The Connotation of Direct Perception

The true meaning of direct perception (pratyakṣa) has two aspects: one refers to the wisdom state of the conscious mind, and the other refers to the object-aspect (nimitta) corresponding to the conscious mind containing genuine meaning, conforming to conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya), or conforming to ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya). The direct-perceptual cognition and discernment of the conscious mind is wisdom-based; when the degree of direct perception differs, wisdom differs accordingly. The more directly the object-aspect faced by the conscious mind presents itself, the more real it is and the more it conforms to fact, the easier it is to have direct-perceptual discernment, and the more accurate and truthful the cognition, the less likely errors of discernment occur. When the direct-perceptual wisdom of the conscious mind is deep, upon contacting a realm of dharmas one knows it immediately, right away—no analysis needed, no study needed, no pondering needed, no inquiry needed, no speculation needed—and the knowing is accurate and without error. If one cannot know instantly, the wisdom is insufficient and deficient; if even through inference or non-valid cognition one still does not know after a long time, one is foolish and without wisdom; if what one knows is incorrect and has errors, the wisdom is shallow.

The eighth consciousness can know all dharmas through direct perception, accurately and without error, including events after vast and distant kalpas; as long as it discerns the karmic seeds, it knows at that very moment, without comparison, study, analysis, speculation, inquiry, or pondering. Because the eighth consciousness has no ignorance, its wisdom is deep, vast, and boundless. All dharmas are personally manifested by the eighth consciousness and personally cognized by it as its objects, so its discernment cannot go wrong. If the eighth consciousness's discernment were to err, then cause and effect would be unimaginable, the five-aggregate body could not function normally, and life could not proceed in an orderly manner. Such a phenomenon is impossible, so the eighth consciousness's discernment of all dharmas must be direct-perceptual discernment.

The object-aspect corresponding to the seventh consciousness, the manas, is a reflected image realm (kṛtakā-nimitta), derived from the essential realm born by the eighth consciousness; it perceives by relying on the perceiving-aspect (darśana-bhāga) of the eighth consciousness and is close to reality, so what the manas discerns is a direct-perception realm, yet the results of its discernment carry various errors, and the results of its discernment are non-valid cognition. The manas at the Buddha-ground, having completely and thoroughly transformed consciousness into wisdom, has discernment results that are all direct perception, with no non-valid cognition.

The object-aspect corresponding to the five sense consciousnesses is a real-entity realm (svabhāva-nimitta), which is also relatively real and does not turn according to the mind, so the five consciousnesses discern through direct perception. But if karmic obstructions appear in the eye faculty, the discernment of the five consciousnesses will be affected to a certain degree, and the results of discernment may become non-valid cognition.

The object-aspect corresponding to the mind consciousness is a quasi-reflected image realm, a false reflected image realm, which differs considerably from the essential realm, so the discernment of the mind consciousness involves both inference and non-valid cognition, requiring very deep and very detailed wisdom. The results of the mind consciousness's discernment include both direct perception and non-valid cognition, which often influence the cognition and decision-making of the manas and easily condition and permeate the manas.

Compared with the tathāgatagarbha, what the seven consciousnesses discern is all non-valid cognition, without any correct and real dharma. The so-called direct perception of the seven consciousnesses exists within a certain range; it is relative direct perception, false direct perception, not absolute direct perception. Because conventional truth is not truly conventional truth—its substance is ultimate truth—and the seven consciousnesses do not know this principle, even their direct-perceptual discernment of conventional truth yields results that are non-valid cognition.