What is the meaning of 'defiled cognition'? I have noticed in discussions of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that the way ordinary folk see things is described as 'defiled cognition'. I would like some pointers on what this means and where to do some reading on the idea.

Also is there any cross-cultural equivalent, in Western philosophy or religion?
In Mahayana, "defiled cognition" is ignorant apprehension of standalone (svabhava) entities, both internally (as personal self) and externally (as various quasi-separate objects).

It is on the basis of this that experience is then divided up into "wanted" and "unwanted", a necessary condition of suffering.