viññana

Viññana is a Pali term that translates to consciousness or awareness. It is a fundamental concept in Buddhism, considered one of the five aggregates (skandhas) that constitute a sentient being. These aggregates are form (rupa), feeling (vedana), perception (sañña), mental formations (sankhara), and consciousness (viññana). Viññana is understood as the faculty that cognizes or is aware of an object. It arises in dependence on sense organs and their corresponding sense objects. For instance, visual consciousness arises from the eye and visible forms, auditory consciousness from the ear and sounds, and so on, including mental consciousness which arises from the mind and mental objects. There are six types of consciousness corresponding to the six sense bases. In Buddhist philosophy, viññana is not seen as a permanent, unchanging soul or self, but rather as a constantly changing, conditioned process. Its arising and cessation are central to understanding the nature of suffering (dukkha) and the path to liberation. The correct understanding of viññana, free from attachment and craving, is considered a crucial step towards enlightenment.