Dependent Consciousness in Early Buddhism – A Discussion with Doug
In this talk Douglass Smith challenges the idea of pure consciousness emerging independently, a concept present in Brahminic texts and later forms of Buddhism.
Instead, Doug asserts that early Buddhism views consciousness as consisting of six types, each contingent upon sense organs and bases.
Dependent origination further elucidates consciousness’s interdependence, with volition sustaining its continuity, leading to rebirth.
The Buddha rejected the idea of solitary consciousness, emphasizing its reliance on other aggregates and its cessation upon death.
The discourse delves into the Buddhist perspective that consciousness arises in reliance on mental and physical aggregates, with desires and underlying tendencies preserving its continuity.
Overcoming ignorance and craving breaks the cycle of dependent origination, leading to the end of consciousness.
The enlightened state entails a consciousness liberated from samsaric entanglements, eventually ceasing upon death.
Highlighted is a debate between the Buddha and a monastic regarding consciousness’s nature, underscoring its dependence on various factors.
