7. The Concept of Mind in Buddhism

Darśanas are commonly followed by the supremacy of the Vedas and the Upaniṣads. But the Nāstika Darśanasdo not justifies the authority of the Vedas. They are Buddha Darśana, Jaina Darśana and Cārvāka Darśana.

Gautama Buddha is the profounder of Buddhism. His teachings are compiled under the name tripīṭakas, which include Vinayapīṭaka, Śuttapīṭaka and Abhidhānapiṭaka. His teachings are known as Āryasatyas. They say that misery is the only reality, desire is the cause of misery, these miseries can be removed through adopting the astangamarga or eight-fold path, namely saṃyak dṛṣti, samyak saṃkalpa, samyak vāṇi, samyak karma, samyak jīvika, samyak prayatna, samyak smṛti and samyak samādhi. Buddhism accepts the pramāṇas, pratykṣa and anumana. This darśana has broken up into four schools, like, (1) Sautrāntika, (2) Vaibhāṣika, (3) Yogācara or Vijñānavādin and (4) Mādhyamika or Śūnyavādin. His teachings aim at the total extinction of suffering and attainment of nirvāṇa here on earth.

Buddhism has no concept of manas apart from buddhi, citta and vijñāna. Mind arises out of ‘being’ [bhāvāṅga], which is mind in sound sleep [vītimutta-citta]. Citta is derived from citi, ie ‘to think’. It may be defined as the awareness of an object, since Buddhism denies a subjective agent like a soul. The complete purification of mind is the ultimate aim of Buddhism. ‘cittaṃvimuccime’—my mind is delivered—was at the peak of joy as uttered by all arhatās. It is the highest condition.