Vicikitsa Explained
Vicikitsa (Sanskrit, also vicikitsā; Pali: vicikicchā; Tibetan Wylie: the tshom) is a Buddhist term that is translated as "doubt" or "indecision". It is defined as being of two minds about the meaning of the Four Noble Truths; it functions as a basis for not becoming involved with wholesome activities.
Vicikitsa is identified as:
- One of the five hindrances that impede meditation
- One of the six root unwholesome mental factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings
- One of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors within the Theravada Abhidhamma teachings
- One of the ten fetters in the Theravada tradition
Explanations
Theravada
Nina van Gorkom explains:
The Atthasālinī (II, Part IX, Chapter III, 259) defines vicikicchā as follows:
Mahayana
The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:
Herbert Guenther explains:
Alexander Berzin explains:
Chogyam Trungpa states that vicikitsa (doubt) means "you do not trust any possible alternatives and do not want advice or any way out". This includes doubting the teachings, the teacher, and the dharma, as well as the norms of everyday existence.
See also
Sources
- Web site: Berzin . Alexander . 12 November 2021 . 2015 . Primary Minds and the 51 Mental Factors . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240420231721/http://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/science-of-mind/mind-mental-factors/primary-minds-and-the-51-mental-factors . 20 April 2024.
- Book: . 2009 . The Truth of Suffering and the Path of Liberation . Shambhala.
- Book: Goleman, Daniel . Daniel Goleman . 2008 . Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama . Bantam . Kindle.
- Book: Guenther, Herbert V. . Herbert V. Guenther . Leslie S. . Kawamura . 1975 . Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's 'The Necklace of Clear Understanding' . Dharma Publishing . Kindle.
- Book: Erik Pema Kunsang . Kunsang . Erik Pema . 2004 . Gateway to Knowledge . 1 . North Atlantic Books.
- Book: van Gorkom, Nina . 13 August 2010 . Vicikicchā . 149–151 . Cetasikas . 2nd . London . Zolag . https://archive.org/details/Cetasikas/page/n156.
External links
