Ways of Knowing

Brief Review of Why and How We Need to Analyze the Different Types of Appearances We’ve been speaking about the various appearances that our mental activity gives rise to. We are analyzing them because how things appear to us affects very much how we respond to what we...

The Need for Having a Strong Foundation for Studying This Text After listening to teachings, in the end, don’t just make a mandala offering and go off and practice, not having understood anything. That is not the procedure. Whatever you haven’t understood, you should think...

Review We have been speaking about the various ways in which we know or cognize things. In our meditation, and ways of understanding aspects of our lives and especially in terms of our interactions with others, it’s very important to know whether or not what we cognize is...

Inferential Cognition Inferential cognition is the comprehension of an obscure fact through reliance on a correct line of reasoning as its basis. When divided, three types are explained: inferential cognitions based on (1) the force of the actuality of phenomena, (2) what is...

Assertions and Refutations of Self-Established Existence The next verse states: (IX.5) Functional phenomena are seen by the (common) world and conceptualized to be absolutely existent, and not like an illusion. It’s in this regard that there’s dispute between...

Introduction Given the above analysis of the three times and what the omniscient awareness of a Buddha cognizes when validly cognizing the three times, several questions arise concerning the relation between this analysis and the modern theories of quantum mechanics. In order...

Review We have covered two valid ways of knowing: Fresh, decisive, accurate bare cognition – non-conceptual cognition of obvious phenomena as the appearing objects Inferential cognition – conceptual cognition of obscure and extremely obscure phenomena by relying on a valid...

Objects of Cognition There are four (types) of cognitive objects: (1) appearing, (2) cognitively taken, (3) conceptually implied and (4) involved. Appearing objects and cognitively taken objects are mutually inclusive. Except for (those having) appearances of falling hairs and...

 Mental Factors There are primary consciousnesses and mental factors. In any cognition there are always these two kinds of conscious phenomena, which share five congruent features (mtshungs-ldan lnga). They share a common (1) object (yul), (2) reliance (rten), (3) mental...

Deceptive Cognition or Seemingly Bare Cognition There are some further ways of knowing besides the standard list of seven. The one delineated in most detail is deceptive cognition (’khrul-shes). Deceptive cognition is also called “seemingly bare cognition” (mngon-sum...