Direct Perception and Discernment of the Six Consciousnesses in Meditative Concentration

In meditative concentration, the six consciousnesses also engage in direct-perception discernment. In preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), all six consciousnesses exist, and they can directly perceive the six sense-object realms that are currently present or manifesting. Among these, the lightness, expansiveness, comfort, and stretching of the body are discerned through direct perception jointly by the body consciousness and the mind consciousness, whereas an inner feeling of emptiness, voidness, and tranquility is discerned through direct perception by the mind consciousness alone, belonging to a solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) realm. The mind consciousness may also, due to insufficient wisdom or insufficient knowledge and views regarding meditative concentration, be unable to fully discern the states of meditative concentration through direct perception, in which case discernment by inference and non-valid cognition also exists.

In the concentration of the first dhyāna, the mind consciousness together with the three consciousnesses—eye consciousness, ear consciousness, and body consciousness—jointly discern, through direct perception, the four sense objects of form, sound, touch, and dharma. The mind consciousness can discern, through direct perception on its own, inner feelings of tranquility, joy, peace, and emptiness-illusion, and can discern the mental sense-objects of the concentration state through direct perception alone. The mind consciousness can also discern the mental sense-objects of the concentration state through inference and non-valid cognition. In the concentration state of the second dhyāna, only the mind consciousness exists by itself, without the presence of the first five consciousnesses. Therefore, in the concentration state of the second dhyāna, the mind consciousness alone discerns, through direct perception, the deep and subtle mental sense-objects of the concentration state. At this time, the mind consciousness's direct-perception discernment is extremely deep and subtle—almost imperceptible as one's own discernment, with no sense that there is still a knowing within the mind, and almost no perception of the deep joy and comfort within, because it is so profound. In this state, there is no discernment by the mind consciousness through inference or non-valid cognition, because no chaotic, illusory concentration states appear; the mind consciousness abides in a state without initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), and the activity of thinking and analysis has already ceased.