| Definition |
One of the four Indian Buddhist tenet systems, which asserts that forms of physical phenomena do not exist externally, coming from different natal sources than those of the minds that cognize them. Externally existing physical phenomena do not act as a natal source of the mental appearances (mental holograms) of them that arise in the cognition of them. The source of these mental appearances is only the mind -- or, more specifically, only the karmic tendency (karmic seed) for cognition of them, which is imputed on a mental continuum. The karmic tendency is the "natal source" of all aspects of the cognition of forms of physical phenomena: both the mental appearance as well as the consciousness and accompanying mental factors. Moreover, the mind (namely, the mental continuum on which the karmic tendency for cognition of these forms is imputable) has truly established existence.
See: Chittamatra |