma?
      12 min read

    • Article

      Thanks To Guanyin

      Mar 23, 2021

      Thanks To Guanyin
      2 min read

    • Article

      Awakening Fueled by Rage

      Nov 12, 2019

      Awakening Fueled by Rage
      5 min read

    • Article

      Beginner’s Mind

      Mar 19, 2019

      WITH SO MANY lineages, practices, and unique terms, the world of Tibetan Buddhism can be confusing. Here is a short primer on the four main schools and some of their key practices. Gelugpa: Established in the fifteenth century, the Gelugpas are the n

      4 min read

    • Article

      Your Enlightened Nature

      Sep 19, 2023

      Your Enlightened Nature
      6 min read

    • Article

      10 Steps to Tame the Elephant

      Mar 8, 2022

      10 Steps to Tame the Elephant
      11 min read

    • Article

      A Short Guide to Key Buddhanature Texts

      Sep 20, 2023

      Buddhanature, or tathagatagarbha: some say it is not Buddhist, some say it is quintessentially so. I do not want to push either judgment upon you; there is more than one way to be a Buddhist! Instead, I want to provide a roundup of some formative bud

      3 min read

    • Article

      Enlightenment Is a Male Fantasy

      Nov 6, 2018

      Enlightenment Is a Male Fantasy
      7 min read

    • Article

      Forum: Understanding Dukkha

      Nov 7, 2017

      Forum: Understanding Dukkha
      20 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Making Sense of Mind Only

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Making Sense of Mind Only - William S. Waldron

