Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34 (70)

Original text: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。此亦成就众多相状。谓证如是谛现观故。获得四智。谓于一切苦行。若住诸作意中。善推求故。得唯法智。得非断智。得非常智。得缘生行如幻事智。

Explanation: When the wisdom that knows the true dharmas and the four noble truths that are known are brought together without divergence, and this is observed directly in the present, it is called direct realization (abhisamaya). For example, when a kṣatriya and another kṣatriya are in accord without divergence and observe directly in the present, it is called direct realization; the same should be understood for brahmins and the rest. Direct realization also accomplishes many characteristics: by realizing such direct realization of the truths, one obtains four wisdoms. Regarding all suffering formations, if one dwells within all mental engagements (manaskāra) and skillfully investigates, one obtains the wisdom that there are only dharmas, the wisdom of non-annihilation, the wisdom of non-eternality, and the wisdom that conditioned formations arising from conditions are like an illusion.

The wisdom that knows refers to the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, which are able to see, know, and realize the dharma, possessing 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 are brought together without contradiction, this direct observation in the present is called direct realization.

Being in accord without divergence and without 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 principle-dharma, and the observation is direct and present—not a matter of conjecture, inference, imagination, or analysis. As for dharmas existing in the present, whatever the facts are, that is what they are; observing with direct perception and cognizing with direct perception—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 realization of the fruit.

How does one distinguish whether the observation of dharma is direct and present or not? For example, in contemplating the truth of suffering, one feels that the five aggregates are suffering. After directly observing in the present that the five aggregates are suffering, one's internal cognition of suffering is very deep; at all times and in all places, every thought and every moment perceives the suffering of the five aggregates, and every thought and moment wishes to escape suffering and extinguish suffering. This state of mind forms uninterrupted mental engagement (manaskāra), without interruption. 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 in the present.

With suffering that is not directly observed in the present, uninterrupted mental engagement is not formed; it is intermittent, appearing and disappearing, and suffering is often forgotten. One 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 maintain pleasure. Thus, while feeling suffering on the one hand and pursuing pleasure on the other, this state of mind in contradiction with one's conduct is not direct observation of suffering in the present. Because those who are not in direct realization lack the discriminating power of wisdom, they often mistake their situation for direct perception and for having realized the dharma in practice; in fact, they are still quite far from actual realization.

The common characteristics of those who do not observe directly in the present are: afflictions are not removed, ignorance is not severed, words and deeds do not match, the exterior and interior do not match—saying one thing and doing another, pointing east while heading west. The mouth speaks of emptiness, yet in conduct one clings everywhere to existence, with not a single place that is empty; the mouth speaks of no-self, yet at all times and in all places there is self, impossible to conceal even if one tries. Because there is no actual realization, they do not know the state of body and mind after realization, nor do they know that what they think and do is contrary to the state of realization; therefore they simply cannot conceal their characteristics of an ordinary being (pṛthagjana).