5. The Heroic March Scripture (Surangama-sutra) is a Buddhist text that
became particularly popular among Chan Buddhist contemplatives from the
Sung dynasty (960-1278) onward. The following passages of the Golden
Flower text, paragraphs 5 to 10, briefly outline a meditation exercise from
that scripture, known as the Eight attributions," which is designed to
facilitate
"perception of essence" through a sort of process of elimination. The
eight attributions are usually defined as follows:
1.
Light is attributable to the sun.
2.
Dark is attributable to the dark moon.
3.
Transmission is attributable to doors and windows.
4.
Obstruction is attributable to walls.
5.
Objects are attributable to discrimination.
6.
Blank openness is attributable to space.
7.
Congestion is attributable to sense data.
8.
Clear light is attributable to clarity.
By gradually "peeling away" the contents of consciousness, the
practitioner ultimately reaches the experience of the essence of
consciousness.
10. The eighth consciousness is a Buddhist term: it is also called the
storehouse consciousness. One aspect of the storehouse consciousness is
its function as the repository of impressions. This is close to what Jung
