The Mental Factors of the Seven Consciousnesses Are Not Fixed

The mental factors are the mental activities of the discerning mind. Through continuous cultivation and learning, constantly subduing one's own mind, the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses must continuously transform. Deep-seated afflictions transform into subtle afflictions, subtle afflictions disappear, wholesome mental factors increase and strengthen progressively, mental activities become increasingly pure, meditative stability becomes increasingly firm, and wisdom becomes increasingly profound and penetrating. Therefore, mental factors certainly undergo continuous change through cultivation. If, after practicing for some time, the mental factors have not transformed at all, afflictions have not lessened, meditative power has not arisen, and wisdom has not increased, then the practice is not yet effective.

The hallmark of whether a Buddhist practitioner achieves accomplishment lies in the mental factors. Upon genuine accomplishment, the afflictive mental factors of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses decrease and are eliminated, wholesome mental factors increase and become complete, the functions of the five object-specific mental factors increase and become complete, and at the Buddha stage, all eight consciousnesses fully possess the twenty-one mental factors, with their functions reaching their ultimate limit. Genuine Buddhist practitioners should periodically observe their own mental factors, that is, their mental activities. If they find no transformation in their mind-ground, it indicates their practice is not yet effective, and perhaps they have not yet embarked on the correct path. Each person's level and progress in practice differ, and thus their mental factors differ. This demonstrates that human minds are not identical. If someone claims their mental factors of the conscious mind number fifty-one, yet the afflictive mental factors of the mental faculty remain as numerous and heavy as before, then this person is a beginner in Buddhism, with extremely heavy afflictions and very poor character.

Generally, the mental factors discussed in Bodhisattva treatises refer to the mental factors of the eight consciousnesses of ordinary beings and Bodhisattvas at the non-transformed-reliance stage, not those of Bodhisattvas at the transformed-reliance stage and beyond. These mental factors must undergo transformation through continuous cultivation to transform consciousness into wisdom, signifying accomplishment in practice, and the path to Buddhahood can gradually approach perfection. The transformation of mental factors is the hallmark of accomplishment in practice.

In fact, before reaching the transformed-reliance stage, after achieving some results upon entering the Buddhist path and practicing, the mental factors of several consciousnesses subtly begin to transform, but the accumulation is insufficient to achieve a qualitative leap. Because mental factors are an indicator of whether a person is practicing or not, even if non-Buddhists attain meditative absorption (samadhi), the mental factors of their seven consciousnesses also undergo some transformation. Mental factors are not immutable and identical for everyone. The mental factors of the consciousnesses of every sentient being who has not yet begun practice are also not identical, each having different emphases. Therefore, when this person directly perceives their own mental factors to be like this, and that person directly perceives their own mental factors to be like that, they are not necessarily the same. This demonstrates that human natures differ and human minds are not identical.

If someone directly observes that the mental factors of their sixth consciousness include the six fundamental afflictions: greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views; the eight major derivative afflictions; the two medium derivative afflictions; and the ten minor derivative afflictions, then this person has no practice whatsoever, lacks meditative absorption, and their character, virtue, and conduct are quite poor. Ordinary people cannot directly observe the mental factors of their seventh consciousness. If someone could directly observe that the mental factors of their seventh consciousness include intense greed, hatred, and delusion, as well as laziness, distraction, lack of faith, forgetfulness, excitement, incorrect perception, heedlessness, dullness, strong self-grasping, deep-seated arrogance, deep-seated attachment, strong self-view, a tendency to grasp at objects, and stubbornness that is hard to change, then this person has no practice whatsoever, and meditative absorption is very difficult to develop.

If the mental factors of this person's seventh consciousness do not correspond at all to the eleven wholesome mental factors, then this person's practice has not even begun, their afflictions are very heavy, and they might be an evil person. Even ordinary people who have not studied Buddhism have a wholesome aspect to the mental factors of their mental faculty. If the wholesome outweighs the unwholesome, this person will ascend to the heavens to enjoy blessings upon death. Rebirth within the six realms is determined by the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors of the mental faculty. If the mental faculty is wholesome, performing wholesome karma, one is reborn in the heavens in the next life; if the mental faculty is unwholesome, performing unwholesome karma, one falls into hell in the next life. From this, it is known that Bodhisattvas after the First Bhumi, being at the transformed-reliance stage, due to having severed afflictions and achieved a non-leaking mind-ground, will necessarily undergo transformation in the mental factors of their sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Afflictive mental factors are eliminated, wholesome mental factors increase, and the mental factors of concentration and wisdom are strengthened. This is absolutely inevitable; otherwise, they would be no different from ordinary beings.

When practice becomes effective, the major derivative afflictions first lessen, and some are eliminated. For example, the mental factor of lack of faith lessens and is eliminated, gradually transforming from lack of faith to faith, and then to complete faith. The mental factor of laziness lessens and is eliminated, gradually becoming diligence. The mental factor of heedlessness lessens and is eliminated; previously, one often indulged body and mind in carefree pleasure, but now one has no interest in those things. The mental factor of dullness rarely appears; previously, one felt dull as soon as they practiced, but now energy is abundant and attention is concentrated. The mental factor of excitement also decreases and disappears; previously, when studying Buddhism, distracting thoughts flew everywhere, but now, experiences pass without lingering, and one does not fantasize about the future. Previously, the mind was always scattered, but now, when contemplating the Dharma, energy can concentrate for a period of time. All incorrect understanding regarding the Four Noble Truths, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and other Buddhist teachings now becomes correct understanding. Previously, thoughts of the Dharma would be forgotten after a short while, but now one can maintain mindfulness without losing it.

As practice deepens, the medium derivative afflictions also become subtle or even eliminated. For example, previously, when doing wrong, one always felt no shame or remorse, but now the mind of shame and remorse gradually increases. If a major wrong is committed, one feels extremely ashamed. From this, it can be seen that only when afflictive mental factors decrease and lessen will wholesome mental factors correspondingly increase and strengthen. When afflictive mental factors are eliminated, wholesome mental factors appear.