The Operation of Eye-Consciousness and the Volitional Mental Factor

Volition (思) means selection, decision, determination, representing a discriminative power. After the mind-consciousness determines a dharmā (法), it must act. Volition also signifies activity, action, behavior, operation, and so forth. The operation of the volition mental factor (思心所) exists in all eight consciousnesses. This means that discriminative power is required; after discrimination, there must be a choice, a decision must be made, and after the decision, it must be implemented. This is the meaning of the volition mental factor.

Among these, the eye-consciousness's discrimination of form (色法) cannot occur without the discrimination of the mental consciousness. Therefore, the operation of the volition mental factor in the eye-consciousness cannot be separated from the operation of the volition mental factor in the mental consciousness.

For example, when manas (意根) intends to apply medicine, it decides to search for the medicine bottle. This task is accomplished jointly by the eye-consciousness and the mental consciousness; neither can perceive form and search for form objects alone. After manas makes the decision, the eye-consciousness and mental consciousness arise and go to the table to search for the medicine bottle. There are several objects on the table. Manas decides to examine them one by one, so the eye-consciousness and mental consciousness proceed to discriminate each object in turn. Finally, the eye-consciousness fixes on the color of the medicine bottle, and the mental consciousness fixes on the shape of the medicine bottle. The combined information reveals it is the medicine bottle, though the concept of 'medicine bottle' is provided by the mental consciousness. When the two consciousnesses work together, the mental consciousness always handles the greater workload, having more mental activity and discriminating more dharmas.

The eye-consciousness and mental consciousness fixing on the medicine bottle is equivalent to attending to the bottle, contacting the bottle, receiving the bottle, discriminating the bottle, and finally identifying it as the bottle being sought. Among these, determination is the function of the volition mental factor, including the eye-consciousness determining the bottle's color, and the mental consciousness determining the bottle's shape, label, and contents. The determination of all form objects is primarily done by the mental consciousness, with the eye-consciousness's determination being supplementary. After determination, the information is transmitted to manas. Manas deliberates and verifies, also determining that it is the needed bottle, and then decides to pick it up. This is another act of volition. At this point, the eye-consciousness, mental consciousness, and body-consciousness operate together harmoniously, including manas and a certain consciousness, and the action is produced – the bottle is picked up. This process might take only twenty seconds, yet describing it requires several minutes.

In the process of discriminating form objects, if the eye-consciousness is uncertain, the mental consciousness cannot determine, and manas is even less able to determine. Then a certain consciousness remains an onlooker, unable to determine anything. If the eye-consciousness determines, the mental consciousness may not necessarily determine, and manas still cannot determine. Only after the mental consciousness determines does manas deliberate and verify again, and may finally determine, or perhaps still cannot determine. Then it will cause the eye-consciousness and mental consciousness to discriminate and confirm again, even repeatedly, providing more information to manas, before manas can determine and make a choice.

Some people always want their cultivation to reach the level of the mental consciousness and stop there, omitting the final crucial step. What can be achieved? What effect can it have? If realization of the fruit (证果) doesn't involve manas, what use is the conclusion reached by the mental consciousness? If realizing the mind (明心) doesn't involve manas, what use is the mental consciousness's realization? If the boss doesn't make the final decision, what use is anything the employees say? Cultivation that is abandoned halfway is almost useless effort. Yet, there are actually people who like to do things halfway, abandoning the final result.