The Functioning of the Five Universal Mental Factors in the Six Consciousnesses (Part 4)

The actual operation of the five universally functioning mental factors can be illustrated with an analogy. For instance, consider a painter creating a painting. The five universally functioning mental factors can be likened to the painter, while the six sense objects discerned by the mental factors are like the landscape painting the artist creates. When the painter sets out to sketch and copy a scene, they first observe the landscape before them. When they look up at the scene, this is equivalent to directing attention (manasikāra) towards the landscape. They shift their visual consciousness (cakṣurvijñāna) to the scenery, analogous to directing their focus onto the landscape, which then triggers the subsequent mental activities of contact (sparśa) and grasping the appearance (nimitta).

The painter observing the landscape is the act of attention (manasikāra). Following attention, contact (sparśa) with the scenery occurs. After contact comes feeling (vedanā). At this stage, feeling primarily involves reception (pratigraha), meaning the six sense objects are received and the perceptual field is accepted. At this point, there is no emotional coloring yet; it lacks feelings like suffering, pleasure, sorrow, joy, or equanimity. The painter does not yet perceive the landscape as beautiful, majestic, or desolate, nor do they generate any internal emotional response. This is because discernment (vijñapti) and grasping the appearance (nimitta) have not yet begun; it is simply the pure reception of the perceptual field.

After receiving it, discernment (vijñapti) is applied. Discernment is thinking (saṃjñā), enabling recognition of what the object is. This is grasping the appearance (nimitta), seizing the perceptual object. After grasping the appearance of the scenery, the eyes withdraw, and the mind recalls and contemplates (manasikāra), firmly imprinting the landscape in memory. A decision is then made on how to sketch it, which corresponds to the operation of the mental factor of volition (cetanā). Once the landscape is imprinted in the mind, the painter begins to sketch on the canvas. These acts of sketching are equivalent to the formative activity (abhisaṃskāra) of the volition mental factor, where bodily, verbal, and mental actions (kāya-vāk-manaḥ-karma) have already arisen.

After sketching for a while, the painter may become unsure how to proceed further because the mental image has grown blurry. They must then look up again at the landscape before them. This is attention (manasikāra) once more. Contact (sparśa) with the scenery is re-established. Following contact, reception (vedanā) occurs again. Now, emotional feelings arise: the painter perceives the landscape as exceptionally beautiful and majestic, and poetic and artistic sentiments emerge within. Such feelings might have been present even during the initial sketching phase. After receiving the perceptual field, they discern (vijñapti) it again. Following discernment, they contemplate how to sketch it. After contemplation, they begin to sketch once more. This entire sequence of formative actions corresponds to the repeated operation of the five mental factors: attention (manasikāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā).

After attention (manasikāra), contact (sparśa) with the perceptual field occurs. Following contact comes feeling (vedanā). After feeling comes discernment (vijñapti). If discernment is unclear, contact is re-established; the painter might not need to redirect attention again because their focus has remained steadily on the scenery without shifting elsewhere. They simply re-establish contact. At this point, they might not need an additional act of contact because they have been continuously in contact with the perceptual field without ever leaving it. After contacting the field again, they receive it (vedanā). They might not need to receive the field anew because they have been continuously receiving it all along. Then, the perception mental factor (saṃjñā) arises directly, and discernment and deliberation (vicāra) are performed repeatedly. This series of actions continues unceasingly until the landscape painting is completed.

This corresponds to the six consciousnesses (vijñāna) achieving full awareness and making the final decision. The matter is then concluded. The operation of the five universally functioning mental factors (pañca sarvatraga) regarding this perceptual field is complete. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions (kāya-vāk-manaḥ-karma) are fully formed, and the painting is finished.

The five universally functioning mental factors can be likened to the painter. They are always in contact with the landscape that needs to be copied, directing attention (manasikāra) towards it, discerning (vijñapti) it, contemplating (cetanā) it, and then beginning to sketch based on the discerned perceptual field. The operation of the five universally functioning mental factors within the six consciousnesses (ṣaḍvijñāna) proceeds in a similar manner.