<blockquote>
<p>'It cognizes, it cognizes': Thus, friend, it is said to be
'consciousness.' And what does it cognize? It cognizes 'pleasant.' It
cognizes 'painful.' It cognizes 'neither painful nor pleasant.' 'It
cognizes, it cognizes': Thus it is said to be 'consciousness.' - <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.043.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 43</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>And what, bhikkhus, is consciousness? There are these six classes of
consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness,
nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness,
mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness. - <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn12.2/en/bodhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 12.2</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>The six classes of consciousness should be understood. ’ So it was
said. And with reference to what was this said? Dependent on the eye
and forms, eye-consciousness arises; dependent on the ear and sounds,
ear-consciousness arises; dependent on the nose and odours,
nose-consciousness arises; dependent on the tongue and flavours,
tongue-consciousness arises; dependent on the body and tangibles,
body-consciousness arises; dependent on the mind and mind-objects,
mind-consciousness arises. - <a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn148/en/bodhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 148</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-21T04:07:03.847Z
2020-12-21T07:25:56.797Z
2020-12-21T07:25:56.797Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts? How similar or different is it from the way the word is used these days -- particularly in scientific studies of consciousness ?</p>

<reference-request><pali-canon><consciousness><early-buddhism>
How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts?
# How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-20)

How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts? How similar or different is it from the way the word is used these days -- particularly in scientific studies of consciousness ?

**Tags:** reference-request, pali-canon, consciousness, early-buddhism


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-21. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> 'It cognizes, it cognizes': Thus, friend, it is said to be
> 'consciousness.' And what does it cognize? It cognizes 'pleasant.' It
> cognizes 'painful.' It cognizes 'neither painful nor pleasant.' 'It
> cognizes, it cognizes': Thus it is said to be 'consciousness.' - [MN 43](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.043.than.html)

> And what, bhikkhus, is consciousness? There are these six classes of
> consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness,
> nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness,
> mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness. - [SN 12.2](https://suttacentral.net/sn12.2/en/bodhi)

> The six classes of consciousness should be understood. ’ So it was
> said. And with reference to what was this said? Dependent on the eye
> and forms, eye-consciousness arises; dependent on the ear and sounds,
> ear-consciousness arises; dependent on the nose and odours,
> nose-consciousness arises; dependent on the tongue and flavours,
> tongue-consciousness arises; dependent on the body and tangibles,
> body-consciousness arises; dependent on the mind and mind-objects,
> mind-consciousness arises. - [MN 148](https://suttacentral.net/mn148/en/bodhi)


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