The Difference in the Operation of the Five Universal Mental Factors between Arhats and Ordinary Beings

Question: According to the Bodhisattva Maitreya's Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, fascicle 55: 遍行有五，谓触、作意、受、想、思。于一切识，一切时，皆悉相应。Explanation: Whenever the substance of consciousness arises, the five universal mental factors necessarily accompany it; it is not the case that the substance of consciousness is still present while the mental factor of volition (cetanā) is intermittent and only occasionally arises. At the stage of an arhat, the substance of the seventh consciousness still operates constantly, with only the four afflictions' defilement eliminated. Since the substance of consciousness is uninterrupted, why is the corresponding mental factor of volition not constantly co-present, but instead "only occasionally deliberating"?  

Answer: The original text is correct; the explanation part is a misinterpretation, a willful reading according to one's own ideas — the Bodhisattva Maitreya has been wronged. Mental factors (caittas) are simply the modes of operation of the mind; each person's operation differs slightly, and the difference in operation between sages and ordinary beings is even greater. It is like how everyone has hands, feet, and a body, but there are great differences in the frequency of their use. Mental factors are the same: as practice deepens, the mind's operation continually changes, gradually departing from the ordinary being's mode of operation, and the past ordinary being's mentality and mental activities are gradually abandoned. Because through contemplating the world of the five aggregates, one genuinely perceives the unreality of the five aggregates, the mind gradually becomes empty and gradually pure; the mind's operation on worldly dharmas is reduced and eliminated, the mind slows down, quiets down, and empties out — then the mental factors of mental engagement (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā) slow down, diminish, or even pause. This is the true portrait of meditative concentration and wisdom, the result of genuine practice and realization. Without this result, one has never actually practiced; unable to experience the mind's changes, one is full of doubts.

In fact, there are also differences among ordinary beings themselves. As long as one genuinely practices, the mind will certainly change, and the operation of the mental factors will change. But no matter how great the change, the consciousness-mind of all sentient beings still corresponds with the five universal mental factors, corresponding at all times — only, correspondence does not mean still using them as one did at the beginning. For example, if a family owns gold ornaments, whether used or not, whenever used, the gold ornaments forever belong to your family, correspond with your family, and are disposed of as your family arranges. The five universal mental factors are likewise: at all times they forever correspond with the consciousness-mind; one may use them whenever one wishes, without obstruction.

Through genuine practice and realization, the arhat's mind has changed, and the operation of the mental factors has indeed changed — used less, or left unused for long periods. When contacting the six sense objects, the arhat will cut off feeling, cut off perception, and even cut off volition, not letting the mind continue running downward by inertia. Otherwise, thoughts would be unceasing, craving unceasing, feeling unceasing, perception unceasing, volition unceasing — in that case he would have no meditative concentration; concentration would regress and afflictions would arise. The reason an arhat is an arhat is that his mind differs greatly from that of ordinary sentient beings: he is no longer interested in the world of the five aggregates and has relinquished it — how could he frequently engage in mental engagement and contact? How could he keep dwelling on various gains and losses, thinking of former family and relatives, deliberating over wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep? The arhat's self-grasping has been completely severed — how could he still have attachments to the worldly realm?

As for the five universal mental factors: so long as the consciousness-mind exists, they accompany the consciousness-mind in its operation. This is a general statement about all sentient beings, and it even applies to the Buddha's mental factors. But this meaning requires distinguishing many situations. For example, when a person has attained preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), attained the first dhyāna, attained the four dhyānas and eight absorptions, or attained the absorption of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and the cessation absorption — at these times, the five universal mental factors of the consciousness-mind cannot fully manifest and cannot all accompany the consciousness-mind in operation; otherwise one would exit from the various meditative absorptions and the concentration would disappear. Or, in the process of cultivating concentration, part of these mental factors gradually recedes and temporarily does not manifest; at that point concentration gradually appears and gradually deepens, deepening until all the meditative absorptions appear in sequence, and even the nine successive absorptions appear. Those who have meditative concentration can compare and observe this principle: what differences are there in the consciousness-mind between the two states of having and lacking concentration? This is not difficult to observe. Those without concentration should strive to understand the differences involved, and it is still possible to understand. For example, observe your own feeling: is there feeling at all times? Are there moments of no feeling, of numbness? For those whose consciousness-mind is too scattered, observation may be impossible and understanding laborious.

As for exactly what the manas's mental factors are like when an arhat is in the cessation absorption, open the books yourself and contemplate by comparison — you should be able to understand something. Although you cannot observe it directly (in direct perception) and cannot fully understand, understanding a little is still achievable. Then look in the books again at those who have entered the absorption of neither-perception-nor-non-perception: what are their manas's mental factors like? Although you cannot observe it, contemplative understanding is still achievable.

The Bodhisattva Vasubandhu discussed several kinds of unconditioned dharmas in the Catuḥśataka... — in the Bai Fa Ming Men Lun (Compendium of the Mahāyāna). Once you have thoroughly understood these several kinds of unconditioned dharmas, you will know whether, in the sages' realm of the unconditioned, the consciousness-mind has undergone great change, and whether the five universal mental factors manifest at every moment. The sages' consciousness-mind is endowed with all functions and all mental factors, but unlike ordinary beings, they do not activate them anytime, anywhere. The reason sages are sages is that they have discarded many dharmas that ordinary beings possess, relinquished many things, and no longer seek or enjoy them. Bodily feeling and mental feeling are often relinquished and avoided; mostly there is neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā), and the mind is pure. So too with perception: they do not frequently perceive, do not frequently grasp at marks and discriminate. In that case, how could an arhat's mind frequently engage in deliberative examination? With so much deliberative examination, how could it be called the unconditioned?

Ordinary beings' thinking remains at the ordinary being's level of cognition and narrow perspective; they cannot fathom the mental activities of sages, always assuming everyone thinks as narrowly as themselves, with afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion in full. They cannot imagine that a great practitioner could give up so many worldly benefits and live with a pure mind and few desires, seeking nothing. In the end, it is poverty that limits imagination. Walk a few steps along the path of practice, and your horizons will open up somewhat; no longer narrow and ill-informed, your insight will naturally improve.