Self-Awareness in Tibetan Buddhism
The Philosophical Relevance of Rang rig and Its Contribution
to the Contemporary Debates on the Nature of Consciousness
- Chiara Mascarello - Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italia - email
Abstract
This book, based on the Author’s doctoral dissertation, examines the concept of self-awareness (SKT svasaṃvedana; TIB rang rig) in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition, where it is understood as the mind’s inherent ability to know itself. It analyzes traditional interpretations of this concept and concludes by engaging with contemporary debates on the philosophy of mind, aiming to demonstrate how Buddhist thought can contribute to modern discussions on the nature of consciousness. The volume begins by tracing the origins of svasaṃvedana within the Indian Buddhist context, exploring its development from early formulations to the sophisticated epistemological frameworks of Dignāga and his successors. This historical overview lays the groundwork for the second part of the book, which investigates Tibetan perspectives on rang rig and analyzes their epistemological, ontological, and soteriological dimensions. Key themes include the interplay between the intentionality and luminosity of consciousness, as well as its connection with the doctrine of the two truths. The final section bridges these Buddhist perspectives with contemporary philosophical discussions, exploring how the former can deepen and enrich modern debates on issues such as the conditions for subjective experience, the so-called ‘hard problem of consciousness’, and the relationship between the mind and its objects. By focusing on the reflexivity of the mind, the book examines a crucial yet underexplored theme in Buddhist philosophical discourse. At the same time, it underscores the relevance of these perspectives for contemporary thought, fostering intercultural dialogue on fundamental questions within the broader field of philosophical inquiry.
Keywords Buddhist philosophy of mind • Reflexivity of mind • Nature of mind • Consciousness • Subjective experience • Self-awareness • Phenomenal consciousness
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-929-0 | e-ISBN 978-88-6969-929-0 | ISBN (PRINT) 978-88-6969-930-6 | Published July 31, 2025 | Accepted March 14, 2025 | Submitted Feb. 6, 2025 | Language en
This volume has been published with the support of the Centro di Ricerca Marco Polo – Centre for Global Europe-Asia Connections.Copyright © 2025 Chiara Mascarello. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.