The eight consciousnesses, which relate from Vijñānavāda perspective, involve the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mental consciousness, the manas, and the ālayavijñāna. These components are presented as beginning with the single mind through the increasing complexity of the process of consciousness. Herein, the eight-consciousness concept can increase our understanding of ethical decision making. The first purpose of this research is to empirically investigate whether emptiness (viz. Mādhyamaka) is positively associated with the intuitive judgment that results from eight consciousnesses (viz. Vijñānavāda). The second purpose is to empirically explore whether the intuition is positively associated with the moral intensity of ethical decision-making. The third purpose is to empirically search whether the moral intensity is positively associated with the ethical decision making. A questionnaire-based quantitative approach was used to collect data from an initial 200 participants (spirit mediums). After eliminating 43 incomplete questionnaires, 157 participants successfully entered this initial, robust research. The results show that emptiness is significantly correlated with pure brightness and that pure brightness is, in turn, significantly correlated with intuitive judgment. It is also found that only collective universal intuition has a significantly positive association with the moral intensity of ethical decision-making. Personal experience intuition and collective archetype intuition are not significantly associated with moral intensity. Based on the empirical results, the Amalavijñāna model is proposed to increase our understanding of ethical decision-making. The Amalavijñāna model can distinguish judgment from moral judgment, explain the intuition source, integrate cognitive and emotional influences, interpret the reasons for moral failure and postulate how emotions and cognition work together. Considering that The Amalavijñāna model comprehensively describes decision processes that take place in the mind, it not only provides a guideline for moral judgment but is also helpful in instructing and teaching mindfulness.
1.Introduction 1 1.1 Research Background and Motivation 1 1.1.1 Background 1 1.1.2 Motivation 4 1.2 Research Purpose 6 1.3 Research Scope 8 1.4 Research Limitations 9 1.5 Contribution 10 2. Literature Review and Concept Building 13 2.1 Using the Eight-Consciousness Concept in Ethical Decision Making 13 2.1.1 Types of ethics and moral judgment 13 2.1.2 Theoretical Descriptive EDM Approaches 14 (1) Rationalist approach 15 (2) Nonrationalist approach 17 (3) Integrated approach 19 2.1.3 Understanding the Eight Consciousnesses 20 (1) Mind dharmas vs. dharmas that interact with the mind 20 (2) The First Five Consciousness 24 (3) The Sixth Consciousness 25 (4) The Seventh Consciousness 26 (5) The Eighth Consciousness 27 2.1.4 Comparison of Eight-Consciousnesses and EDM 28 (1) The Eight-Consciousness Concept 28 (2) Two Difference Between Eight Consciousness and EDM 30 2.1.5 Application of the Eight-Consciousness Concept to EDM 31 (1) Interpreting Which Emotion Affects Intuition 31 (2) The argument for Dual Process in Moral Judgment 32 2.1.6 To Be Continued 34 2.2 Emptiness and the Eight Consciousnesses: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Intuitive Judgment 35 2.2.1 Emptiness 36 2.2.2 Eight Consciousnesses 38 (1) The Sixth Consciousness 38 (2) The Seventh Consciousness 39 (3) The Eighth Consciousness 39 (4) Amalavijñāna 40 2.2.3 Hypothesis 40 (1) Emptiness (H1) 40 (2) Three Types of Intuition (H2.1; H2.2; H2.3) 41 2.2.4 To Be Continued 42 2.3 Is Intuition Associated with Ethical Decision-Making? 43 2.3.1 Definition of Intuition 44 2.3.2 Question for EDM Approaches 45 (1) Question regarding the rationalist approach 45 (2) Question regarding the non-rationalist approach 47 (3) Question regarding the integrated approach 48 2.3.3 Hypothesis 49 (1) A deliberative decision-making approach (H3) 49 (2) Three Types of Intuition and Moral Intensity (H4.1; H4.2;H4.3) 49 (3) Jones’ Issue-contingent model (H5.1; H5.2; H5.3) 53 3. Research Method and Design 54 3.1 Research Process 54 3.2 Research Framework 56 3.2.1 Research Framework 56 (1) Moral Intensity-Issue Contingent Model 56 (2) Sensemaking-Intuition Model 57 (3) A religion-based framework 58 (4) The conceptual framework 59 3.2.2 Research Hypothesis 60 3.3 Research Samples 61 3.4 Research Setting 62 3.5 Research Procedure 63 3.6 Research Design 65 3.7 Research Measurement 69 3.8 Data Analysis 72 3.9 Ethical Considerations 76 3.10 Survey of 200 Taiwan Spirit Mediums 76 3.10.1 Spirit Medium 76 3.10.2 Religious Task 78 3.10.3 Inborn or Acquired Powers 80 3.10.4 Design of Basic Questions 81 4. Research Results 83 4.1 Results of Basic Information 83 4.1.1 Validity 83 4.1.2 Descriptive Statistics 83 4.1.3 Name of Deity 85 4.1.4 Inborn vs. Acquired Sense Power 87 4.2 Reliability 88 4.3 Validity 91 4.4 The Correlation Analysis between Variables 96 4.5 Regression 97 4.6 The Structural Equation Model (SEM) Analysis 102 4.6.1 Measurement Model Evaluation 102 4.6.2 Structural Model Evaluation 109 4.7 Results of Hypothesis Testing 117 5 Discussion 118 5.1 Outline of the Results 118 5.2 Theoretical Implications of Basic Information 119 5.3 Practical Implications 123 6. The amalavijñāna model 129 6.1 Input Process 130 6.2 Output Processes 133 6.2.1 Output Processes: from the eighth to the first five consciousnesses 133 6.2.2 Karma and the Dharmas 133 6.2.3 The Delusion Source of each Consciousness 134 6.3 Implications of the Amalavijñāna Model 136 6.3.1 Judgment and Moral Judgment 136 6.3.2 Intuition 137 6.3.
