4.4. Forms of Knowledge

According to Yogācāra there are three forms of knowledge-Illusion, Relative knowledge and Absolute knowledge.^[1]

Illusion (Parikalpita)

Parikalpita is purely imaginary. Illusion (parikalpita) is a sense-perception which is not co-ordinated by the categories of the understanding. In other words, it is purely subjective elaboration, not verified by objective reality and critical judgment. A perceptual illusion is a psychical fact and as such it is justified. For instance: a hare’s horn, a barren women’s child, a sky-flower, a dream, a mirage, the perception of double moon etc. They are all illusion and they are not confirmed by other sense-impression whose coordination is necessary to establish an objective reality. Further it is because of this illusion more and more importance is given to the material existence which is creating ignorance and superstitious beliefs in this world. Therefore, all sound inference and correct behaviour must be based on critical knowledge and not on illusionary premises.

Relative Knowledge (Paratantra)

Paratantra is relative which depends on causes and conditions. According to Relative knowledge (paratantra-lakṣana) view everything in this world has relative and conditional existence, and nothing can claim an absolute reality free from all limitation. The paratantra-lakṣana therefore consists in the knowledge derived from our daily intercourse with the outward world. It deals with the highest abstraction which one make out of their sensuous experience. According to this form of knowledge the universe has only a relative existence and our knowledge is necessarily limited because perceptual knowledge doesn”t exhaust the entire field of human experience, as it doesn”t take into account our spiritual life and inmost consciousness. Therefore, one must transcend the narrow limits of conditionality and try to see indispensable postulates underlying our life and experience. The recognition of these indispensable postulates of life constitutes the Yogācāra’s third form of knowledge called Absolute knowledge (pariniṣpanna-lakṣana).^[2]

Absolute Knowledge (Pariniṣpanna)

This form of knowledge is absolutely real which is based on spiritual experience which transcends the subject-object duality. Absolute knowledge (pariniṣpanna-lakṣana) literally means the world-view founded on the most perfect knowledge. According to this view, phenomenal existences are regulated by natural law characterized by conditional and individuality, they by no means exhaust all our experiences which are stored in our inmost consciousness. There must be something, -this is the absolute demand of humanity, the ultimate postulate of experience, -be it will or intelligence which, underlying and animating all existences, forms the basis of cosmic, ethical and religious life. This highest will or intelligence, or God is called by Mahāyānist religiously Dharmakāya, ontologically Bhūtatathātā, and psychologically Bodhi or Sambodhi. According to them, it must be immanent in the universe manifesting itself in all place and time; it must be the cause of perpetual creations and it must be principle of morality. The Buddhists say that when our mind is clear of illusion, prejudices and egotistic assumption, they become transparent and reflect the truth like a dust-free mirror. The illumination thus gained in our consciousness constitutes the so-called pariniṣpanna, the mist perfect knowledge that leads to nirvana, final salvation and eternal bliss.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

D.T. Suzuki, op.cit, p. 87.

[2]:

Ibid., p. 88.