Introspection (Buddhism)

In the Sautrantika-Yogacara school, knowledge is seen as illuminating itself as well as its object - cognition of an external object is also cognition of that cognition. The feeling of personal identity accompanies every state of consciousness, every perception of an external object, and that is a feeling of the condition of the ego. Therefore there is an awareness of knowledge that is a direct, non-constructed, non-illusory sense perception. Some hold that this can never be indifferent or disinterested, the ego is always to some extent emotional, always desiring or shunning. This stream of consciousness is uninterrupted, even in deep sleep or trance, and is of its essence a preparation for action. The ego is thus the element of interestedness which accompanies every conscious state.

This approach is contrasted with the view of mental consciousness as the sixth or inner sense, perceiving special objects in the same way as the other five senses perceive external objects, so that there is always the triad of soul-sense organ-object of the senses, whether consciousness is seen as the essence of the soul or a quality of the soul. Again, some schools hold that consciousness is a passing phenomenon arising in the soul through interaction with the inner sense organ. In Nyaya-Waiseika the soul is held only to cognize through the senses for external as well as internal objects, perception giving rise to self-perception, that is, perception of perception. Cognition of the unconscious soul is then the ego. Even in Hinayana Buddhism, where there is no "soul", there still exists the triad consciousness-organ-object.

Where introspection is not interpreted on the pattern of external perception, there is no division of the apprehending part into two, no further subject and object. The feeling of personal identity is not followed by an image of the ego in the same way that sense perception is followed by an image of what is perceived, it accompanies every state of consciousness.