What is called uninterrupted mental engagement?

"Intermittent" means with gaps and interruptions; "uninterrupted" means continuous, without gaps and without interruption. Manaskāra (mental engagement) means directing attention toward a dharma, the mind inclining toward a dharma and attending to a dharma. Manaskāra is one of the five universally present mental factors of the conscious mind; all eight consciousnesses possess manaskāra, and all can incline toward a certain dharma and attend to a certain dharma.

Among these, is the manaskāra of the eighth consciousness uninterrupted or intermittent? We know that all dharmas are born of and upheld by the eighth consciousness. Once the eighth consciousness no longer engages in manaskāra toward a certain dharma, it no longer operates upon that dharma and does not output seeds onto that dharma; then that dharma must vanish and perish. Therefore, as long as a certain dharma exists, there must be the continuous and unceasing operation of the eighth consciousness's manaskāra. However, the existence of all dharmas arises in two ways: first, the eighth consciousness spontaneously gives rise to them in accordance with matured karmic seeds; second, they arise from the manaskāra and clinging of the manas. Thus, at times, the manaskāra of the eighth consciousness is triggered by the manaskāra of the manas. Once the manas no longer engages in manaskāra, the eighth consciousness no longer gives birth to and upholds certain dharmas, and those dharmas inevitably disappear. Therefore, for the existence of certain dharmas, there must also be the operation of the manas's manaskāra mental factor. As long as a certain dharma continues to exist without interruption, the manas's manaskāra mental factor must be operating continuously and unceasingly; otherwise, those dharmas would inevitably vanish.

Therefore, it can be said that the manaskāra of the eighth consciousness can be uninterrupted, and the manaskāra of the manas can be uninterrupted. Can the manaskāra of the mind consciousness be uninterrupted? We know that the mind consciousness is interrupted during much of each day, inevitably ceasing involuntarily. Even if the mind consciousness has uninterrupted manaskāra, it lasts only for a period of time; it is impossible to achieve twenty-four hours of non-stop continuity each day. Even when the mind consciousness engages in uninterrupted manaskāra for a period of time, this is entirely due to the uninterrupted manaskāra of the manas. Once the manas no longer engages in manaskāra, the eighth consciousness no longer outputs the seeds of the mind consciousness, and the mind consciousness inevitably disappears from that dharma.

Therefore, only under the condition of the manas's uninterrupted manaskāra can there be the mind consciousness's uninterrupted manaskāra for a period of time. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, after engaging in manaskāra for a while, the mind consciousness becomes fatigued and will become distracted and cease; it cannot sustain manaskāra for too long, and this is even more so for the manaskāra of the five sense consciousnesses. Without the manas's manaskāra and without the eighth consciousness's manaskāra, the six consciousnesses would not have even a moment's manaskāra. All six consciousnesses depend on the eighth consciousness and the manas in order to manifest and operate; they cannot exist independently and cannot be the master.

Once the manas has formed uninterrupted manaskāra toward a certain dharma, it means the mind consciousness's perfuming has succeeded; the manas will then automatically and spontaneously direct the six consciousnesses to act in accordance with the principles it has realized and known. Its mental conduct will necessarily change, and its bodily, verbal, and mental actions will also necessarily change, without the mind consciousness needing to further supervise and remind it. Only when the manas has not been successfully perfumed is the mind consciousness's constant supervision, reminding, and regulation needed—because the manas is not spontaneous, has not been perfumed, and has not realized the dharma.