The Mental Factors of Consciousness

The mental factors associated with the sixth consciousness are, on one hand, influenced and tainted by the mental factors of the mind faculty (manas), and on the other hand, transformed by the influence of the environment. At the moment of birth, the mental factors of the consciousness are entirely under the influence of the mind faculty, directed by it, and possess no autonomy whatsoever. As one gradually grows up, one is progressively influenced by the surrounding environment, such as parents, relatives, playmates, school education, television, the internet, and so forth, with increasing tainting. In this way, a child who is inherently good may gradually acquire bad habits, or a child with innate bad habits may gradually become well-behaved; this is the effect of environmental tainting. If a child's innate good and bad habits are both very strong, they are less susceptible to environmental tainting; a good child remains good and does not learn bad ways, and a bad child remains bad and does not learn good ways. In such cases, the force of the mind faculty appears to be quite significant. On yet another hand, the mental factors of the consciousness can, in turn, influence and perfumate the mind faculty. After perfumating the mind faculty, the seeds of karma change, the karmic force is reversed, and the resulting retribution undergoes transformation.

The consciousness of an ordinary being corresponds with the fifty-one mental factors, but not everyone's sixth consciousness completely possesses all fifty-one. Some mental factors do not manifest, while others manifest when conditions are sufficient. For some people, the afflicted mental factors manifest more frequently, so the wholesome mental factors manifest less often. For those in whom all afflicted mental factors manifest completely, their afflictions are extremely heavy, and their moral character is quite poor.

The maximum number of mental factors for the sixth consciousness of sentient beings is fifty-one, but it can be fewer than fifty-one. When it is reduced to only twenty-one, one is a bodhisattva at the eighth stage or above. When the twenty-one mental factors are completely and fully present, one has completely transformed consciousness into wisdom and attained Buddhahood. Therefore, the mental factors of sentient beings differ, and their emphases also vary. Particularly, the mental factors of the sixth consciousness of ordinary beings who have attained the four dhyanas and eight samadhis are significantly fewer than fifty-one. For bodhisattvas in the three virtuous stages before passing the "Prison Gate" and for stream-enterers (first stage) and once-returners (second stage), the mental factors must be reduced. Primarily, the view of self among the fundamental afflicted mental factors is eliminated, and the major secondary afflictions are also reduced and lessened. For non-returners (fourth stage), all fundamental afflicted mental factors are eradicated, and both the major and intermediate secondary afflictions are eliminated. The minor secondary afflictions still exist but are lessened. For once-returners (third stage), among the fundamental afflictions, conceit and ignorance remain uneradicated but are significantly reduced; the major and intermediate secondary afflictions are eliminated, while the minor secondary afflictions remain, with habits heavier than those of a fourth-stage practitioner.

For bodhisattvas who have passed the "Prison Gate" and for post-stage bodhisattvas, their mental factors are roughly similar to those of third- and fourth-stage practitioners of the Lesser Vehicle. However, the minor secondary afflictions of post-stage bodhisattvas gradually lessen and decrease from the first stage onwards and are completely eradicated before entering the eighth stage. If the mind faculty is free from afflictions and habits, the consciousness is even more so. From the eighth stage onwards, the mental factors of a bodhisattva's sixth consciousness initially correspond with the twenty-one mental factors: the five universal mental factors, the five object-determining mental factors, and the eleven wholesome mental factors. However, these are not yet fully complete; they become completely and fully present only at the stage of Buddhahood.