The Journey of Awakening in Jorge Luis Borges’s The Circular Ruins Through the Lens of The Five Stages of Vijñaptimātra

Abstract

Abstract

Amidst the blurring boundaries between reality and virtuality driven by AI technology, this study deciphers Jorge Luis Borges’s short story, The Circular Ruins (Las ruinas circulares), through the framework of the Five Stages of Vijñaptimātra. The research investigates whether the magician's endeavor to dream a human being into existence can be interpreted as a spiritual cultivation process that reveals the illusory nature of reality. Utilizing systematic and psychological methodologies, the study identifies a profound parallel between the protagonist’s psychological evolution and the five classical stages: the Stage of Provision (Sambhāramārgah), the Stage of Application (Prayogamārgah), the Stage of Vision (Darśanamārgah), the Stage of Cultivation (Niṣṭhāmārgah), and the Ultimate Stage (Niṣṭhā-avasthā). The findings indicate that the character, initially trapped in the duality of “subject and object” (grāhaka and grāhya), gradually achieves detachment, leading to a profound “transformation of the basis” (āśraya). The pivotal moment where the magician realizes he is merely a phantom dreamed by another signifies the ultimate awakening to Anatman and Nirvana. This research suggests that Vijñaptimātra serves as a potent tool for exploring ontological layers in modern literature and offers new directions for literary education centered on consciousness experiences in the era of simulation.