In the Mirror of Memory: Reflections on Mindfulness
and Remembrance in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism

Reviewed by Richard Sherburne

The Journal of the American Oriental Society
Vol.114 No.1 (Jan-March 1994)
pp.139-140

COPYRIGHT American Oriental Society 1994

            This collection of essays offers a thorough exploration of Buddhist 
            notions of memory (smrti), showing the diverse . modes and uses of 
            memory in both the fundamental religious practices of mindfulness, 
            with attendant shades of meaning, and the Buddhist description of 
            memory as storehouse of past events in its epistemological and 
            phenomenological senses. 
            Working with the sparse references to memory in Buddhist literature, 
            the eleven contributors, the finest English-writing Buddhologists of 
            our day, as well as the penetrating American philosopher, Edward S. 
            Casey, have investigated many facets of mnemonic phenomena, as 
            orchestrated by the editor, Janet Gyatso, who has capitalized on the 
            specialization and expertise of each. Several of the essays 
            represent extensive funded research over several years. 
            Donald S. Lopez, Jr., explores the Buddha's memory of infinite past 
            lives, treating this phenomenon as one of the superknowledges 
            (abhijna) of bodhisattva yoga practice, and makes interesting 
            comparisons of Buddha-memory with Freud's "screen (selective) 
            memories." 
            Padmanabh S. Jaini reflects on the absence of Buddhist smrti in 
            lists of mental events in Sanskrit Abhidharma literature, and the 
            apparent avoidance of its definition, lest Buddhist non-self 
            teaching be attacked. 
            Nyanaponika Thera also notes the omission of memory in Theravadin 
            Pali lists of dhammas, describing how and why memory is ascribed to 
            the perception (samjna) aggregate, and likewise remarks that this 
            obviates questions regarding the foundations of Buddhist 
            no-self/impermanence teachings. 
            Collett Cox treats the practice of mindfulness, so basic to Buddhist 
            meditational exercises, and various terms for its development, from 
            early Buddhism up to Sarviistivadin Abhidharma description. 
            Paul J. Griffiths shows how classical Indian Yogacara accounts for 
            Buddhas' recollection of their past lives, interpreting such memory 
            as actually present-active contemplative vision, rather than recall 
            of past events. 
            Alex Wayman makes a comprehensive investigation of all Buddhist 
            terms for recollection and other types of memory, introducing the 
            Buddhist logicians' view of mundane memory as unreliable, and how it 
            is viewed as a hindrance since it is part of discursive thought 
            (vikalpa). 
            Rupert Gethin comments on the Buddhist memorization lists (matika), 
            their importance as reminders for mindfulness, which also provide 
            the practitioner with a creative realization of dharma's total 
            structure. 
            Janet Gyatso, the editor, has a splendid exposition of the function 
            of memory/mindfulness in the use of the dharans sounds and letters, 
            as the most succinct reminders of basic truths or teachings, thus 
            identifying the practitioner and his sublime content. She compares 
            one Tibetan Tantric author's description with the semiotic theory of 
            the American philosopher, C. S. Peirce. 
            Paul Harrison addresses the implications for memory of commemoration 
            and identification in the practice of "mindfulness of the Buddha" 
            (Buddhanusmrti), demonstrating how commemorative visualization is 
            calculated to bring about "psychical incorporation," identification, 
            with the recollected deity. 
            Matthew Kapstein develops an excellent analysis of mnemonic practice 
            in the Great Perfection (rdzogs-chen) tradition of Tibet. 
            Enlightenment awareness itself is based on a reflexive return of the 
            mind to an original experience of the ground of existence. 
            Meditative mindfulness is, of course, the necessary process by which 
            one eliminates the build-up of delusion that has obscured the 
            original experience. He illustrates the thesis with a translation of 
            the "Amnesic Monarch and Five Mneniic Men." 
            Phenomenologist-philosopher Edward S. Casey offers reflections on 
            all the Buddhist presentations with analogies found in modern 
            Western understandings of memory involvement. 
            All contributors address common themes about the relationship 
            between mindfulness, present perception, and recollection of the 
            past, as well as different positive and negative views of the 
            exercise of memory in practice. As the editor, Janet Gyatso, notes, 
            the present investigations have been only from Indian and Tibetan 
            sources, and much remains in the rest of the Buddhist writings. 
            However, the present work should add momentum to future efforts to 
            refine contextual meanings of smrti in Buddhist materials.