以格魯派「四種境」與「認知之七項分類」理論辨析現證「補特伽羅無我」之認識歷程=Analysis on the Cognitive Process of the Direct Realization toward the Personal Selflessness According to the Theories of Four Objects and Sevenfold Division of Awareness in the Geluk School
The founder of the Geluk school, Tsongkhapa, asserts the valid cognition as the soteriological path to enlightenment. His followers cultivate the correct reasoning of emptiness of Prasangika-Madhyamika with the basis of the tenets of Sautrantika Followers of Reasoning. Hence they develop the unique thought named “the Union of Middle Way Philosophy and Epistemology”. They advocate that for ordinary people, there is only one way through the inferential valid cognizer to eradicate the misconceptions toward impermanent dharam and selflessness before they can directly perceive the personal selflessness through yogic direct valid cognizer. Although inferential valid cognizer belongs to mistaken consciousness, the Geluk monks do not deny that this kind of wholesome thought consciousness, the inferential valid cognizer, has its positive function in Buddhist practice. Instead, they construct, based on interpretation systems, such as the sevenfold division of awareness, the four objects and explicit realization and implicit realization, the legitimacy of the two statements: “appearing of specifically characterized phenomenon on thought consciousness” and “apprehending the ultimate reality through inferential valid cognizer which belongs to mistaken cousciousness” in order to formulate the argumentation that “both direct valid cognizer and inferential valid cognizer refer to the same ultimate reality.” This thesis discussion is based on the Geluk school’s texts, such as ‘Door of Entry to the Seven Treatises’, ‘Presentation of Awareness and Knowledge’ and ‘Tenets’, with regard to the epistemology of the Sautrantika Followers of Reasoning, together with the oral instructions by the Geluk monks from different monastic colleges in modern times. To consider the feature of Geluk’s interpretations of Valid Cognition Treatises from a hermeneutic perspective, and to analyze the awareness of Valid Cognition Treatises in conventional world and dharma practice from an epistemological perspective, this study attempts to present the cognitive process of the direct realization of the personal selflessness on three levels: appearing, apprehending, and direct realization.
