The Operation Process of the Five Universally Present Mental Factors of the Mental Faculty (Part 3)

What determines the mental application of the mind faculty towards a particular phenomenon is discussed in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra. It is determined by the mind faculty's mindfulness, desire, habitual tendencies, habits, thoughts, interests, preferences, intentions, wishes, demands, and so forth, which arouse the mental application of the mind faculty's own seed of consciousness. The mental application of the six consciousnesses is all aroused and determined by the mind faculty. Wherever the mind faculty intends to function and act upon a phenomenon, the seeds of the six consciousnesses in the tathāgatagarbha have a direction for arising, with the intention to be born at that phenomenon. This is mental application. Thereafter, the seeds of consciousness are certainly born upon that phenomenon.

After the mind faculty has engaged in mental application, whichever consciousness it is must come into contact with the corresponding phenomenon. Because wherever the seed of consciousness is born, it contacts that phenomenon. After contact, it receives and accepts it. For example, when the hand touches a ball, it first accepts the ball and receives it, and only then can there be sensation, which is feeling, followed by cognition. For instance, when the eye faculty contacts a form-object, it first receives the form-object, then cognizes it, and then grasps this form-object, giving rise to thoughts, intentions, plans, schemes, and so forth. Only after grasping the form-object does feeling arise. Feeling then arises after conception. After feeling arises, one continues to deliberate, then engages in subtle discrimination to make decisions and exercise mastery, intending how to process it.

Before processing, the mind faculty must completely grasp this phenomenon. Before grasping, it must clearly discriminate it. It must first have feeling towards this phenomenon. After feeling, a decision arises. This decision is the function of the volitional mental factor. This decision is not necessarily the final decision; it may be an immature, temporary decision. After subsequent subtle discrimination, when one feels confident and has clearly discriminated everything, the final decision is made. Then the operation of the seventh consciousness regarding this phenomenon concludes.

Before the operation regarding this phenomenon is completely finished, the volitional mental factor of the mind faculty continues to function uninterruptedly. Only when the entire discrimination of this phenomenon is concluded do all volitional mental factors and the five omnipresent mental factors cease. Then, one enters the operation regarding the next phenomenon, and the five omnipresent mental factors continue to operate on new content. If this phenomenon has not concluded, then contact, mental application, feeling, conception, and volition continue to operate uninterruptedly, providing feedback back and forth and constantly making corrections. It is like when we look at an object. At first, we receive it. After accepting it, wishing to see it clearly, we engage in discrimination. Initially, we may not see it clearly, so we continuously contact, continuously feel, and continuously cognize. After cognition, the three types of feeling—pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral—arise. Then we grasp this appearance and make a decision, and the six consciousnesses proceed to create karmic actions.