Direct Perception and Non-Valid Cognition

Seeing a rope as a snake — is this non-valid cognition or inference? Since there is neither correct discernment of the rope nor truthful recognition of the snake, both are erroneous discernment, not fact, so it is non-valid cognition. Riding a donkey while searching for a donkey — what kind of cognition is that? Not recognizing the donkey one is riding, not treating the donkey as a donkey, and still going off to search for another donkey — the inability to correctly recognize the donkey is non-valid cognition. One's entire five-aggregate body is wholly the eighth consciousness, yet one does not understand this and still goes searching elsewhere for an eighth consciousness — what kind of cognition is that? Likewise non-valid 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 non-valid cognition. Therefore, the Buddha taught King Ajātaśatru the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) that there is 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 non-valid 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 Dharma realized by arhats and bodhisattvas is all realized through direct perception, it is all relative direct perception, not entirely direct perception, still containing components of non-valid cognition.

When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara illuminatingly sees that the five aggregates are all empty — what kind of cognition is that? If the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara's illuminating seeing that the five aggregates are all empty were entirely direct perception, then cultivation would have reached its end, buddhahood would be attained, and there would be no need to continue cultivation. Because even the Dharma realized by bodhisattvas of equality and wondrous awakening (saṃbhogakāya-stage bodhisattvas) is not yet ultimate, they still need to break through the final grade of ignorance before fully becoming a Buddha; only when ignorance is completely broken is there complete wisdom of direct perception.

Strictly speaking, only the wisdom and cognition of a Buddha 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 emptiness are both insufficient. Ordinary beings are entirely non-valid cognition, without any direct perception; even when seeing a mountain as a mountain, seeing water as water, seeing parents as parents, seeing an enemy as an enemy, without the slightest error or confusion — all of this is still non-valid cognition, deluded and inverted. Non-valid cognition is equivalent to the cognition of the mentally deranged; all sentient beings have mental illness to varying degrees, and none are healthy.