Perceiving, Conceiving and Direct Knowing

[Tep Sastri]

Hello Everyone -

How do conceiving and perceiving compare to direct knowing?  

The venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi explains 'conceiving' as follows: "The Pali word we have rendered "conceiving" , ma~n~nanaa, comes from the root man, "to think". ...  

Ma~n~nanaa is distortional thinking -- thinking which, under the domination of defiled predilection, imputes to its object properties or relational implications grounded not in the thing itself, but in the constructive activity of the subjective imagination".   The cognitive distortion effected in 'ma~n~nanaa' consists essentially in the intrusion of the egocentric perspective into the domain of perceptual experience. [End quote]

“Whatever has the characteristic of perceiving should be understood, all taken together, as the perception aggregate”. And here too, what is said to have the characteristic of perceiving is perception itself, according as it is said, “It perceives, friend, that is why it is called perception” (M I 293).

'Perceiving' and 'conceiving' are two key words in the Muulapariyaaya Sutta -- a sutta that elaborates on direct knowing of realities (phenomena, dhamma). 

[MN 1, Muulapariyaaya Sutta:]  "Herein, bhikkhus, an uninstructed worldling, who is without regard for the Ariyans, unskilled in the Dhamma of the Atiyans, undisciplined in the Dhamma of the Ariyans, who is without regards for the good men, unskilled in the Dhamma of the good men-- he perceives earth as earth. Having perceived earth as earth, he conceives (himself as) earth; he conceives (himself) in earth; he conceives (himself apart) from earth; he conceives 'earth is mine'; he delights in earth. What is the reason? Because it has not been fully understood by him, I declare."

The meaning of "conceiving" in the one who does not directly know the world is contrasted to "direct knowing" of the one in training (sekha). The highlight of MN 1 is in stressing that the purpose of such direct knowing of the Sekha Puggala is for comprehending (pari~n~neya), which means an ending of lobha, dosa and moha in the one beyond training (arahant)

"A monk who is a trainee -yearning for the unexcelled relief from bondage, his aspirations as yet unfulfilled- directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, let him not conceive things about earth, let him not conceive things in earth, let him not conceive things coming out of earth, let him not conceive earth as 'mine,' let him not delight in earth. Why is that?  So that he

may comprehend it, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... fire as fire... wind as wind... beings as beings... gods as gods... ... the dimension of the infinitude of space as the  dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness as the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... ... the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception... the seen as the seen... the heard as the heard... the sensed as the sensed... the cognized as the cognized... singleness as singleness... multiplicity as multiplicity... the All as the

All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, let him not conceive things about Unbinding, let him not conceive things in Unbinding, let him not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, let him not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' let him not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? So that he may comprehend it, I tell you. 

[MN 1, Muulapariyaaya Sutta] http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.001.than.html

Best wishes to you all.

[Tep Sastri]

Hello Everyone -

Direct knowing is impossible when wrong thoughts/intentions and evil mind states are dominant. Skillful / wholesome perception must be developed through perception of abandoning.

"And what is the perception of abandoning (pahaana sa~n~naa)? 

There is the case where a monk :

1. does not tolerate an arisen thought of sensuality; he abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, and wipes it out; 

2. does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill-will; he abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, and wipes it out;  

3. does not tolerate an arisen thought of harmfulness; he abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, and wipes it out;

4. does not tolerate arisen evil, unskillful mental qualities; he abandons them, destroys them, dispels them, and wipes them out. 

This is called the perception of abandoning. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an10-060.html

The three wrong thoughts (miccha-sankappo) and evil, unskillful mental qualities (papaka akusala dhammas) are defilements of the mind.  When defilements of awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation (nekkhamma). The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct knowing of those qualities worth realizing. [SN 27.10]  

Nekkhamma is one of the ten perfections (Paaramii). 

Best wishes to you all.

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