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The General Conception of Knowledge
135
hand, the discursive stand-point takes it into account. This view is explained in another way also. Really, the soul is selfluminary. The objects are reflected into it. Thus, the apprehension of the soul means the apprehension of objects also, which stands as reflected into the soul. But, this explanation goes against the theory of illumination.
The Idealist School of Buddhism The Theory of Soul or Consciousness
The Yogācāra divides consciousness into four categories : Citta, Manas, Manovijñāna and the five sense vijñānas. In its general sense, the term citta covers all varieties of consci ness; but, in its specific significance it is the principle of unification, by which all the activities are understood as issuing from one centre. The Mapas is a discriminating agency by which the homogeneous, undifferentiated citta is divided into two parts, the one as the seer and other as the seen; the one as grasping ego and other as the object grasped. The manas is not only intellective; but, also a conative principle. The Vijñāna, that is Manovijñāna is separated from the Manas, only in retaining the latter's intellective function, and may be translated as the intellect; in which case the manas may be regarded as corresponding to the will and the affection. The five Vijñānas are thus, the five senses which discriminate a world of individual forms, each within its own sepse-fold. 1
The citta in its specific sense is known as Ālaya vijñāna and resembles the soul or Pure consciousness of other systems. But, Ālaya vijñāna of the Yogācāra is not an abstract principle devoid of content, as the Sankhya Purusa. According to Lankávatāra it is rich in content, and just because of this inner richness, it is able to evolve out of itself a world of infinite multitudinousness. It is, indeed, an inexaustible reservoir of seeds (bija) which have been accumulated therein since
1 Suzuki : Lankāvatārasūtra p. 248.
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