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Monastics DT2
In the study of Consciousness-Only (Duy biểu), perception is divided into three “measures”:
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Direct perception (hiện lượng) – seeing directly; distinguished as true direct perception (correct) and seeming direct perception (incorrect).
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Inferential perception (tỷ lượng) – knowing through reasoning; including true inferential perception (correct) and seeming inferential perception (incorrect).
When we attain true direct perception and true inferential perception, we touch the nature of phenomena (tánh cảnh), no longer confusing it with object-as-perceived (đối chất cảnh)—like mistaking a rope for a snake in the dark.
Practice is not merely theoretical but is an “art of living” in every action: walking, standing, sitting, eating, breathing… Each day can be a “Lazy Day” to regenerate energy, but we must learn to use it skillfully:
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Rest completely, without running away from sorrow through movies or superficial entertainments.
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When watching films or reading books, it is best to organize Dharma discussions, choose wholesome topics, and sit together to nourish brotherhood and deepen awareness.
The mission of a practitioner is to open the heart to the suffering around us: from supporting police officers in the face of 42 suicides a year in France, to helping today’s “Thúy Kiều”—victims of the sex industry and domestic violence. Just as the nun Giac Duyen liberated Kieu, the Sangha must contemplate, support one another, and act collectively to become a force of salvation in an age of many challenges.