Citta Cannot Be Separated from the Companions of Caitta

Mental factors are the companions of the mind consciousness, which must operate alongside the mind consciousness; otherwise, the mind consciousness would be incapable of any function. Whenever the mind consciousness arises, mental factors necessarily arise simultaneously. Without mental factors, the mind consciousness cannot function, and thus all phenomena in the world would be unable to arise or exist. Even the operation of the eighth consciousness requires the assistance of its own mental factors, and the very existence of the eighth consciousness itself equally cannot be separated from the companionship of mental factors.

The emergence and functioning of the four kinds of nutriment are all functions of the mind consciousness. Since the mind consciousness cannot function without the accompaniment of mental factors, the four kinds of nutriment likewise cannot exist apart from mental factors. Ordinary beings cannot do without the four kinds of nutriment, and even sages within the desire realm in the human world cannot be without them. Those with relatively high meditative attainments may be able to transcend physical nutriment and mental volition nutriment, and sometimes may even transcend contact nutriment, but they cannot transcend consciousness-nutriment. The most fundamental need for the life of sentient beings is the consciousness-nutriment provided by the eighth consciousness and the seventh consciousness.