A Brief Discourse on the Essence of Consciousness

Chapter Eleven: The Mental Factors of the Six Consciousnesses (2)

6. The *Cheng Weishi Lun* (Treatise on the Establishment of Consciousness-Only) states that the initial mental factor of attention (manasikāra) of the first six consciousnesses is not the attention that occurs after the six consciousnesses have arisen; the same applies to the seventh consciousness. The initial attention when first discerning the six objects (viṣaya) must begin earliest at the seed state (bījāvasthā). After attention occurs at the seed state, the seed-consciousness then manifests to form the consciousness, and the six consciousnesses begin to manifest. The manifestation of the seed-consciousness must have a direction and location; it must have an objective for manifestation; it cannot be a random, aimless manifestation. If it were, the attention of the manas (seventh consciousness) would be rendered ineffective. If the six consciousnesses were to discern whatever dharmas they encountered, the lives of sentient beings would certainly be chaotic and disordered, and nothing could be accomplished. If there were no attention at the seed state, no aiming towards a specific dharma, where would the seed-consciousness manifest? The seed-consciousness must have a direction and location for its manifestation; this direction and location must be determined at the seed state. Therefore, the mental factor of attention first functions at the seed state.

The mental factor of attention of the seventh consciousness (manas) also initially begins to generate attention towards the six objects at the seed state. After attention arises, it gives rise to the operation of the mental factors of contact (sparśa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā) towards the six objects. When the manas decides to discern the six objects, the six consciousnesses follow and manifest. The seed-consciousness of the seventh consciousness must also have a location for its manifestation; it does not manifest randomly upon encountering any dharma. If it did, the minds of sentient beings would be even more chaotic, leaving almost no days of peace.

The seed-consciousness of the six consciousnesses must also have a location for manifestation. If there were no attention at the seed state, the seed-consciousness would manifest randomly and aimlessly, the six consciousnesses would become disordered, and sentient beings would be at a loss. Therefore, the seed-consciousness must first have a location for manifestation; it first attends at the seed state, and then the seed manifests. After manifestation, the six consciousnesses directly contact the six objects. The mental factor of contact operates after the consciousness has arisen. If the six consciousnesses cannot generate the final decisive mind, they again generate attention towards the six objects; this attention is the attention after the six consciousnesses have manifested, not the attention at the seed state.

7. The four indeterminate mental factors—regret (kaukrtya), sleep (middha), coarse examination (vitarka), and subtle examination (vicāra)—sometimes belong to wholesome mental factors and sometimes to unwholesome mental factors, depending on the specific circumstances, the result achieved, the state at the time, and the outcome they lead to. For example, if sleep is due to greed (rāga), then sleep is an unwholesome mental factor, capable of inducing mental dullness and stupidity; if sleep can regulate mental state and benefit practice, it belongs to wholesome mental factors.

Regret: If a person constantly and unwisely regrets their past, regretting actions taken, leading to mental agitation, lack of concentration (samādhi), and failure to generate wisdom (prajñā), then regret is an unwholesome mental factor. If one commits unwholesome deeds, can promptly repent (kṣamā), resolve not to repeat them, and after repentance, the mind becomes pure, concentration and wisdom arise, then regret is a wholesome mental factor.

Coarse examination (vitarka): If the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) aimlessly clings everywhere, leading to lack of concentration and mental distraction, then vitarka belongs to unwholesome mental factors. If the mental consciousness is investigating and seeking a truth, such as probing and seeking the eighth consciousness (ālayavijñāna), then it belongs to wholesome mental factors. Subtle examination (vicāra): If the mind is examining worldly dharmas, unsettled, hindering the arising of right wisdom, then it belongs to unwholesome mental factors. If it is for understanding the true meaning of a Buddha Dharma, having an objective, engaging in focused and deep contemplation, then it belongs to wholesome mental factors.

8. Mental factors (caitta) are the companions of consciousness (vijñāna). Where there is consciousness, there are the five universally functioning mental factors (pañca sarvatraga). Some mental factors do not necessarily manifest and operate when the six consciousnesses arise and function; these are not called universally functioning mental factors. They may be the five object-determining mental factors (pañca viṣayaniyata), or afflictive mental factors (kleśa), or wholesome mental factors (kuśala). These mental factors do not manifest at all times. "Universally functioning" means that wherever there is consciousness, this mental factor is present; the mental factor and consciousness are inseparable companions, hence called universally functioning mental factors. The five universally functioning mental factors differ from the "universality" of the Tathāgatagarbha. The five universalities of the Tathāgatagarbha refer to the operation of the Tathāgatagarbha's essence pervading all times, places, realms, and dharmas. The operation of the Tathāgatagarbha's essence is also accompanied by its own five universally functioning mental factors.

