Sautrāntika Subject & Object Knowledge Explained

In Sautrāntika Buddhism, understanding the nature of consciousness and its interaction with the world is central. The question specifically asks for the terms representing the knowledge of the subject and the knowledge of the object.

Identifying Sautrāntika Terms for Consciousness

Within the framework of Sautrāntika philosophy, particularly concerning the nature of mind and experience, specific terms are used:

• The term related to the fundamental basis of the subject, representing the continuity of awareness.
• The term related to the active cognitive process that apprehends the object.

Core Sautrāntika Concepts: $ālayavijñāna$ and $pravṛttijñāna$

Analyzing the options provided, the pair that aligns with Sautrāntika concepts concerning the subject's foundational consciousness and the active cognition of objects is:

• $ālayavijñāna$: Often translated as "storehouse consciousness," this concept represents the foundational level of consciousness. It is considered the basis for the continuity of subjective experience and holds the karmic seeds that influence future experiences. It underlies the sense of 'self' or the subject.
• $pravṛttijñāna$: This refers to the "active" or "functional consciousness." It encompasses the stream of moment-to-moment cognitions, including the six sense consciousnesses and mental consciousnesses, which arise to interact with and cognize objects in the world. This represents the knowledge of the object through direct perception or inference.

Conclusion

Therefore, the knowledge associated with the subject (as the foundational consciousness) is $ālayavijñāna$, and the knowledge associated with the object (as the active cognition process) is $pravṛttijñāna$.

This corresponds to Option A.