The Three Pramāṇas of the Seven Consciousnesses

The discernment of the seven consciousnesses towards the six dusts (objects) is divided into three types: direct perception (pratyakṣa), inferential perception (anumāna), and non-valid perception (abhāva).

Direct perception discerns what is current, existing, presently functioning, present, actual, real dharmas (phenomena) — not virtual, not false dharmas.

Inferential perception discerns by comparing two or more dharmas; determining principles must involve a reference point, otherwise discernment is impossible. This shows that inferential perception involves insufficient wisdom and does not require great wisdom. Direct perception, however, has no reference point; it relies entirely on wisdom to discern the present moment.

Non-valid perception discerns what is non-existent, non-present, non-substantial, imagined, fabricated, illusory, unreal dharmas, false dharmas, non-related, non-directly verified, or illusory dharmas. This type of discernment has two extremes: one is intelligent with rich imagination, the other is boundless pure delusion, neither manifesting the wisdom of direct perception.

The five sense consciousnesses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching) all perform direct perception, discerning only what is presently existing, real, and not fabricated dharmas. The five consciousnesses cannot imagine nor perform inferential perception; they discern the current dharma exactly as it is, without fantasy. However, the five consciousnesses can also err in discernment, such as mistaking colors on a form — seeing red as green, or mistaking a male voice for a female voice. This is non-valid perception, which only occurs when the five sense faculties (eye, etc.) are impaired.

The mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) can perform direct perception, inferential perception, and non-valid perception. Its scope of discernment is broad; it can discern both unreal and false dharmas, imagine, fantasize, compare, and think. The discernment of the manas (the seventh consciousness, or defiled mind) is deep, subtle, and difficult to know. Manas's discernment towards the six dusts is indeed lacking in detail; it cannot compare two dharmas to discern them and thus lacks inferential perception. Manas cannot imagine, cannot fantasize, cannot speculate without basis; it cannot perform these types of non-valid perception.

Although manas only has direct perception, discerning only currently existing, real dharmas, it consistently misperceives these present, real dharmas, taking all dharmas as "self" and "mine," when in reality they are not. Since this cognition is erroneous and unreal, it is, to some degree, non-valid perception — self-assumed, non-actual, inconsistent with facts, a state of delusion, and delusion is non-valid perception. Direct perception accords with facts, reality, and truth. Therefore, only the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) possesses true direct perception, without the slightest inferential or non-valid perception; it discerns the true appearances of all dharmas, beyond the realm of the six dusts, beyond the mundane world. Since everything manas perceives is non-truth, it must gradually be led to recognize truth and directly realize truth over the course of three great asamkhyeya kalpas of practice, transforming its deluded thoughts and non-thoughts into the wisdom of direct perception, removing its adherence to the unreal, returning all dharmas to their true owner, and ceasing to possess any dharmas. Only then is manas fully transformed. From then on, freed from all burdens, it is completely liberated from the bondage of all dharmas and ascends the throne of Buddhahood. At this point, the mission of the mental consciousness ends; it no longer needs to learn any dharma nor influence manas.

Since manas cannot perform non-valid perception, how then does the non-valid perception of the mental consciousness arise and persist? Once manas decides on a matter, the mental consciousness carries it out specifically. In the process of execution, it adopts non-valid forms, and manas then takes the content discerned by the mental consciousness as direct perception for consideration and decision-making. For example, visualizing Buddha's light shining upon one's physical body is non-valid perception. Once the visualization succeeds and the physical body actually becomes healthier, it becomes direct perception. If the Buddha's light is genuinely visualized and the Buddha truly shines light upon oneself, then visualizing the Buddha's light is direct perception, and the physical health is also direct perception. The decision to visualize is made by manas, while the mental consciousness implements it. During visualization, it is the subjective imagination of the mental consciousness. When concentration is deep, wherever the mental consciousness visualizes, manas discerns accordingly. Manas takes the content of the mental consciousness's visualization as the present object and discerns it, which constitutes direct perception. The mental consciousness's visualization is non-valid thinking and imagination; when its result manifests truly and presently, it is all direct perception.