Direct Perception and Mistaken Perception (Non-valid Cognition)

Seeing a rope as a snake—does this belong to erroneous cognition (non-valid cognition) or inference? Since there is neither correct discernment of the rope nor an accurate recognition of the snake, both are mistaken discernment and not fact, so it is erroneous cognition. Riding a donkey while searching for a donkey—what kind of cognition is that? Not recognizing the donkey one is riding, not taking the donkey as a donkey, and going off to search for another donkey—being unable to correctly recognize the donkey is erroneous cognition. One's own five-aggregate body is entirely the eighth consciousness, yet one does not understand this and goes off searching elsewhere for an eighth consciousness—what kind of cognition is that? The same erroneous cognition. Ordinary beings see their parents and recognize them as parents, see their children and grandchildren and call them children and grandchildren—this is also not direct perception; it is erroneous cognition. Therefore the Buddha taught King Ajātaśatru in contemplative practice that there was no such person as his father and no such event as killing his father, leading him to realize that the five aggregates are empty and without self, to eliminate erroneous cognition, and to return to direct perception; only then could the karmic offense of killing his father be extinguished.

The arhat's realization that the five aggregates are not-self yet not different from self, empty of arising, ceasing, and change—what kind of cognition is that? Although the arhat's realization that the five aggregates are empty and without self is direct perception, it is only partial direct perception, not yet ultimate; therefore one still needs to study and cultivate the Mahāyāna Dharma and realize the ultimate Dharma. After bodhisattvas realize the eighth consciousness, they attain wisdom of various levels—what kind of cognition is that? Although the Dharmas realized by arhats and bodhisattvas are all realized through direct perception, they are all relative direct perception, not entirely direct perception; there are still components of erroneous cognition.

When the Contemplator of Ease (Avalokiteśvara) Bodhisattva illuminatingly sees that the five aggregates are all empty—what kind of cognition is that? If the Contemplator of Ease Bodhisattva's illuminating seeing that the five aggregates are all empty were entirely direct perception, then cultivation would have reached its end, he would be a Buddha, and there would be no need to continue cultivation. Because even the Dharmas realized by bodhisattvas of equal enlightenment and wondrous enlightenment are not yet ultimate, they still need to shatter the final grade of ignorance before becoming fully Buddha; only when ignorance is completely shattered is there complete wisdom of direct perception.

Strictly speaking, only the Buddha's wisdom and cognition is complete wisdom of direct perception, ultimate and beyond doubt, fully conforming to reality and truth. The wisdom and cognition of other bodhisattvas contains varying components of direct perception and is not yet ultimate. The wisdom and cognition of arhats and pratyekabuddhas is even less ultimate than that of bodhisattvas; their degree and level of realizing emptiness are insufficient. Ordinary beings are entirely erroneous cognition, without any direct perception. Even when seeing mountains as mountains and waters as waters, seeing parents as parents and seeing enemies as enemies, without the slightest error or confusion, it is all still erroneous cognition, deluded and inverted. Erroneous cognition is equivalent to the cognition of the mentally deranged; all sentient beings suffer from mental illness to varying degrees, and none are healthy.