      `Iebook_preview_excerpt.html}˲G寤fH3RI]J&E$vIFdIVR7 ^VEffYլi}9 z6f].??ƾkwMb[_z ;|G=}=~UzSo8}=ʧ->nn=|>6Uh}h+*C c}CM]oVN/?C;ի?Vm\]9|v=FV_mh`yx2f붻m1g?xU=P-cT:5kyjU2"ӮVG c_˿n}؄2Z🫾Uۭ~28ս`iܗ&njQm~/^UpOMM=`&fQ cqWv1X^LCQVc H=>vmwxwb nb_L` GJp%RwAkɀnߌ/c]PcŃ ғ vȖ%9TӀo0)>@~5L˱>RoR-*UoYp bMdյA Tw}U}:_ (_z]c^HdUn(͉2!ao{wQm2Ɲ:_6N78ᐤlnoGbu0!np]|.ňCJ߄z}1lEW7` ov )xyL88\]= b'*7,h*A 3DXM۝S)/VjNrܜZqӭ=YSaS*E$*]>֛#WB5@>S7e re?jAV(߱<})}>J? dmFnjNQ/$cILNXbI*Z{zp(ܑ >nebя!#vũ8m4띘ާ}ÇݗIVڣ :H=~'*{;mtjgֳ~)\KExr̴~5˦zhP2|2EMks6u/m[OOxR\9_8V;Z^p+0|d)M呬6eן }:7u *F⨵a^^Vdn〝h[C3fK+rcߔ |3f=[v,O y*c%BG|L VhS'f;"\@4Ec5w:z1trWM0TŽ8uTs̱OzDъWP 5Ɛt~M476&ȕ͆'d`yq^ gGTdt\&5O`qdf9.xb<Ûjɰr4S=Cգ~pJ\>UW_dQ#*ϴ|1vً̹@.EԑLUvxV/MhPJX3} 8MaaL@w߸FR@&6cq"LTPeB "*YX}~ 5ԃ4ڽ޹dک[- >,l^fKuO3Oij}IZ&ձm n%9$~O$V ^)0M 0q-uGm|Xj*6rNX6y+1azI= 􄟨ܚldwKsh1\Oڵmr$A v?j䳁g-r9Z6xڪ0R}bo1s'cD!UB衅Oꪙ>SJZOQ 䴱 .pzz+ J%e-)NzSŸׯPEBO&c= Z!DP֛>F;]+c98u=EVF\M#\?!.*jNx?Ks hٽ{Г>,ԊFNtS/! _CVɚwUHf3AY1-|u_VK`,[T*7Z}wXW\zՀɕ51Q25}'N[rԳ2IsҌ ҷ/,H \м zLD"X_ =ZqWlFX.XO$WM83+릵S Ud,{1Tz(vatVqޫ=(@Tb ρ7ax6V=0؛ׯ~cZh]0HtOl;ב @Vc(7)*‡1Z,MU>[؜9];yq0oJ8JQޅaB|^WĒaczYNGޥBG"&F|= ~f?7:)?7! b8҆FAjc MO4b M(* uQ&4ci Tvq|HP]` I}QZ22j.Fd`hKt[J.u8+?mY';O!Xj^.&é4QJ.δ a$pb[ ` 1sM*Ҭ?wZOvUĖ& ׿}g_?J䫼1tQu)0HC~5%plkK#ZRcòG$J, /NeP9uGşV wMB,J9;HJE2h3no˭J$II/*H_F u@,5cdbp_pilX5T"" dU>Z~@Lr(vXO6 A9t`%dz޺lt@Rڱg"2Pq`iLٮFEi2\4pDkC]2$`d6IE4<8]XlfZ^BE43B4*kbHD&T3+]L]pjqЙ~,yTP"}T;kzб0ݯR=O5D\[c?l0'`-ކMg54`= _@euu F]c:JR[E\"d58^u fz QkQBn :L4^rL.V7M4 ` SAҜz];ܸW?S/>q29콙djx9BXB L&ac߅aZv#@v{_"n8߷s 2H­maEq[pv9(b+׵)ŅEEiVZyNWXu3P$[6LU2b(]k"YpoO,jѶt׌({R rNbյ*˩F+aAG2$3OA)}`Sx.K(%"]ӚV+ :Y@}'H?)xѾ+Tש)y̳D:&>W]hAI|n;䯼XjN3Q,iBG\0ǩr==( L78PL@/Ō [2zSHx|%ZzG>J@D0!=A I>q1^dr"cS,N&:sR*BREQ0gKW" t19ϖpD {!oExgkrc%%o0\OV@;[nS dW'6 FR7$sYq%m`8 <; 陈g2q dBkf_YRe_tx.3Xo{ףȔf{0:0$5y9+njyԒ$@1:`ݯ⡮4N YgYVHh* ^F뤤? ~2[下9Љ؃'GPFOhW߿~u-n֩ߵCJ!cGEɃv=4k 'mז[%-սAPx $KʘvI F0XjD&%k9uE/y6EP &hMX]W",9rI>- 鄮@v\)Y:6b4Br؇*_I2UkJBUVG3-HO?}ie[rgi]Kheby~e͓o=D,@}a!-\.]