The Relationship between Mental Factors and the Mind King (Part 2)

Apart from the five universal mental factors, which invariably accompany the mind consciousness as it operates, the other mental factors, such as the five particular mental factors, only function at certain individual times. The afflictive mental factors likewise do not operate all the time; moreover, as the mind consciousness becomes purer, the afflictive mental factors are gradually reduced and extinguished so as no longer to be employed. Those who employ them too frequently are certainly people with heavy afflictions. For those whose mental conduct has not yet been cultivated toward goodness, the eleven wholesome mental factors do not easily arise and manifest; for those whose mental conduct has become wholesome, the eleven wholesome mental factors will manifest and function frequently, and whenever a thought arises, it accords with goodness.

At times, several mental factors can operate in parallel. For example, the five universal mental factors are certainly running at every instant; at the same time, a desire arises in the mind consciousness, and the mental factor of desire appears; at the same time there are thoughts in the mind, which is the mental factor of mindfulness; at the same time one also knows that there are thoughts, which is the mental factor of wisdom operating; and simultaneously a sense of shame and remorse arises, feeling that one should not have desires and thoughts, which is the wholesome mental factor in operation; if at the same time one recalls some person or some matter and hatred arises in the mind, that is an afflictive mental factor running forth, and at that moment the wholesome mental factor does not appear—the two can only be one or the other.

Wholesome and unwholesome mental factors cannot operate in parallel. When the mind consciousness is directing a wholesome mind toward a dharma, no unwholesome mind will appear. Greed is unwholesome, and non-greed is wholesome; one of the two must prevail, and they cannot exist and manifest simultaneously—where there is greed there is no non-greed; the two can only be one, or neither may be present. Hatred is unwholesome, and non-hatred is wholesome; one of the two must prevail, and they cannot exist and manifest simultaneously—hatred and non-hatred are a pair; where there is non-hatred, there is no hatred; the two can only be one. For those who cultivate well, the wholesome mental factors should increase and manifest more often; for those with good meditative concentration and a tranquil (praśama) mind, both wholesome and unwholesome mental factors rarely manifest, so the mind is neither wholesome nor unwholesome, remaining unmoved when facing sense objects.

The five particular mental factors and the five universal mental factors can operate in parallel, and can also operate in parallel with one or the other of the two kinds—wholesome or unwholesome—mental factors. Because when the mind consciousness has clarity there is no ignorance, and when there is ignorance there is no clarity; opposing dharmas cannot manifest simultaneously, but can manifest one after the other. The better one's cultivation and the higher one's realization, the relatively simpler one's thinking becomes in daily life—that is, fewer mental factors operate in parallel. Even when the five universal mental factors manifest, their process of operation is relatively simple and not complicated. Among the five particular mental factors, the mental factor of meditative concentration (samādhi) manifests for comparatively more and longer periods, while the mental factors of desire, mindfulness, and determination (adhimokṣa) rarely manifest, and the afflictive mental factors manifest even less.