Consciousness always operates in the form of mental factors. Mental factors do not have seeds (bīja); they are not generated from seeds. As soon as a particular consciousness manifests, this consciousness operates in the form of mental factors. Mental factors accompany the operation of consciousness; they are the companions of consciousness. Mental factors have no seeds; the eighth consciousness does not store seeds of mental factors; the other consciousnesses also do not store seeds of mental factors. Mental factors have no seeds, just as ignorance (avidyā) has no seeds, and just as the non-concurrent formations (viprayukta-saṃskāra) have no seeds.

9. The sensation (vedanā) of the sensation aggregate (vedanā-skandha) is a mental factor of the six consciousnesses, a functional aspect of the six consciousnesses. It is actually the feeling after consciousness contacts an object. The initial reception and acceptance is still a coarse aspect, merely accepting the six objects. Only when it develops into feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure does it become a subtle aspect. The sensation aggregate includes not only the initial sensation upon contact with objects (which is reception and acceptance, without the arising of pleasant or unpleasant sensations) but also the later three types of sensations. Perception (saṃjñā) is not only discernment but also has the function of grasping characteristics (nimitta). The perception of the mental consciousness corresponds to names and words (nāma). Perception also has coarse and subtle aspects: coarse discernment, subtle discernment, and grasping of characteristics. After coarse and subtle discernment, the six consciousnesses have coarse and subtle sensations.

The seeds of sensation contained in the Tathāgatagarbha are not separate from the seeds of consciousness. When the seed-consciousness operates, it is accompanied by the operation of the mental factor of sensation; therefore, the conscious mind has the function of sensation. It is not that there is a separate seed of sensation apart from the seed-consciousness. The five universally functioning mental factors have no seeds; they depend on the conscious mind to operate; they are companions of the conscious mind. When the seed-consciousness manifests, the five universally functioning mental factors simultaneously accompany its operation; they are dependent on the conscious mind. Therefore, sensation has no separate seed; perception also has no separate seed. Both arise after the six consciousness seeds manifest; when the conscious mind operates, the mental factors of sensation and perception accompany its operation. The same applies to all five universally functioning mental factors. All eight consciousnesses have their own five universally functioning mental factors.

The five universally functioning mental factors operate repeatedly in the discerning process of the conscious mind; they do not operate just once and cease. After they begin operating, their order may interchange and reverse; the sequence is not fixed. Therefore, the sensation of the six consciousnesses does not end after operating once or twice; it may operate countless times. The same applies to the mental factors of perception and volition. The mental factors of attention and contact operate relatively fewer times. The six consciousnesses can continuously attend to the six objects and continuously contact the six objects without moving, while the mental factors of sensation, perception, and volition operate repeatedly, back and forth, before there can be a final decisive choice, and the discernment of the six objects by the six consciousnesses concludes. The operation of mental factors is extremely subtle; only at the Buddha stage (buddhāvasthā) can it be fully observed.

10. The mental consciousness of an ordinary person (pṛthagjana) has fifty-one mental factors, including the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion in full. At the stage of the third fruit of the śrāvaka (anāgāmin), the mental factors of the mental consciousness decrease; the mental factors of greed and hatred are absent. At the stage of transformation (āśraya-parāvṛtti) after entering the Bodhisattva grounds (bhūmi), the afflictive mental factors of the mental consciousness further decrease, gradually transforming into wholesome ones. At the Buddha stage, the mental consciousness has the five universally functioning mental factors, the five object-determining mental factors, and eleven wholesome mental factors. Therefore, spiritual practice is the process of gradually transforming the mental activities of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. The mental activities and nature of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are not immutable. Therefore, when discussing "mind," one must specify whether it is the mental activity of an ordinary person, a person with meditative concentration (dhyāna), a virtuous person (bhadra), a sage (ārya), or a Buddha.

11. The Five Object-Determining Mental Factors of the Five Consciousnesses

The first five consciousnesses only have the function of direct perception (pratyakṣa); they lack inferential cognition (anumāna). The five universally functioning mental factors always accompany the operation of the five consciousnesses. The five object-determining mental factors sometimes manifest and operate in the five consciousnesses. The first five consciousnesses have the mental factor of concentration (samādhi). If the five consciousnesses lacked concentration—if the eye consciousness clung to multiple objects, the ear consciousness to multiple objects, the nose consciousness to multiple objects, the tongue consciousness to multiple objects, and the body consciousness to multiple objects—the mental consciousness would certainly also cling to multiple objects. Wouldn't the mind then be greatly disordered? If the five consciousnesses lacked concentration, the mental consciousness could not be concentrated either; the mental consciousness would inevitably follow the five consciousnesses in discerning everywhere, easily leading to a mind tangled like hemp.

