What is Memory?
This post reveals how memory functions beyond the brain through four consciousnesses—hidden, I, brain, and subconscious—according to Dharma. It explains memory’s link to intention, ego, and sensation, and shows how practices like Taiji and Buddhist wisdom can purify and awaken deeper awareness.
What is memory?
First, we can distinguish between:
- Memory of life vs an individual memory
Dharma view of memory:
- Observed through the 8 consciousnesses
- Memory exists in all 4 consciousnesses, not just the brain (a mistake of modern science)
- Regular human memory is all fake-I
- Consciousness is always fresh! Holding nothing!
- Dharma Joy memory is an ability
- Taiji is an ability
The 4 Types of Consciousness and Memory
- Hidden consciousness
- Stores all memories but remains hidden
- I consciousness
- Remembers with strong "I" feeling
- Easily confuses memory and the feeling at the time, which can change it
- Subconsciousness
- Remembers without the brain/thinking
- Stores memory/emotion in the body
- Example: stepping on something sharp — foot moves away without thinking
- Brain consciousness memory
- Related to thinking
- Functions: memorize, analyse, organize, decision, intention
Understanding Memory
- A sound made to represent a word in human language (e.g., English) to express the feeling of an experience
- Memory is the 5th part of the 5 developments
- Awareness boundary = experience = memory
- Memory is a blind capturing of experience/information from the 5 senses
- Related to intention and ability
Two Kinds of Memory
- Original memory
- Recall memory
- Explaining or recalling can slightly change a memory, unless using pure precise logic
Dharma Perspective
- Every Dharma word is eternal wisdom, correct for time and space, for every life
How to Be More Spiritual
- If life is a bowl of experience/memory:
- Put more spirit in → learn more Dharma, discipline to clean
- Steam it out into pure water → become Dharma, free from blindness
- Empty out bad water and put fresh in → faster than steam, but more difficult
- Requires holding nothing — don’t hold onto "diapers" (blind ego suffering)
- No bowl = Bodhisattva level (super high)
- Example: adult and child watch a horror movie — one scared, one relaxed — same illusion
- All the above represent different stages for different lives
- Goal: Purify the 8 consciousnesses
- Awaken each consciousness through Dharma
Tools to Help
- Taiji: helps subconsciousness and I consciousness
- Buddhism: addresses brain and hidden consciousness