The Mental Factors of the Seventh Consciousness

The mental factors of the seventh consciousness are very complex because the virtuous and non-virtuous karmic retributions of all sentient beings since beginningless time are accomplished due to the virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors of the seventh consciousness, the mind organ. Whether ordinary beings experience retribution in the three wholesome or three unwholesome destinies, or whether it is the sublime retributions of the four kinds of noble ones—Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas—all are accomplished without exception due to the virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors of the mind organ. The difference in retribution, from hell to Buddhahood, is so vast, all resulting from the differences in the mental factors of the mind organ. Although the virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors of the sixth consciousness also greatly influence retribution, the virtuous and non-virtuous nature of the sixth consciousness is, on one hand, permeated and influenced by the mind organ, and on the other hand, the virtuous and non-virtuous qualities permeated by the environment influence the mind organ. Only then can they have a real impact and effect on the final retribution. If the mind organ is not permeated, it indicates that the person's fundamental nature has not changed, and the retribution cannot be altered.

Since the mental factors of the mind organ determine the virtuous and non-virtuous retributions of sentient beings in future lives, and sentient beings indeed experience different virtuous and non-virtuous retributions, the mind organ must possess both virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors. Moreover, the degree of weight of virtuous and non-virtuous mental factors in the mind organ differs for each sentient being. The mind organ of beings in the three unwholesome destinies is replete with afflicted mental factors; the Buddha's mind organ is replete with virtuous mental factors; the mind organs of other sentient beings are not fully replete with either virtuous or non-virtuous mental factors. Since the differences in the mental factors of the mind organ among different sentient beings are so great, it is necessary to describe the various mental factors of the mind organ separately according to the different categories of sentient beings, and not to generalize.

Since beginningless time, the seventh consciousness of sentient beings has always had ignorance and afflictions. After studying and practicing the Buddha's teachings, due to the restraints of precepts and the growth of meditative concentration and wisdom, ignorance and afflictions are continuously subdued and eradicated. Afflicted mental factors are continuously lightened and reduced; the eleven virtuous mental factors are continuously increased and strengthened; the functions of the five object-determining mental factors are also continuously increased and strengthened. Therefore, the mental factors of the seventh consciousness should be described separately according to the stage and degree of cultivation.

(1) The mental factors of the seventh consciousness for ordinary sentient beings include: the five universal mental factors, the five object-determining mental factors, the afflicted mental factors such as greed, anger, ignorance, pride, doubt, wrong views, lack of faith, laziness, heedlessness, forgetfulness, non-discernment, distraction, restlessness, shamelessness, lack of moral dread, anger, hostility, annoyance, concealment, deceit, flattery, arrogance, harmfulness, jealousy, and miserliness, as well as the eleven virtuous mental factors, and so on. There is no mental factor of torpor. Among the indeterminate mental factors, there are the mental factors of regret, initial inquiry, and sustained investigation. There is no mental factor of sleep.

There is a difference between initial inquiry and sustained investigation. Initial inquiry is a coarse activity of the mind, seeking, searching, reasoning, inferring, thinking, analyzing... Sustained investigation is a subtle activity of the mind, waiting, contemplating, closely examining, subtle thinking, subtle researching... Initial inquiry is generally a mental activity of the sixth consciousness, but the mind organ also has the activity of initial inquiry, though it is too difficult to observe. When the sixth consciousness forgets certain people or matters, the mind organ is in a state of initial inquiry. The sixth consciousness might be in a state of initial inquiry or sustained investigation. When the mind organ is in a state of sustained investigation, the sixth consciousness has long ceased initial inquiry, and possibly also ceased sustained investigation, with the mind organ operating entirely on its own. From initial inquiry and sustained investigation, one can infer that when the sixth consciousness is without a single thought, the mind organ is absolutely not without a single thought; the mind organ is still deliberating. Whatever it deliberates, it is engaging in initial inquiry and sustained investigation, including the act of deliberating on 'not deliberating'—this too is the mind organ engaged in initial inquiry and sustained investigation.

The sustained investigation of the mind organ is even harder to observe than initial inquiry because its mode of activity is extremely subtle. Therefore, countless people deny most of the mental factors of the mind organ, considering them non-existent, when in fact they are simply unobservable. To simply deny what one does not know or understand is truly an unwholesome attitude; the mind is not honest, and wisdom cannot grow either. Honesty is also a mental factor, belonging to the virtuous mental factors, but it is not included among the fifty-one mental factors.

All activities of the mind, forms of the mind, modes of the mind, and qualities of the mind belong to mental factors. They can be virtuous, non-virtuous, or neither virtuous nor non-virtuous. Initial inquiry is seeking without a specific target, like shining a flashlight everywhere, moving obviously and quickly. Sustained investigation is, after searching everywhere, finding a general target, then focusing attention on the target to observe, moving lightly and slowly. When engaging in Chan contemplation, after finding a general direction and key point for investigation, one locks onto a target to observe and examine, the mind becomes even more subtle and difficult to detect.

