rnam par shes pa
- rnam par shes pa
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The fifth of the five aggregates; also counted as the sixth of the six elements. In most Abhidharma accounts it comprises the six sensory consciousnesses, but in Yogācāra theory two more kinds of consciousness, afflicted (kliṣṭamanas) and storehouse (ālayavijñāna), are added. The term "consciousness" in this sūtra should not be assumed to conform fully to these classic categorizations.
Third of the twelve links of dependent origination. Consciousness is defined as "an awareness which is knowing and luminous." Not being physical, it lacks resistance to obstruction. It has neither shape nor color, and it can be experienced but not externally perceived as an object. A distinction is made between the mundane consciousness of sentient beings, and the pristine cognition of the buddhas. In the context of the present discourse, the former includes six aspects of consciousness, namely, visual consciousness, auditory consciousness, olfactory consciousness, tactile consciousness, and mental consciousness, the last of which objectively refers to mental phenomena.
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