Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

This article is a comparison between the unconscious of Jung’s analytical psychology and the ālayavijñāna of Yogacara Buddhism in order to better understand the differences between the two systems’ spiritual transformation. In both Jung’s analytical psychology and Yogacara Buddhism, the nature of the subliminal consciousness influences the way of spiritual development (the path toward Buddhahood or the process of the Self-realization). The article shows that both the unconscious and Yogacara Buddhism’s ālayavijñāna are subliminal psychic streams that are dormant but potential. They both are the repositories not only for the memory traces of all past experiences, both of oneself and others, but also for future possibilities. However, the ālayavijñāna and the unconscious of Jung are distinct when it comes to their relationship with cognitive awareness. The unconscious of Jung’s psychology compensates and complements consciousness, whereas Yogacara Buddhism’s ālayavijñāna does not have such a function to compensate consciousness. For Jung, the collective unconscious represents the storehouse of wisdom accumulated through mankind’s past efforts to come to terms with the meaning of life. The way toward spiritual transformation is, therefore, to understand the symbols and grasp the wisdom sent from the unconscious. On the contrary, for Yogacara Buddhism, one’s ālayavījñāna is not as intentional and developmentally inclined as Jung’s unconscious. For Yogacara Buddhism, the unenlightened person is primarily ignorant and deluded, and the only way to get out of the situation is to bring to an end the operation of these defilements through constant meditative practice. Thus, the psychological comparison in this article demonstrates that Jungian ideas and Yogacara notions about subliminal consciousness are reflected in their respective spiritual paths towards one’s true self.