An Analysis Of Vasubandhu's Argument Of Nihilism

Do you believe in such thing as reality? Do you believe it is important to possess morals? Vasubandhu, a practitioner of Yogacara, and a great philosopher of Buddhism, would answer “yes” to these questions. Critics that label Vasubandhu a Nihilist do not have a true understanding of his claims. Vasubandhu’s argument that external phenomena are not truly existent does not mean they don’t exist at all, but rather in a different way than is commonly perceived. Nihilism means that there is no external world and that life is meaningless. One of the major claims of Buddhism is that everything is empty, however, not empty in the sense that it is nonexistent. The three natures model explains how one’s life can be broken down to three categories that define how one thinks and acts. The eight consciousnesses explain both people’s sensory experiences as

In terms of karma, everything leads to the next. The seeds that were planted in the past bloom in the present and influence the future. The eight consciousnesses represent the six senses of one’s physical experience, and the two main parts of the conscience. In terms of morals, the Alaya is the storehouse for people’s karmic seeds. Everything is interconnected; thus, it is important to live compassionately. Buddhism seeks to escape suffering and achieve nirvana. Ben Connelly’s translation of the nineteenth verse, states, “karmic impressions and the impressions of grasping self and other produce further ripening as the former karmic effect is exhausted”3. In this verse, Vasubandhu makes an argument that people’s actions are important to both their own and other’s lives. The practice of mindfulness and recognizing one’s emotions is how to be fully present in the here and now. While Nihilists maintain that actions don’t matter, Vasubandhu asserts they do because they directly impact people’s lives in the