~=ە{Y~t"NZiG LOys }Hv6O~5D>G2'u!f3I >42I/]Rl:2SDFK@j =zX$0l*My!s;r2Ěaa^ֆgdQ_ q@)y'w?lCW+{Y&?MԾ(=&ڊ AN;Vp/RGΕAZ;GyDmrԺ1Kj!\JP]0OztyLBP|gtQԽ^֝u4Rg3n e^bVĢ|,/>i{5esqy Z88=f|/b UE&Bڢ+o46qR9=£KSQ<ݕ{" K ,Sg=-j&:y|wTXVU434dkP+:RCkN#XW&(tevS]hHT_ms3@"k֢i#8>Pu 3Q{vlY! 0ci~%9d3KOqayNZYJz㟒oU[vr%ry9CpXKf=| kG^e:^\x!qZߔ a%DcT5\ fr`\-x# Z~Sl7NS)2S'g%qً2d,o{SN[':+e$NuՑ+<|pE-@, ̼-\|n٧*&Mj#c>H`fenQwi$&WsneK<;Wǩ8%y#jL-gV+ÏsZ~{*{S6Sa9l׸sXyi^oѶ_gb+>"{C]Щ:G @I?2-Mh2ک3ۅ2ΨprJ0]4Kdn꓿q,#-ODIjLmcm8a] /ePnxm9CHn [ 4~6# d+A3j ιOgjβ FjҽEjU6KHyF\..9iMH5+ `( }܋݄Uk?ǩEgV]l.16Q)U׵Vc3> 5S]ʸCDn*"C%X8%( J 81wESɏ>)-2n'tU3x(g[2 \|\^hG xVBnq-+BaN#–0N.je|m-DdN6(/-=t:<jj2vTڝ]Ԋ2~z Wn|o|=9j0`uCJ4λjMNT1#&,FJ  Z[chUƋĢڬCٵ!%-%;VkU7Ij}3~xUi.>OQΚ7rhtW7(2!cUF*dS&Q*qv7^_w,j|Ar z9r509g?' s'Ov(Ȓ5AF@9&?ӭ" |夢ƿڄ?aʯ 1tOoruG`vmFjڳsϠ{C֔Mׯ_=sp4nmSz2.Z]Vaɿ@O<gE&.4X*{g;S\}wA~\jT [%XǜR{6dU,!aG-dX]$Y"sBvEB]iv\2)qt/^PVϝ|)>W0B=/L%s]YZ~4`a.z?-JvD$Eie;iS:خhm֜sT{(c7AKRUL{QAKijBF\9㬪nSXa%2 ȥ`*_dהpRrmjV6%27wS$syqU#$XS]g:+U䢉j6Tܮ]1*놐%TddEu,=L\8m7( ΜwP%XrܳTvXkWCۆa'Kz@ս#~7p󉚍{".m_;?nV|@uޝO Q_˪[ r"I(0-XO.)kI2=K0^5gs\xS IC@ʺEՓ֓ΗԹ9֒.iH=aԀL@zZQǟnrnHNRr?kzS=]yLO#Tcۇ]6: a3/+/Jέ3^ Z^Mtbت / Bg?N*u3h .k--*y~ס~kDbbo\hOũ)2A@-r;e&pɥ,0yǼK&#}"lK67nɀK1/ʬHF^=9YyɏӜ_gK{[cn^%p7<ʔҸ\0+Wω,Wog{\K|ˍx| Ehw:ypw !f=Ip>Z I3B{Zb_\ӉvοR2T,2`׉tNh/9r޴,-ʁgk)skj`\^R*E{o1w>|xa4M@a,gvBxd?4aZ$ؐqk$ϵI[ҁ0[wPW<\ڢŎV@Zz벐橅qJz&rU^+^7Ds{'R3]u"0}).S4I)gjT Wh~=`nVMm9ŷ2D%uZۻϴRe?.y,/ܣM0<(SN'-D!lC}Q6hL.Yz;űbt2[y 1nQڍ^9wVX? F^\)8KFDY)mOWְy\O8Sy_CϤVBx,̱`3ͯĂtײ'|Wa~0J7yM'mw3\ յYK?XWZ#ِ'_~G9J=q?˅?}\?M ս?xi2߹(;De}G>uͫ0 ߉ջ;Nc\mSE`ޕjlA ԡ+ՀB62)Ȣ2t0܆jta;>k22[Y=(Jf0o?0J]ro_~V ~2rЫf^ȆY}r_L1Wt9cz3(L ǓgkDѮZ53j{ VˊT&"/CIwymZRX^`}h`MF-e#ztӅXhv7iUݩBE+uF플A'YG>aWjr +*jMΗS o?<;ᨡrw1a"J5쑻 FڼQ.%V7ю2ҷ-]hλ6;ƝCnJo(tCz+ddhpǠfMݢ6HG[!%!ɝF]NeHis_"bRzǃTk_~(G"W1?QI灢Rp2?*e M{jƆ)$ _aU>/ώ_)*\ӻ> R!J͡Pn$lT=6^!{Zv]t(wx>|۫FvqIд+o9+kx]Y]UZ uJQA킙WlʼQA{Z?d~Zj,QT#Zk ̔7\yfMVLO![Dj-\/x.msUc9P \mJ>hĪCGί/D-샫꯾R7ͣDUkm}QPZJk]
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1