What Is Direct Realization?

Genuine realization means that the manas personally attains realization. Genuine realization does not only refer to the realization of seeing the mind and seeing one's nature; many dharmas require genuine realization—whether Buddhist dharma or worldly dharma, it is all so. When the manas attains realization, it is called personal realization—personally verified, not relayed or transmitted by the mind consciousness, not something the mind consciousness has heard secondhand, not something learned by the mind consciousness. Any dharma not realized by the manas is false realization. Since genuine realization is always related to the manas, the manas is the key link for attaining all dharmas, and there must certainly be more secrets and dharma meanings within it.

Both the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and enlightenment are attained by the manas; they are genuinely realized by the manas. The mind consciousness's realization is false realization. Even after seeing the mind, there are still many, many dharmas that need to be genuinely realized, but no matter what dharma it is, as long as the manas acknowledges and confirms it, it is genuine realization—including worldly dharmas. In the operation of every dharma, the manas is involved. If there is no manas in genuine realization, if the manas has not genuinely realized it, it is called having one's heels not touching the ground—the mind is not grounded; the manas still has ignorance and lacks wisdom, and such a person is nothing but an ordinary person.