The Operational Process of the Five Universal Mental Factors (pañca-sarvatraga-caitasika-dharma)

The five universal mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga) initially operate in the sequence of mental engagement (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), and perception (saṃjñā), but later this is not necessarily so, and the order of their operation may be reversed. The volition mental factor (cetanā) does not necessarily appear at any fixed time, nor does the manas necessarily make its decision at any fixed moment—deliberation and selection may have occurred many times in between. At first there is a small decision, a partial selection regarding some particular link, and only at the end of the process is there a general, final decision. The intermediate decisions are not ultimate, yet they also play a corresponding role in the final decision. For example, after finishing this mouthful of food—whether to eat the next mouthful, and what to eat and how much—the volition mental factor must make a selection. When the whole meal is finished, the volition mental factor must also make an overall decision that the meal is over and no more will be eaten, and then the five aggregates body will put down the bowl and chopsticks. Sometimes one does not wish to eat any more, but someone nearby urges one to eat a little more; at this moment the volition mental factor may be unable to make up its mind, so it will weigh the pros and cons, gains and losses, and once again quickly apply mental engagement, contact, feeling, and perception to the food one is eating and the sensations in the stomach, and finally deliberate and select that one cannot eat any more, and thus the meal ends.

Mental engagement is the beginning of the activity of the conscious mind, the starting point of the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of all dharmas. Without mental engagement, one cannot contact dharmas; without contact, one cannot receive and feel; without receiving, one cannot know; without knowing, there will be no deliberation and selection; and without selection, there will be no bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Therefore mental engagement is very important, and volition is even more important—volition has the greatest function, and the process of volition may be the longest. But during feeling, perception, and volition, there must be contact; without contact there is no feeling, perception, or volition, so contact is also very important. Feeling and perception are the premise and foundation of volition; without feeling and perception, there would be no subsequent bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and the conscious mind would become tranquil and pure. Therefore a great practitioner only applies slight and brief mental engagement to dharmas; after contact, no feelings arise and there is no wish to know, so there is no subsequent action or karma—neither mind nor affairs.

When a dharma is in operation, mental engagement is always present. When one thinks carefully about something, the six sense objects transform into mental objects alone; the shift of the dharma's focus indicates that a new mental engagement has appeared. In the initial process from mental engagement to perception, the sequence of mental engagement, contact, feeling, perception, and volition may operate especially briefly and rapidly, reaching volition in an instant; because the knowing is unclear, the deliberation is also unclear, so one must again apply mental engagement, contact, feeling, and perception. This process repeats over and over, continuing without interruption. It is very difficult to observe this process in fine detail; even a rough observation is quite difficult. However, by observing one's own and others' bodily actions, verbal actions, thoughts, and views, one can also, by comparison, discern a part of it.