[Advaita-l] Vijnanavada and the concept of Alaya vijnana.

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

Namaste,

There is a concept of Alaya vijnAna in the yOgAchAra school of buddhism. My
question is, is this a standard concept of this school which is accepted by
all? Is there any reference/refutation of this concept in the
shAnkarabhAshya and the sub-commentators of the advaita tradtion?

I also would like to know how it is different from the concept of
mAyA/cosmic-mind of advaita?


-- 
Best Wishes,

Vinayaka
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The Vijnanavada was developed by Vasubandhu in aprrox.300-400A.D.After words this was further developed by Dignaga around 500 A.D.The concept of Dignaga that the word exists internally,'Yad antar jneya rupam tad bahirvat avabhasate"(In his "Alambana Pariksha book"Dignaga writes "Yadantar Jneya rupam tad bahiriva avabhasate"is quoted by Sri.Shankara in BSB under the topic ":Abhavadhikarana"Sri.Shankara criticises this concept of idealistic Mahayana Budhism in this topic.This quotation is quoted by Kumarila Bhatta also in his "Sloka vartikam".This concept was further developed by Dharmakeerthi,and later by Bhavya,Shantaraksita and Kamala shela .This is mentioned brriefly by Sri.Shankara in his BSB after this 'Abhavadhikarana"topic.This is one evidence to show that Sri.Shankara lived during this period.The concept in Buddhism is more intricate and they strive to go further and further into idealism.In advaita the Maya is mere appearance on the substratum
 ,Brahman.But,in Buddhism it is not merely an appearance but without any subsratum,a nullity.
N.Srikanta.