The Indeterminate Mental Factors That May Be Good or Evil

The four indeterminate mental factors—regret, sleep, investigation, and scrutiny—may belong to wholesome or unwholesome mental factors depending on the specific circumstances, the outcomes they achieve, and the state and intended results at the time. For instance, if sleep arises from greed, it is an unwholesome mental factor, leading to mental dullness and ignorance; if sleep regulates mental state and benefits spiritual practice, it belongs to wholesome mental factors. Regarding regret: if one constantly and unwisely laments the past, regretting past actions to the point of mental agitation, loss of concentration, and absence of wisdom, then regret is an unwholesome mental factor; if one repents promptly after committing unwholesome deeds, resolves not to repeat them, and attains mental clarity, concentration, and wisdom after repentance, then regret is a wholesome mental factor.

As for investigation: if the conscious mind engages in aimless mental wandering, resulting in lack of concentration and mental distraction, then investigation belongs to unwholesome mental factors; if the conscious mind investigates and seeks a truth, such as exploring the eighth consciousness, then it belongs to wholesome mental factors. Concerning scrutiny: if the mind scrutinizes worldly phenomena, leading to mental restlessness and hindering the arising of right knowledge, it is an unwholesome mental factor; if scrutiny is directed toward comprehending the true meaning of a Buddhist teaching, with a focused objective and profound, detailed contemplation, then it belongs to wholesome mental factors.