Direct Discernment of Consciousness in the Abandonment of Self-View and the Realization of True Nature

When severing the view of self, consciousness can directly and presently observe the arising, ceasing, illusory nature, suffering nature, and emptiness nature of the five aggregates. The mind clearly knows that the five aggregates are not the self, not different from the self, and that the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness are not contained within each other. This knowing is direct perceptual knowing (pratyakṣa), because the truth that the five aggregates are not the self is a genuine principle, called the ultimate truth. Consciousness's cognition of this truth is real and actual, simultaneously overturning all previous erroneous views. Therefore, what consciousness perceives at this time is true perception, a complete direct perceptual discernment (pratyakṣa-vijñapti), correcting the previous erroneous cognition (mithyā-pratyakṣa). This is the direct perceptual cognition of wisdom. Thus, genuine severance of the view of self is a state of direct perception.

At the moment of illuminating the mind (ming xin), consciousness realizes the true self, the eighth consciousness. At this point, it can directly and presently observe the essence and functioning of the eighth consciousness, observing its purity, suchness nature, unborn and unceasing nature, immutability, and so forth. This observation by consciousness is direct perceptual discernment, a state of direct perception. The five "How unexpected is the self-nature!" statements made by the Sixth Patriarch upon his enlightenment describe a state of direct perception attained through direct observation and realization. The combined operation of the eighth consciousness with the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses is an activity currently taking place; it is actual. The observation and discernment by consciousness at this time are direct perceptual discernment. That is, consciousness realizing the eighth consciousness is a state of direct perceptual wisdom, without the slightest trace of inferential cognition (anumāna) or erroneous cognition. If it were erroneous discernment, there could be no true illuminating of the mind and enlightenment. Such enlightenment would be imagined enlightenment, not genuine enlightenment, because it lacks firsthand realization.

When beholding the Buddha-nature with the eye, one attains the illusory perception of the entire body-mind world. One can directly and presently experience the wondrous functioning of the Buddha-nature and directly and truly experience the illusory and transformative nature of one's own body-mind world. Therefore, consciousness at this time is direct perceptual discernment, a state of direct perceptual wisdom, not a state of inference or erroneous cognition. Otherwise, it would be imagined beholding of the nature, not genuine beholding of the nature, because it lacks firsthand realization. In the cultivation process after illuminating the mind and beholding the Buddha-nature, the realization attained through various contemplations and practices are all instances of direct perceptual discernment by consciousness, all states of direct perception. The deeper the cultivation, the more states of direct perception consciousness experiences, and the fewer states of inference and erroneous cognition. This continues until the stage of Buddhahood, where the consciousness of a Buddha is entirely in a state of direct perception, with no inferential states and certainly no erroneous states.