The Attainment of All Dharmas Is the Result of Direct Realization

The realization of all dharmas should be the result of direct realization (abhisamaya), not conclusions drawn from imagination and analysis. What is direct realization? Direct realization means contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) through direct perception, observation directly present before one—right at the moment when the six faculties engage the six sense objects, one observes and experiences directly the arising, operation, and arising-and-ceasing changes of various dharmas. Whether the mind consciousness is observing through direct perception, and whether the conclusions reached through thinking accord with facts, the manas must continually make judgments; but sometimes its judgments are correct and sometimes incorrect, because the manas also has its own habitual tendencies, and coupled with insufficient wisdom, it is prone to judging wrongly. The manas generally only acknowledges the results of the mind consciousness's contemplative practice when it recognizes the mind consciousness's direct-perception observation and thorough thinking and analysis as well-reasoned and well-evidenced; only then can the manas's wisdom be inspired, and only then can the manas confirm the results of such contemplative practice. It does not readily acknowledge the mind consciousness's non-valid cognition—imagination and inference. The mind consciousness's direct-perception observation is the evidence; only when the evidence is conclusive will the manas make the final call and give its assent.

Why is it that in many situations we cannot convince ourselves? Because the mind consciousness lacks direct-perception observation, or has no evidence or insufficient evidence, the manas cannot recognize the soundness and correctness of what the mind consciousness has analyzed and deliberated, cannot be persuaded by the mind consciousness, and cannot make a decision according to the results of the mind consciousness's analysis. In that case, the mind consciousness must continually think, analyze, and infer again until the evidence is conclusive and the manas gives its approval.

Of course, this includes the mind consciousness's evil and erroneous direct-perception observation, which is in fact non-valid cognition, yet it can still be acknowledged by the manas, because it accords with the manas's ignorance and afflictions, and so the manas is willing to assent—this is the case with untrained persons. When the mind consciousness gives false instruction to the manas, the manas is kept in the dark, unaware of the truth, and takes for granted the non-valid as direct perception, taking what is imagined to be fact, when in reality it is not so. Yet sometimes the manas goes along with it anyway, having no choice but to agree.