One Mind; Origin of One Mind; Mysterious Understanding; Abbreviation of the Combined Consciousness of True and False; Eight and Nine Consciousnesses Theory
摘要
This study is concerned with `Mysterious Understanding Nature` (神解性) and its relationship to the One Mind philosophy of distinguished Silla`s philosopher, Bunhwang Wonhyo (617-686). Wonhyo integrated the idea of Dynamics and Mysterious Understanding Nature with the concept of one mind and two approaches from Awakening of Mahayana Faith (大乘起信論). He demonstrated the characteristics of Dynamics and Mystical Understanding Nature contained in one mind by comparing one mind respectively to Alaya-vijnana and Amala-vijnana, and then `One Mind` (一心) to `Origin of One Mind` (一心之源) and Alaya-vijnana to Amala-vijnana. This was necessary because the characteristic consciousness of Amala-vijnana (original purity mind) is different from Alaya-vijnana (眞妄和合識). Wonhyo utilized the concept of `Mysterious Understanding Nature` in order to explain the correlation between the 8th and 9th levels of consciousness. If he had simply accepted the prevailing classification of these two levels of consciousness there would have been no opportunity for further discussion and therefore, no possibility of communication between Buddha and unenlightened beings; hence, Wonhyo`s efforts to make a connection between the two kinds of consciousness. Wonhyo superbly illustrates the mysterious nature of `mind` in his statement, "Original nature is Mysterious Understanding of itself." Mysterious Understanding Nature connects One Mind with Origin of One Mind, but in itself, cannot combine with either. Yet, neither does it resist phenomenal change, because the unchanging phenomenal is the only way for an unenlightened person to attain Buddhahood. In linking the concept of Mysterious Understanding Nature with original nature of One Mind, Wonhyo shows that the nature of original enlightenment is mysterious in itself, and that the meaning of Mysterious Understanding Nature is not restricted to the 8th Alaya-vijnana but extends also to the 9th Amala-vijnana. He does this by harmonizing the eight consciousness theory in Awakening of Mahayana Faith with the nine consciousness theory of the Vajrasamadhi-sutra (金剛三昧經), and expands the notion of One Mind by linking Dynamics and the concept of Mysterious Understanding Nature to One Mind. Wonhyo`s understanding of One Mind is unique based on his inclusion of Mysterious Understanding Nature, a factor that differentiates it from representative Buddhism philosophy.
