Vasubandhu’s Phenomenology of Understanding: Perception as an Interpretive Context

This presentation examines the relationship between presupposition and understanding,  through Vasubandhu’s discussions of perception (*saṃjñā, *pratyakṣa) and the Three Natures (trisvabhāva) in The Proper Mode of Exposition (Vyākhyāyukti). It details Vasubandhu’s phenomenological investigation, beginning with an interpretive experience where one’s perception conflicts with a text’s claim. Analyzing his notion of the Three Natures as the underlying structure of perception, it interprets that Vasubandhu affirms three irreducible kinds of perception and the ultimate validity of enlightened perception. Based on this interpretation, I argue that, for Vasubandhu, understanding arises from abandoning and accepting certain presuppositions about perception. Specifically, one must abandon privileging shared perception and assume the existence and validity of other minds whose perceptions transcend one’s scope. This argument suggests that certain presuppositions can be a path towards understanding.