The Transformation of Consciousness and Mental Factors Phenomena

The consciousness mind in the state of an ordinary being possesses fifty-one mental factors (caitasika dharmas), complete with afflictions such as greed, hatred, and delusion. At the Three Fruition Stages of Śrāvakas, the mental factors of consciousness decrease, eliminating the mental factor of greed and the mental factor of hatred. Upon entering the transformed state after attaining the first Bodhisattva ground (Bhūmi), the afflicted mental factors of consciousness further diminish, gradually transforming into wholesome ones. At the stage of Buddhahood, the mental factors of consciousness consist of the Five Omnipresent Mental Factors, the Five Particular Mental Factors, and eleven wholesome mental factors. Thus, spiritual practice is the process of gradually transforming the mental activities and nature of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; the mental activities and intrinsic nature of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are not immutable. Therefore, when discussing the mind, it must be clarified whether this refers to the mental activities of an ordinary being, a person with meditative concentration, a virtuous person, a sage, or a Buddha.