What Does "All Together" (一切俱) Refer to in the Five Universal Mental Factors (五遍行心所法)?

Among the five universally present mental factors, "being present with everything" (一切俱) means that the five universally present mental factors are present together with all consciousness-minds and present together with all dharmas. As long as a consciousness-mind is operating, the five universally present mental factors must be operating; apart from the five universally present mental factors, the consciousness-mind cannot operate, cannot exist, and cannot engage in cognitive activity. Thus, on all dharmas, there are also the five universally present mental factors of the consciousness-mind, because on all dharmas there is necessarily at least the operation of the eighth consciousness and the seventh consciousness, and the five universally present mental factors inevitably accompany the operation of these two consciousnesses.

The meaning of the five universally present mental factors arising together with one another is that these mental factors are born and operate gathered together. For example, when the eighth consciousness gives rise to a dharma, all the mental factors of the five universally present ones must accompany the eighth consciousness throughout its entire operation, without a single one missing. However, this is not necessarily so for the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. After the sixth and seventh consciousnesses have directed attention (manaskāra), if they are not interested, there will be no contact (sparśa)—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After contact, feeling (vedanā) does not necessarily arise—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After feeling, perception (saṃjñā) does not necessarily arise—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After perception, volition (cetanā) does not necessarily arise—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. If the mental factors of the manas do not continue to operate, the six consciousnesses cannot appear; even if they do appear, they will cease and stop operating. In particular, if the volition mental factor (cetanā) of the manas does not appear, none of the six consciousnesses can appear. From this one can see the kingly, ruling position of the manas—how great His power is.

The Buddha-dharma is profound. If one's contemplation is even slightly lacking in power, deviations will arise, and the vast majority of people's contemplation contains deviations that they themselves cannot discover and are unwilling to admit. Many people, precisely because their own contemplation lacks power and they have no alternative, have no choice but to accept the words of famous figures one hundred percent, relying on a ready-made answer, taking it as ultimate, believing this to be reliable, and not knowing even when they are wrong. This is an extremely widespread phenomenon in the current Buddhist community.