It is evident that the five consciousnesses can each concentrate on one or two places without distraction, discerning subtly; this shows that the five consciousnesses can have concentration and correspond to it. If the six consciousnesses lack concentration, it indicates that the manas is not concentrated, because the clinging to objects by the five and six consciousnesses is the result of the manas leading the clinging. If the manas does not wish to perceive objects, the six consciousnesses cannot perceive objects. Therefore, if the manas lacks concentration and does not correspond to it, one can never attain meditative concentration (dhyāna); the four dhyānas and eight samāpattis could not be cultivated, and beings could only live in the human realm of the desire world (kāmadhātu); there would be no beings existing in the heavens.

The five consciousnesses have discerning wisdom (prajñā); they can generate discrimination and confirmation towards the five objects, clearly discerning and discriminating the five objects. Therefore, the five consciousnesses have the mental factor of wisdom. When the wisdom of the five consciousnesses is strong, it is also elicited by the concentration of the five consciousnesses; this is the principle of "from concentration arises wisdom." Similarly, the wisdom of the manas is mostly elicited by concentration, especially the wisdom after eliminating afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom (vijñāna-parāvṛtti), which is particularly elicited by the concentration of the manas. Since they can confirm what the five objects actually are, this shows that the five consciousnesses have the mental factor of decisive understanding (adhimokṣa), capable of clearly understanding and decisively comprehending the characteristics of the five objects.

The property of the five consciousnesses to approach or avoid the five object-spheres shows that they have the mental factor of desire (chanda). For example, when the eye consciousness encounters soft colors, it can actively approach them; when encountering strong, glaring sunlight, it naturally avoids it—this is the desire of the eye consciousness. The ear consciousness avoids piercing sounds with effort but yearns for soft, light music. The nose consciousness has an avoiding mind towards pungent odors but approaches and generates attachment towards warm, fragrant scents. The tongue consciousness actively seeks and approaches delicious flavors but strenuously avoids irritating tastes. The body consciousness approaches light and pleasant touches and may generate attachment but urgently avoids harsh, painful, and violating touches. The above shows that the five consciousnesses have a weak mental factor of desire, much weaker and less obvious than that of the mental consciousness, making it difficult to observe.

The five consciousnesses also have a certain mindfulness (smṛti) towards previously experienced objects. Because of this mindfulness, they can have the mental factor of desire and generate attachment, not wishing to leave the object, clinging to the object-sphere.

The five consciousnesses fully possess the five object-determining mental factors, though weakly. They are generally manifested as the five object-determining mental factors of the five-sense-door mental consciousness (pañcadvārika-manovijñāna). However, upon detailed analysis, they can still be distinguished. Overall, the manifestation and operation of the five consciousnesses are still controlled and determined by the manas. Thus, the desire of the five consciousnesses appears even weaker and more obscure, obscured by the manipulation of the manas, making it very difficult to detect.

12. Consciousness cannot manifest apart from the characteristics of objects (ālambana). Therefore, when the fifty-one mental factors of the first seven consciousnesses operate, they must rely on certain object-characteristics. The first five consciousnesses can only rely on the objective aspects (nimitta) of the five objects, which belong to form dharmas (rūpa-dharma). The sixth and seventh consciousnesses rely on form dharmas as objects and also on mental dharmas (citta-dharma) as objects.

One of the conditions for the manifestation of the six consciousnesses is the contact between the sense faculty (indriya) and the object (viṣaya). The six objects are a necessary condition for the manifestation of the six consciousnesses. The operating condition for mental factors is that as long as consciousness exists, mental factors necessarily accompany the conscious mind in operation; consciousness operates in the form of mental factors. However, the condition for the manifestation and non-extinction of the manas is the presence of seeds of the three realms (trailokya), with greed, desire, and aspiration (praṇidhāna). Although the manas has existed since beginningless time (anādi), it has always had the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and ignorance; therefore, it has never ceased.

The objects of the first five consciousnesses are the five form objects: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches; they do not belong to the mental objects (dharmāyatana) based on form. The objects of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses include form-based mental objects (the mental objects on the five objects), as well as the exclusively mental sphere (manomaya-ālambana), and mental dharmas (the eight consciousnesses and their mental factors), and non-form non-mental dharmas, such as the non-concurrent formations (viprayukta-saṃskāra). The seventh consciousness also perceives the five object-spheres, perceiving them simultaneously with mental objects.

