How the Five Universally Functioning Mental Factors of the Six Consciousnesses Operate (Part 2)

When the mental factor of perception (saññā) fails to discern clearly, it proceeds to discern and think (cetanā). When the mental factor of volition (cetanā) is still unable to make a decision, the six consciousnesses must repeatedly ponder and think, then repeatedly discern again. After discerning, there is feeling (vedanā); after feeling, there is discerning again; after discerning, there is thinking again. If thinking remains unclear, attention (manasikāra) is applied again. After applying attention, contact (phassa) follows again, or direct thinking resumes, or after contact, thinking follows. After thinking comes feeling, after feeling comes thinking again, after thinking comes feeling again — the sequence is not fixed.

After all five mental factors have operated, if attention is applied again, it focuses the attention of the six consciousnesses on the object to be discerned. Then contact occurs among the three: the sense faculty, the object, and consciousness. After contact occurs, the first stage is reception and acceptance (vedanā), followed by discernment (saññā). When discernment becomes clear, feeling arises. If feeling is not yet clear, discernment continues, potentially requiring repeated cycles of attention, contact, and discernment. Once all six consciousnesses have performed discernment and grasping (upādāna), and feeling has arisen, the next appropriate course of action can be determined. This requires first engaging in deliberation, consideration, and judgment, followed by making a decision to determine which physical, verbal, or mental actions to undertake. This process is divided into many steps, progressing layer by layer, deepening step by step, until the physical and verbal actions are produced. If thinking remains unclear, it is necessary to resume contact, apply attention again, think again, and discern again, until it is finally discerned with clarity.