Inference (Skt. anumāna; Tib. rjes dpag):
This kind of cognition, like a wise detective, is based on logic and reasoning. Imagine that you see smoke rising from behind a hill. You do not see the fire itself, but from your experience and knowledge that smoke usually accompanies a fire, you conclude that there is a fire burning behind the hill. Inference is the ability of our mind to draw conclusions based on available facts and logical connections.
Example: You wake up in the morning and see that the asphalt in the yard is wet, and there are drops of water hanging on the trees. You did not see how it rained, but based on these signs, you conclude that it rained at night.
Parable: Once the sage saw the tracks of large hooves on the bank of the river. He carefully examined them and said to his disciples: "These tracks belong to a huge elephant, which is lame on one leg, hungry and carries a lot of luggage." The disciples were surprised: "How can you know this without seeing the elephant?" The sage explained: "The footprints are deep, which means that the elephant is very heavy. One leg leaves a less deep mark, which means it is lame. There is no grass around the tracks, which means that he is hungry. And the uneven depth of the tracks indicates that he is carrying a heavy load." This parable, like a magnifying glass, shows the power of inference based on careful observation and logical thinking.
Subsequent knowledge (Skt. paricchinna-jñāna; Tib. bcad shoes):
It's like meeting an old friend – recognizing something that we've already perceived. When you meet someone you know on the street, you immediately recognize their face, voice, or behavior. This is subsequent cognition – our mind compares the current perception with the information stored in the memory and identifies the object.
Example: You hear a familiar tune on the radio. After a few seconds, you recognize the song and remember its name and artist. This is the subsequent cognition – your mind compares what you heard with the information stored in your memory.
Parable: A monk who had spent many years in seclusion in the mountains came down to the city. He saw many unfamiliar things and people. But when he heard the sound of a bell coming from the temple, he immediately recognized it.
Correct assumption (Skt. manaḥ-parīkṣā; Tib. yid dpyod):
It's like an intuitive insight, a correct guess based on limited information. Imagine that you hear a meow outside the door. If you don't see a cat, you're still very likely to assume that there's a cat there.
Example: Your friend is usually late for meetings. You agreed to meet at a café at 7 p.m. At 7:15 a.m. he's still gone. You assume that he's likely to stay another 10-15 minutes, and this assumption turns out to be correct.
Parable: Once a traveler got lost in the forest. He saw two roads diverging in different directions. On one road there were fresh tracks leading deep into the forest, and the other was overgrown with grass. The traveler assumed that no one had walked along the overgrown road for a long time, and decided to follow the road with footprints. This parable shows how, even with a lack of information, we can make the right assumption based on common sense and intuition.
Direct perception without definition (Skt. aniyata-pratibhāsa; Tib. snang la ma nges pa):
It's like a fleeting vision, a first impression, but it's even more fleeting and indefinite. Imagine that you catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of your eye. You are aware that something has happened, but you don't have time to determine what it is. This direct perception without definition is a primordial sensory impression that has not yet been clearly formed and named in our minds. It's like a shadow flashing on a wall – we see movement, But we don't know what caused it.
Example: You are sitting in a quiet room and suddenly you hear a rustle in the next room. You are aware that there was a sound, but you cannot immediately determine what it was – whether a book fell, a mouse ran by, or something else.