Mind and Mental States in Buddhist Philosophy
A fundamental idea of all nonmaterialist Indian schools of philosophy, whether orthodox ones that follow the Vedas or heterodox ones such as Buddhist and Jaina that do not, is the cultivation of mind and mental states. Techniques of yoga in Hindu tradition aim at attaining a conscious state in which ordinary mental activities, such as perception and imagination, are suspended. Classical yoga, as expounded by Patanjali's Yogasutra (Woods, 1927), is widely influential in the Hindu tradition.
Orthodox and Heterodox Schools
In Buddhism, citta, mano, and vinnana are three of the main terms to do with mind and mental states. These terms are highly nuanced but are roughly translatable as heart, mind, and consciousness, respectively. These are best understood as processes, not substances, and none are permanent. The Majjhima Nikaya (Middle length sayings), Digha Nikaya (Long discourses), Samyutta Nikaya (Kindred sayings), and Anguttara Nikaya (Gradual sayings) are the basic four collections of suttas (discourses) expounding the early Buddhist position, and Vissudhimagga (The path of purity) is a salient text.
Indian schools of philosophy include three heterodox (nastika) schools, which do not accept the Vedas as divine revelation. These three schools (Carvaka, Jainism, and Buddhism), each in their different ways, put more emphasis upon experience than revelation.
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