The Three Pramāṇas of Vijñapti in Samādhi Consciousness

The objects of consciousness in meditative absorption involve three types of cognition. When focused on the sensations of the material body, it is perceptual cognition (pratyakṣa-pramāṇa). When engaged in visualization or contemplation, there may be erroneous cognition (apramāṇa), inferential cognition (anumāna-pramāṇa), or perceptual cognition. For instance, visualizing oneself transforming into a certain form in one's current location and flying to another place, or imagining various realms, all constitute erroneous cognition. As in the contemplation of the sun described in the Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus, the initial stage involves erroneous cognition; but when the contemplation is perfected, the setting sun appears spontaneously without deliberate visualization, and the cognition by consciousness becomes perceptual cognition.

Comparing the differences and changes between the current material body and that of the past, or distinguishing the good and evil, beautiful and ugly aspects of a realm, constitutes inferential cognition. If contemplation leads to a correct and realistic conclusion, it is perceptual cognition.

In the meditative absorption of the second dhyāna (dhyāna) and beyond, all cognition by consciousness is perceptual cognition, because there is no thought process, no visualization—only the simple cognition of the mental objects (dharma-dhātu) within the meditative state. One is unable to perceive or recognize one's own cognizing faculty. The deeper the level of absorption, the more the cognition tends toward perceptual cognition. If, within absorption, images from past lives manifest, consciousness cognizes them perceptually. If future realms appear, consciousness also cognizes them perceptually.