13. The operation of the five universally functioning mental factors begins with a certain sequence, but after reaching a certain stage, the order of operation changes. Regardless of the change, it always ends with the mental factor of volition (cetanā). Then, the five universally functioning mental factors operate on other dharmas.

The five object-determining mental factors have no fixed order of operation. The five mental factors do not necessarily appear simultaneously or in sequence; perhaps one appears, perhaps two—this is uncertain. The higher a person's wisdom, the more frequently and extensively the five object-determining mental factors manifest. Bodhisattvas who have transformed consciousness into wisdom frequently manifest the five object-determining mental factors, with a high frequency of activity.

The more deluded sentient beings are, the less easily the five object-determining mental factors appear and operate. Ground-level Bodhisattvas (bhūmika-bodhisattva) who have subdued afflictions and transformed consciousness into wisdom have very active five object-determining mental factors in their manas, often appearing, with considerable wisdom and decisive understanding in the manas. Therefore, when Bodhisattvas observe, judge, and make decisions, they often rely not only on the mental consciousness but also on the manas. Often, they use the mental consciousness's surface-level thinking and analysis less, relying more on the manas's function of deliberation.

14. Do the Five Object-Determining Mental Factors Operate After the Sensation Factor Among the Five Universally Functioning Ones?

"Universally functioning" means that wherever a conscious mind appears, the five universally functioning mental factors necessarily accompany the conscious mind in operation. The conscious mind may lack the accompaniment of other mental factors but must have the five universally functioning mental factors. Its true meaning is analogous to two people meeting: first comes contact (sparśa), then discernment (vijñāna) and sensation (vedanā), and finally a decisive judgment. If they do not meet, they cannot discern each other or decide other matters. Before meeting is attention (manasikāra), directing towards a certain place; only then can they meet at that place. Discernment is like understanding the other person; this has a process, with an uncertain duration. Even the eye seeing a form has a process; one cannot immediately judge what the form is.

When the five universally functioning mental factors operate, they first operate in sequence. Without sequence, how could they operate? If there were no sequence, when the three—faculty, object, and consciousness—combine in contact, everything would be decided immediately. But in reality, major final results, as well as minor segmental results, all appear some time after contact; it is not that results occur immediately upon contact. The result is the decision and subsequent karmic actions.

Without contact, there is no subsequent reception and acceptance; without acceptance, there is no discernment; without discernment, there is no subsequent sensation; without the final decision, there is no subsequent mental activity. The five object-determining mental factors generally appear after the sensation factor of the conscious mind, after the perception factor, after the volition factor—it is uncertain at exactly which stage they appear. Without attention and contact, there is no mental factor of desire, no perception factor, hence no decisive understanding factor, no mindfulness factor, and no wisdom factor. On the other hand, without the desire factor, one might not engage in attention and contact, hence no five universally functioning mental factors.

The mental factor of concentration arises after the mental factors of attention, contact, and sensation. Then one can concentrate on attention, concentrate on contact, concentrate on sensation, concentrate on perception, and only then can wisdom arise, with the final volition factor appearing. But it is also possible to first have the concentration factor, concentrate on one or two dharmas, and then operate the five universally functioning mental factors—attention, contact, sensation, perception, volition. It is also possible that the concentration factor appears only after the volition factor.

Overall, the five object-determining mental factors do not necessarily appear and operate at a specific stage among the five universally functioning mental factors. This is because the five universally functioning mental factors operate in continuous cycles; they do not remain fixed at any one stage. If they remain fixed at a certain stage, that is concentration fixed there; the conscious mind then has concentration.

With insufficient concentration, insufficient wisdom, and a mind not extremely refined, it is indeed difficult to observe the operation of mental factors. Regardless of which consciousness's mental factors they belong to, they all fall within the scope of Consciousness-Only and the Wisdom of Specific Discernment (vijñāna-mātra and nirvedha-bhāgīya-jñāna).

15. Among the fifty-one mental factors, wholesome mental factors, afflictive mental factors, etc., correspond not only to the mental consciousness but also to the manas. The mental objects (ālambana) of the mental consciousness include form-based mental objects, mental dharmas, and also the twenty-four non-form non-mental dharmas—the non-concurrent formations.

