Epistemology Jñanasrimitra's philosophical work focused on
Buddhist logic and
epistemology (
pramāṇa), especially the theory of "exclusion" (
apoha) outlined by
Dignaga (c. 480 – c. 540 CE) and how it relates to the
philosophy of language, meaning and the nature of conceptual thoughts and awareness. The basic theory behind apoha is that meaning comes from what something is not. For example, "cow" gets its meaning by excluding every non-cow. This was the basic theory of language used by Buddhist pramāṇa philosophers. In his
Apohaprakaraṇa ("Monograph on Exclusion"), Jñanasrimitra elaborates on the theory of
apoha and its relation to epistemology. He also defends the theory from Hindu critics, who posited competing theories of meaning. Jñanasrimitra's
Vyāpticarcā (
Analysis of Pervasion) focuses on inferential relations which in Indian thought is termed
vyapti (pervasion). This refers to the epistemic relations between two distinct entities such as smoke and fire. According to Horst Lasic, Jñanasrimitra's position on this topic is that "inference-warranting relations between two distinct entities must be effect-cause relations, and that the presence of such relations can be detected only through a specific sequence of perception and non-apprehension."
Sākāravada Jñanasrimitra was a defender of
Yogācāra idealism, affirming that "this entire triple-world is established to be nothing but consciousness (
vijñaptimātra)." Jñānaśrīmitra was a major defender of the Sākāra ("with images") school of
Yogācāra Buddhism against
Ratnākaraśānti, the principal defender of the rival Nirākāra school. This doctrine holds that all awareness events arise together with an "ākāra" (appearance, image, phenomenal form). This buddha-nature is described as lucidity (
prakāśa) and the real aspects (ākāras) are appearances or manifestations of this ultimately real lucidity. These "appearances of lucidity" (
prakāśarūpa) are also real and free from superimposition and denial, but sentient beings misunderstand their true nature as lucidity. In this sense, awareness is empty of determination and conceptualization (vikalpa), but not of its own nature as luminosity. Furthermore, the ultimately real and non-dual conscious manifestation is the field of a Buddha's awareness (buddhagocara), it is the non-duality that a Buddha knows and which is always present. This is the citrādvaita (variegated non-duality) which is marvellous (āścarya). This non-dual Buddhahood is not just an imageless consciousness, but it contains immeasurable marvellous qualities. Jñānaśrīmitra describes it as “variegated by the splendour of the major and minor marks”, and “the storehouse of excellent qualities, devoid of the mass of impure appearances that are connected to habituations to the unreal— but it is not at all without appearances.” These manifestations are the real compassionate manifestations of a Buddha, the
sambhoghakāyas. ==Non-philosophical works==