How Does the Mental Factor of Attention (Manasikāra) Arise?

The manasikāra (directing of attention) of the consciousness toward an object is a very complex process, and it is extremely difficult to observe it clearly. Initially, the manasikāra toward an object occurs at the seed stage—that is, when the consciousness seeds have not yet been transmitted and the consciousness has not yet arisen—because when the consciousness seeds are about to arise, there must be a place of arising and a direction of manasikāra. This direction and place is the object of manasikāra, the location where the object is.

For example, when playing basketball, to shoot the ball toward the hoop, the eyes must aim in the direction of the hoop; one cannot shoot in another direction. This direction is analogous to the place of manasikāra, that is, the hoop. Here, the basketball is analogous to the consciousness seeds, the person's eyes are analogous to the consciousness, and aiming is analogous to manasikāra. When holding the ball, the target should be oriented toward the hoop; when shooting, the hand must aim in the direction of the hoop, preparing to send the ball in that direction. Likewise, before the consciousness seeds arise within the tathāgatagarbha, there must also be a direction of arising. All consciousness seeds have manasikāra before they arise. Wherever the consciousness arises, whatever object it arises upon, the manasikāra is directed toward that object.

After the consciousness seeds arise, the consciousness will continue its unbroken, continuous manasikāra. This is because while the consciousness continuously operates upon an object, the manasikāra toward that object must be sustained; if the manasikāra ceases, the transmission of the consciousness seeds will shift to another direction, and the other mental factors—contact, feeling, perception, and volition—will no longer appear. Therefore, only through sustained manasikāra can the consciousness's discernment of an object continue; once the manasikāra ceases, there will be no subsequent contact, feeling, perception, or volition. The mental factor of manasikāra is very important: without the mental factor of manasikāra, the other mental factors will not appear either, and the consciousness will have no function with respect to that object.