The Mental Factors of the Sixth Consciousness in Sentient Beings Vary

The mental factors of the sixth consciousness are influenced and transformed, on the one hand, by the mental factors of the manas (ego-consciousness) and, on the other hand, by the environment. At birth, the mental factors of the consciousness are entirely under the influence and direction of the manas, possessing no autonomy whatsoever. As one gradually grows up, they become increasingly influenced by the surrounding environment—such as parents, relatives, playmates, school education, television, the internet, and so forth. Consequently, a child born inherently good may gradually develop bad habits, or a child born with negative habits may gradually become well-behaved. This is the effect of environmental influence. If a child possesses inherently strong tendencies towards both good and evil, they are less susceptible to environmental influence; a good child remains good and does not turn bad, while a bad child remains bad and does not improve. In such cases, the influence of the manas appears quite significant. Furthermore, the mental factors of the consciousness can also influence and condition the manas. After conditioning the manas, the karmic seeds are altered, karmic force is redirected, and the resulting karmic retribution undergoes changes.

The consciousness of ordinary beings corresponds to fifty-one mental factors, but not everyone's sixth consciousness fully possesses all fifty-one. Some mental factors do not manifest, while others manifest when conditions are sufficient. In some individuals, afflictive mental factors manifest more frequently, while wholesome mental factors manifest less frequently. An individual whose afflictive mental factors are fully and constantly manifesting possesses extremely heavy afflictions, and their human nature is rather vile.

Sentient beings have a maximum of fifty-one mental factors in their sixth consciousness; this number can be fewer than fifty-one. When it decreases to only twenty-one, this signifies a bodhisattva of the eighth ground or above. When the mental factors are fully perfected to twenty-one, consciousness is completely transformed into wisdom, and Buddhahood is attained. Therefore, the mental factors of sentient beings vary, and their emphasis differs. Notably, the sixth consciousness mental factors of non-Buddhist ordinary beings who possess the Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis are significantly fewer than fifty-one. Before passing the "firm barrier," the mental factors of bodhisattvas in the Three Worthy Stages and practitioners at the first and second fruitions must necessarily decrease. Primarily, the fundamental affliction mental factor of self-view is eliminated, and major secondary afflictions are reduced and weakened. For practitioners at the fourth fruition, the fundamental affliction mental factors are all eradicated; both major and intermediate secondary afflictions are eliminated, while minor secondary afflictions still exist but are diminished. Practitioners at the third fruition still retain the fundamental afflictions of conceit and ignorance, though they are significantly weakened; major and intermediate secondary afflictions are eliminated, but minor secondary afflictions remain, and their habitual tendencies are stronger than those of fourth fruition practitioners.

The mental factors of bodhisattvas who have passed the "firm barrier" and ground-level bodhisattvas are roughly similar to those of Śrāvakas at the third and fourth fruitions. However, for ground-level bodhisattvas, minor secondary afflictions gradually diminish and decrease starting from the first ground and are eliminated before entering the eighth ground. If the manas has no afflictions or habitual tendencies, then the consciousness certainly has none either. The mental factors of the sixth consciousness for bodhisattvas beyond the eighth ground initially correspond to twenty-one mental factors: the five omnipresent factors, the five object-determining factors, and the eleven wholesome factors. However, they are not yet fully perfected; only at the Buddha ground are they completely perfected.