Does Logical Inference Belong to Direct Perception (Pratyakṣa)?

Question: When the mind consciousness engages in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) as being without self, it performs logical thinking, analysis, and reasoning—does this count as direct perception/valid direct cognition (pratyakṣa)?

Answer: When the mind consciousness deliberates and engages in contemplative practice, it has not only inference (anumāna) and erroneous cognition/non-valid cognition, but also direct perception; all three valid cognitions can manifest the wisdom of the mind consciousness. The logical thinking, analysis, and reasoning of the mind consciousness when contemplating the five aggregates also involve all three valid cognitions. The higher the wisdom, the more direct perception there is; the more facts one observes, the more sufficient the evidence, the more adequate the reasons, the more one can permeate and influence the manas, and the closer one comes to realization.

The more sufficient the evidence the mind consciousness seeks, the more it is direct perception, and the better. This is because the mind consciousness gathers evidence on behalf of the manas; evidence from direct perception is persuasive and can be accepted by the manas, with sufficient reasons. The imagination and fantasies of the mind consciousness that are erroneous cognition lack sufficient evidence, and the manas cannot accept them. In this way, they cannot serve to guide and propel the deliberation (manana) of the manas, and realization cannot occur.

Direct perception does not necessarily mean something one must personally experience. Seeing things that happen to others, things that happen to all sentient beings—these all count as observation through direct perception, as long as they accord with facts, the principles are coherent, and the logic is rigorous; that is enough. However, a question like the seeds of the four great elements (earth, water, fire, wind) indeed cannot be observed through direct perception, because the wisdom is insufficient; it can only count as permeation and cultivation, counting as erroneous cognition—but for all Buddhas, it is direct perception. The wisdom of each of our mind consciousnesses is limited, so there are extremely many facts and truths that cannot be observed through direct perception; therefore realization is very, very difficult, and we can only realize some relatively shallow truths.

For some people, certain dharmas are difficult to contemplate, while for others they are relatively easy; the difference lies in the differing wisdom of the mind consciousness, and also the differing wisdom of the manas. As for the seeds of the four great elements, all Buddhas can of course immediately observe them through direct perception, but we cannot; we can only follow the principles to think and infer, which serves the function of permeation and cultivation. Since beginningless kalpas, sentient beings in the cycle of birth and death have experienced countless sufferings of birth and death—all of this is direct perception—yet sentient beings cannot observe it through direct perception, cannot perceive it, and do not know how to draw lessons and experience from it, so that the cycle of birth and death continues unbroken and the sufferings never cease.