The mental factor of regret involves remorse, repentance, self-reproach, and turning away from one's past actions. Sometimes it belongs to the virtuous mental factors, sometimes to the non-virtuous mental factors. The mind organ of ordinary beings and those in the three wholesome abodes has regret, sometimes virtuous, sometimes non-virtuous. For noble ones who have cut off afflictions and have a pure mind, their mind organ also has regret, but it is always virtuous. If someone regrets having done a good deed, that is a non-virtuous dharma. The mind organ of Bodhisattvas at the eighth stage and above, who have exhausted their affliction habits, has no regret because they no longer commit wrongdoings. The Buddha's mind organ, even more so, lacks the mental factor of regret, due to great wisdom. Once the mind organ of a hell being regrets the evil deeds it has done, those evil deeds are eliminated, and it will immediately emerge from hell; this is virtuous. The sixth consciousness of hell beings is too busy experiencing suffering to have the mind for regret. Even if the sixth consciousness could regret, it cannot eliminate the evil deeds and leave hell, because the sixth consciousness is not the dominant agent.

The mind organ of ordinary beings is almost replete with all afflicted mental factors. Because of these afflicted mental factors, they revolve endlessly through the six realms of existence, experiencing endless suffering. However, whether each being's afflicted mental factors are all present, whether they can all manifest, and the degree of their severity, varies. Of course, the mind organ of ordinary beings also has virtuous mental factors; otherwise, ordinary beings could not be reborn in heavens to enjoy blessings. In the cycle of the six realms, there would be only five realms, without the heavenly realm, and there would be no wholesome retribution in the human realm or the Asura realm either. Even within the human realm, one could not become a virtuous person; without doing good deeds, there would be no wholesome fruit in the future. The fact is, even beings in the three unwholesome destinies have virtuous minds; otherwise, they could never be reborn as humans or heavenly beings. It is just that the virtuous mind of these beings temporarily does not manifest, or manifests only rarely.

(2) The seventh consciousness of an ordinary person who has attained the four meditative concentrations and the four formless attainments corresponds with the mental factor of meditative concentration. They can enter the four meditative concentrations and the four formless attainments, and can be reborn in the desire realm heavens, the form realm heavens, and the formless realm heavens. Their secondary afflictions decrease; they lack the mental factors of laziness, heedlessness, forgetfulness, distraction, torpor, and restlessness. The mental factor of meditative concentration among the five object-determining mental factors is strengthened. The mind organ of a person without meditative concentration lacks the mental factor of meditative concentration. Therefore, the mental factors of the seventh consciousness of ordinary beings are not fixed; the mental factors of each person are not necessarily the same.

However, a common characteristic of the mental factors of the mind organ and the sixth consciousness for those who have cultivated meditative concentration and those who have realized noble fruits is that afflicted mental factors are lightened and reduced, while virtuous mental factors are increased and strengthened.

(3) For the seventh consciousness of Bodhisattvas before passing the difficult checkpoint of the three wholesome abodes, and for Stream-Enterers and Once-Returners, the mental factor of the view of a self is eliminated. Several of the major secondary afflictions are reduced. The mental factor of lack of faith is eliminated; the mental factor of faith is increased and strengthened. The mental factor of non-discernment is eliminated. The mental factor of torpor was originally absent. Laziness, heedlessness, restlessness, forgetfulness, and distraction are lightened or eliminated. The major secondary afflictions are lightened. The intermediate secondary afflictions may be lightened or eliminated. Simultaneously, all eleven virtuous mental factors are increased and strengthened. Among the five object-determining mental factors, the mental factors of resolution, meditative concentration, and wisdom are strengthened. These depend on the individual; they are not exactly the same for everyone.

(4) For Bodhisattvas who have passed the difficult checkpoint and for post-stage Bodhisattvas, because the seventh consciousness has initially transformed consciousness into wisdom, their mental factors include the five universals and the five object-determinings, and the eleven virtues, but these are not fully complete nor at their most powerful. Only at the stage of Buddhahood are they fully complete and most powerful. The fundamental afflicted mental factors are all eradicated. All major secondary afflictions are eliminated. The intermediate secondary afflictions are lightened or eliminated. The minor secondary afflictions are gradually exhausted by Bodhisattvas from the fourth to the seventh stages. The mental factors of the seventh consciousness for Once-Returners and Non-Returners also undergo some changes. For Non-Returners, all afflicted mental factors are eradicated. Once-Returners still have some afflicted mental factors. Their virtuous mental factors increase, and the five object-determining mental factors are also strengthened, but not fully complete. Generally, they correspond to the mental factors of Bodhisattvas after passing the difficult checkpoint. However, they cannot cut off the minor secondary afflictions; their habitual tendencies still remain. The mental factors of the Buddha's seventh consciousness are fully complete with the five universals, the five object-determinings, and the eleven virtues, and have no other mental factors.