PSYCHOLOGY OF BUDDHISM: A practical guide to self-knowledge.

cognition: The doctrine of emptiness (sunyata), like the sun, is central to Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. It says that all phenomena are devoid of their own, independent essence. Our ordinary perception of the world as consisting of solid, self-existent objects is a form of false cognition based on illusion. The Heart Sutra states:

      "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form; Emptiness is not different from form, form is not different from emptiness. The same applies to sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness."

      "Understanding emptiness is like a key that helps us free ourselves from false beliefs about reality and see the world as it really is, interconnected and constantly changing."

      These passages from the Buddhist teachings deepen our understanding of the seven types of perception like precious threads and show how these categories relate to key Buddhist principles such as mindfulness, wisdom, impermanence, right thinking, and emptiness. Exploring these aspects of our mind, like diving into a deep well, is an important step on the path to self-knowledge and liberation from suffering.

      Chapter 2. Beyond Illusions: Meeting the Immediate

      Immediate Knowledge – Looking Beyond the Veil of the Mind

      "The mind is like a wild elephant. If left unchecked, it will only bring destruction. But if he is tamed, he will become the greatest helper." – Tibetan proverb

      Imagine a moment of absolute silence when all external noises cease and all that remains is pure, unclouded awareness. This is not a dream, not a fantasy, but a moment of genuine clarity, when the mind, like the calm surface of a lake, reflects reality without distortion. It is in this ability of our consciousness that lies the key to the deepest understanding of ourselves and the world – something that in Buddhist psychology, especially in the tradition of the great Nalanda Monastery, is called direct perception (Skt. pratyakṣa; Tib. mngon sum).

      Think for a moment: How many times a day do we actually see, hear, and feel the world as it is, without the admixture of our biases, expectations, and interpretations? More often than not, our minds are like a stirred sea, where waves of thought and emotion distort the reflection of the truth. But imagine that there is a way to calm these waves and see reality in all its pristine purity.

      "Knowing nature, or knowing agent… is called the mind, and it is immaterial… Cognitive acts have the nature of knowledge because of the basic nature of clarity, which underlies all cognitive acts. This is… the basic nature of the mind, clear light," says His Holiness the Dalai Lama. These words penetrate like a ray of light to the very heart of our minds, pointing to our innate capacity for clear and immediate knowledge.

      But why should we, modern people living in a world of information noise and constant haste, immerse ourselves in the study of such subtle aspects of Buddhist psychology? The answer is simple and deeply personal: to gain mental health, peace of mind, and genuine understanding. After all, many of our sufferings, anxieties, and disappointments stem from misinterpretations of reality, from misconceptions that we accept as truth.

      Remember how often we react not to the fact itself, but to our interpretation of this fact. The boss frowns – and now a whole scenario about our incompetence and impending dismissal is born in our minds. A friend doesn't respond to the message right away – and we already feel rejected. These mental constructs, often having nothing to do with reality, poison our lives and undermine our mental health.

      "The mind is like a monkey jumping from branch to branch, constantly distracted and grasping at anything," say Tibetan monks, drawing an analogy with the restless nature of our everyday consciousness. But in the Nalanda Tradition we are taught that behind this hustle and bustle lies the potential for infallible cognition, free from conceptuality. This is the essence of direct perception, which, according to this ancient wisdom, is of four kinds: