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Can one say that Buddhism is an Idealistic religion?
- Thread starter Indagator
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Rinchen
Member
It's difficult to really compare the philosophy of idealism with any Buddhist philosophy. Yogacara, also known as Vijñanavada, teaches that everything is a representation of consciousness. How closely this resembles western idealism, I honestly cannot say. All that I know is that many people have tried to assert that Yogacara is like idealism, and then Buddhists in some way refute the similarity. That's all I can really say, hope that helps in some small way.
Instead of trying to compare, the understanding that no other philosophical system known to man even comes close to a basic understanding of emptiness is a good place to start with Buddhist philosophy. What this means is that panenthism, pantheism, idealism, etc. all fall short of an actual understanding as to how phenomena ultimately exist. That's why I personally stay away from trying to compare.
Instead of trying to compare, the understanding that no other philosophical system known to man even comes close to a basic understanding of emptiness is a good place to start with Buddhist philosophy. What this means is that panenthism, pantheism, idealism, etc. all fall short of an actual understanding as to how phenomena ultimately exist. That's why I personally stay away from trying to compare.
I agree that yogacara is metaphysical idealism in that "all is mind,", but it doesn't necessarily use the western "substance" argument.
Berkeley
1. What is "metaphysical idealism"?
"Metaphysical idealism" is the name philosophers give to the theory of reality or "metaphysics" which holds that the only independently real entities or "substances" are minds and their properties. The most general catch-all word with which to refer to mental properties is "ideas." Thus "ideas" by definition are what "minds" have, they can exist only in minds or "spirits." They are what the mind is thinking of when it thinks. Idealists in effect accept the reality of only one half of Cartesian dualism, the "mind" or "thinking thing" half.
Berkeley
1. What is "metaphysical idealism"?
"Metaphysical idealism" is the name philosophers give to the theory of reality or "metaphysics" which holds that the only independently real entities or "substances" are minds and their properties. The most general catch-all word with which to refer to mental properties is "ideas." Thus "ideas" by definition are what "minds" have, they can exist only in minds or "spirits." They are what the mind is thinking of when it thinks. Idealists in effect accept the reality of only one half of Cartesian dualism, the "mind" or "thinking thing" half.
EtuMalku
Abn Iblis ابن إبليس
A few philosophical terms to ponder . . .
- Subjectivism is the philosophical tenet that our own mental activity is the only unquestionable fact of our experience.
- Solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist.
- Metaphysical Subjectivism is the theory that reality is what we perceive to be real, and that there is no underlying true reality that exists independently of perception.
- Subjective Idealism is the monistic metaphysical doctrine that only minds and mental contents exist. It entails and is generally identified or associated with immaterialism, the doctrine that material things do not exist.
- Transcendental Idealism is a doctrine founded by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the 18th century. Kant's doctrine maintains that human experience of things is similar to the way they appear to us — implying a fundamentally subject‑based component, rather than being an activity that directly (and therefore without any obvious causal link) comprehends the things as they are in and of themselves.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
No. Buddhism is directness. You can, I suppose get idealistic, but that's a person's prerogative as to what he or she makes of it.
Buddha did say that speculations regarding the world are a sign that you are literally out of your mind.
Acintita Sutta: Unconjecturable
Acintita Sutta: Unconjecturable
Rinchen
Member
Exactly. How can you see reality as it is when you're theorizing and speculating about it?
Buddhism sees mind as one of the six sensory base consciousnesses: eye consciousness detects visual, ear consciousness detects sound, nose consciousness detects smell, tongue consciousness detects taste, tactile consciousness detects tactile properties, and mind detects ideas.
Rinchen
Member
Actually, the 6 (or 8) consciousness, along with mental formations, and perception, is all included within the realm of mind, not just Manovijñana.
Yes. I was relating the Buddhist view of ideas as a sensory action to the western definition of metaphysical idealism in post #3. Sorry if I was unclear about it.