Form-based mental objects relate to form (rūpa). Form is formed by the seeds of the four great elements (mahābhūta); what pertains to the seeds of the four great elements belongs to form-based mental objects. What pertains to the seeds of consciousness, to the eight consciousnesses, and to mental factors belongs to mental dharmas. The rest are non-form non-mental dharmas. When the mental consciousness perceives its own afflictions like greed, hatred, and delusion as mental dharmas, this belongs to the self-reflective function of the mental consciousness, its self-witnessing division (svasaṃvittibhāga). When the mental consciousness observes the mental factors of other consciousnesses, it belongs to the perceiving division (darśanabhāga) and self-witnessing division (svasaṃvittibhāga), and the objects perceived are all mental dharmas.

16. Question: The mind of fear often arises. Is fear a mental factor? Why is fear not found among the Hundred Dharmas? When the mind is afraid, is it the mental consciousness that is afraid or the manas? Some fears are inexplicable, without cause. Is it the manas that is afraid?

Answer: The mental activity of fear cannot be found among the fifty-one mental factors. This is because the mental factors of sentient beings are numerous and varied; the fifty-one mental factors are only a general summary. They do not include all mental factors, especially the extremely subtle ones. If all were included, there would be hundreds or more. The mental factors in the *Mahāyāna Śatadharmā Prakāśamukha Śāstra* (Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas) are not exhaustive. There are also Thousand Dharmas Gateway, Ten Thousand Dharmas Gateway, Hundred Million Dharmas Gateway. Beyond the Hundred Dharmas Gateway, there are extremely many dharmas not included. Therefore, fear is also a mental factor; it's just that the Hundred Dharmas Gateway did not summarize or include it. Therefore, in our study and practice of Buddhism, we should not dogmatically assume that the dharmas we currently encounter are necessarily ultimate, unchangeable, and inflexible.

When one thinks of a feared person or event, it is first the manas that thinks of it. When it cannot figure it out or when it wants to create something, it then makes the mental consciousness think carefully and react. Fear is divided into two levels. Superficial fear is the fear of the mental consciousness; it does not involve the fundamental level and does not cause effects on body and mind. Deep fear is the fear of the manas; severe fear is called terror (bhaya), causing significant internal fluctuations, physical reactions of varying degrees, changes in breath, blood flow, and neural conduction, further leading to pathological changes in limbs and internal organs. If the manas senses changes in the surrounding environment while asleep and feels fear and terror, it will cause the six consciousnesses to wake up to understand what frightening event has occurred. During nightmares, if the manas is very afraid, it makes the mental consciousness wake up, no longer remaining in the nightmare.

The fear of the mental consciousness and the fear of the manas are different. The fear of the mental consciousness does not cause various bodily conditions. When the manas is afraid, there are bodily symptoms, such as trembling, pallor, heart tightening and pounding, accelerated blood flow, etc. The fear of the manas also has emotional reactions, such as nervousness, inner anxiety, etc. These symptoms indicate that the manas is afraid. Only the mental consciousness being afraid is not true fear; it does not cause bodily reactions. The manas can control the conduction nerves to command the operation of the whole body. Therefore, when the mental activity of the manas moves, the whole body reacts accordingly. The mental consciousness's mind moving cannot move the whole body because the neural conduction function of the whole body is commanded by the manas, not by the mental consciousness.

If the fear is inexplicable, and the mental consciousness feels afraid but does not know what it is afraid of, pondering "What am I afraid of?" yet still feeling afraid without knowing why, then it is the fear of the manas. The fear of the manas is unclear to the mental consciousness; the mental consciousness does not understand but simply knows fear. That is the fear of the manas, the fear deep within, the fear of the manas.

17. The Relationship Between the Four Divisions of the Conscious Mind and the Five Universally Functioning Mental Factors

The four divisions of the conscious mind are the perceiving division (darśanabhāga), the objective division (nimittabhāga), the self-witnessing division (svasaṃvittibhāga), and the self-witnessing division of the self-witnessing division (svasaṃvitti-svasaṃvittibhāga). If the objective division perceived by the conscious mind is also consciousness, then all four divisions rely on mental factors to operate; only then is there the function of perceiving, called the perceiving division; only then can it perceive dharmas and perceive itself. Among these, mental factors are primarily the five universally functioning mental factors, operating moment by moment without separation. Without the five universally functioning mental factors, the conscious mind cannot operate, and there would be no four divisions.

When the five universally functioning mental factors operate, the conscious mind can contact dharmas, receive dharmas, recognize dharmas, and operate dharmas. Thereupon, the perceiving division, objective division, self-witnessing division, and self-witnessing division of the self-witnessing division manifest. While the four divisions manifest, they can manifest the five object-determining mental factors, exhibiting wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral mental natures. That is to say, when the four divisions appear, they bring other mental factors with them, manifesting the strength and weakness of the conscious mind, its wholesome or unwholesome mental activities, and whether it has concentration, wisdom, etc.