The Three Modes of Discernment in the Seventh Consciousness

Non-measurement refers to whether the cognitive result of perceptual discernment is erroneous and inconsistent with reality, or whether the manner of perceptual discernment can involve imagination, fantasy, conjecture, or prediction? It refers to the manner of perceptual discernment involving imagination, fantasy, conjecture, or prediction.

Only the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) can possess the non-measurement mode of discernment. The five sensory consciousnesses must perceive through direct perception (pratyakṣa). The mental faculty (manas) must perceive through direct perception. The eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) exclusively perceives through direct perception, as all phenomena discerned are directly perceived realms. This is because all dharmas are presently manifested by the eighth consciousness; for the eighth consciousness, they are all presently existing dharmas, hence they are all realms of direct perception.

Dharmas that are not realms of direct perception cannot be apprehended or cognized by the seventh consciousness (manas). Therefore, for the manas to accept and acknowledge any dharma, it must be a dharma of direct perception—grounded in factual evidence, utterly real, with clear reasoning and a discernible methodology. Consequently, severing the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) through the manas is far more difficult than severing it through the mental consciousness. It cannot be accomplished merely by thinking or pondering; it requires profound contemplation and observation. The manas must continuously evaluate and deliberate until the reasons are sufficient, the principles are clear, and the facts are evident. Only then can the manas acknowledge it.

The five sensory consciousnesses also directly perceive the realms of the five sense objects (rūpa, śabda, gandha, rasa, sparśa). They cannot imagine or discern sense objects that are not currently present, nor can they fantasize any realm of the five sense objects.

All dharmas imagined, fantasized, recollected, or anticipated by the mental consciousness must be manifested as mental images by the eighth consciousness. While this may be described as "creation out of nothing," all such images are illusorily transformed and sustained by the eighth consciousness. Therefore, the eighth consciousness discerns exclusively through directly perceived dharmas; it does not engage in non-measurement or inference to discern any dharma.

The discernment of any individual's mental consciousness involves three modes of cognition: direct perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna), and non-measurement (apramāṇa). Direct perception is the knowledge of dharmas presently existing; it does not perceive dharmas not currently present, nor does it engage in recollection, imagination, or comparison. It does not process or modify the dharmas; it perceives them exactly as they are in the present moment.