What Is Direct Realization (Abhisamaya)?

Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Fascicle 34: 由能知智与所知境和合无乖。现前观察。故名现观。如刹帝利与刹帝利和合无乖。现前观察名为现观。婆罗门等当知亦尔。

Explanation: When the wisdom that knows the true Dharma and the four noble truths that are known come together without divergence, and the observation is made directly before one, this is called direct realization (abhisamaya). For example, when a kṣatriya and another kṣatriya come together without divergence and are observed directly before one, this is called direct realization. The same should be understood for brahmins and the rest.

The wisdom that knows refers to the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, which are able to see, know, and realize the Dharma, possessing the wisdom of truthful observation. The known object refers to the principles and dharmas observed by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, such as the principle of the four noble truths and the prajñā dharma, and so on. When wisdom and object come together without contradiction, this direct observation is called direct realization (abhisamaya).

"Coming together without divergence, without mutual contradiction" lies mainly in the wisdom realm—or the level of wisdom—of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. When the wisdom is sufficient to correctly observe and cognize the Dharma, it does not diverge from the principles and dharmas, and the observation is made directly before one, not through conjecture, inference, imagination, or analysis. As for the dharmas existing directly before one, whatever the facts are, that is what they are—observed and cognized through direct perception (pratyakṣa). This is called direct realization. At the moment of direct realization, the Dharma is realized, and dharma-knowledge (dharma-jñāna) and analogical knowledge (anvaya-jñāna) are obtained. Without direct realization, there is no dharma-knowledge or analogical knowledge, and no fruit of realization.

How does one distinguish whether one's observation of the Dharma is direct observation or not? For example, in contemplating the truth of suffering, one feels that the five aggregates are suffering. After directly observing that the five aggregates are suffering, one's inner cognition of suffering becomes very profound; at all times and in all places, every thought perceives the suffering of the five aggregates, and every thought wishes to escape suffering and extinguish it. This mental state forms uninterrupted mental engagement (manaskāra), without pause. Uninterrupted mental engagement is the mental engagement that arises from the manas—the manas has perceived the suffering, not merely remaining on the surface of the mind consciousness. This is the result of direct observation.

With suffering that is not directly observed, uninterrupted mental engagement has not formed; it is intermittent, appearing and disappearing, and one often forgets suffering and still pursues pleasure. The mind of renunciation is not strong, the resolve for awakening is not high, and the power of action is even weaker. When a pleasurable object appears, one loses oneself, sinking deep into the pleasurable state and no longer knowing suffering. One still has great hopes for the future, imagining that one can obtain pleasure and keep it. Thus, while feeling suffering on one hand and pursuing pleasure on the other, this state of the mind contradicting one's conduct is not direct observation of suffering. Because those who lack direct realization have insufficient discriminating wisdom, they often mistake this state for direct perception (pratyakṣa) and for having realized the Dharma, when in fact they are still quite far from realization.

The common characteristics of those who do not observe directly are: afflictions not removed, ignorance not severed, words and deeds inconsistent, outer appearance and inner reality at odds—saying one thing and doing another, pointing east while heading west. They speak of emptiness with their mouths, yet in their conduct they cling to existence everywhere, with not a single place of emptiness; they speak of no-self, yet at all times and in all places it is all "self," impossible to conceal even if they try. Because they have not realized the truth, they do not know the state of body and mind after realization, nor do they know that whatever they think and do runs contrary to the state of realization. Therefore, they simply cannot conceal their characteristics as ordinary worldlings (pṛthagjana).