The Importance of the Five Object-Determining Mental Factors

Question: The five universal mental factors belong to the most fundamental level, such as the arising of thoughts and mental activity, while the five particular mental factors pertain to the level of wisdom that accomplishes the Path—is that so?

Answer: Not entirely. The five particular mental factors—desire (chanda), determination (adhimokṣa), mindfulness (smṛti), meditative concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā)—are not only the key to accomplishing transcendental dharmas, but also the key to accomplishing worldly dharmas.

For example, take the mental factor of desire: as long as sentient beings seek something, whether it concerns transcendental dharmas or worldly dharmas, it is a form of desire—the desire mental factor of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Among these, the desires that arise quickly and cease quickly, and are easily influenced and conditioned by the environment, are the desires of the mind consciousness; whereas deep-level desires—those that cannot be controlled, cannot be grasped, and are deeply rooted—must be the desires of the manas.

For instance, wanting to be reborn in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) is a desire; there is the desire of the mind consciousness, and also that of the manas. The desire of the manas is called deep and sincere faith and vow; if there is no deep and sincere faith and vow of the manas, it shows that only the mind consciousness wants to be reborn there, and that is useless—one simply cannot be reborn there. Wanting to become a Buddha, wanting to investigate Chan—there is the desire of the mind consciousness, and also the desire of the manas; if there is no desire of the manas, the six consciousnesses simply cannot be diligent, and things such as investigating Chan, studying the Dharma, and becoming a Buddha cannot be accomplished.

Wanting promotion and wealth, wanting to accomplish some enterprise—there is the desire of the mind consciousness, and also the desire of the manas. If the manas has no desire, if there is something it does not want to do, then no matter how much the mind consciousness desires and wants to do it, it is useless, because the mind consciousness cannot be the master.

Take another example, the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa): there is the determination of the mind consciousness, and also the determination of the manas. Under ordinary circumstances, because the manas lacks the wisdom to discern the objects of the six sense objects, it is difficult for it to attain determination regarding the six sense objects; it must rely on the six consciousnesses to discern the specific circumstances of the six sense objects, and after the six consciousnesses have discerned them, they report the situation to the manas. If the manas cannot attain determination regarding the situation reported by the six consciousnesses, then it cannot make quick decisions, cannot make correct and reasonable decisions, and then the six consciousnesses will frequently do things wrong. If the manas attains determination regarding the situation reported by the six consciousnesses, it can make decisions that are correct, reasonable, timely, quick, and accurate. If the manas cannot attain determination about something, it cannot make correct decisions, nor can it follow the mind consciousness in making decisions, because it cannot understand and cannot attain determination.

During contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) for the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and investigating Chan, if the manas cannot attain determination regarding the principle that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are without self, cannot attain determination regarding the principle of prajñā, cannot attain determination regarding the dharma of the tathāgatagarbha, then one cannot eradicate the view of self, cannot see the mind and realize one's nature, cannot eradicate afflictions and attain liberation from birth-and-death, cannot transcend the three realms, and even less can one transform consciousness into wisdom and accomplish the Buddha Way.

Take another example, the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti): everyone's mind is mindful of certain dharmas—some are mindful of worldly dharmas, and some are mindful of the Buddha's teachings. Here there is the mindfulness of the mind consciousness, and the mindfulness of the manas. The mindfulness of the mind consciousness arises partly under the influence of sense objects, and even more arises under the direction and pulling of the manas. The mindfulness of the mind consciousness arises and ceases and changes very rapidly, and is also quite superficial; the mindfulness of the manas is often deep and long-lasting, and can continue thought after thought without stopping, thought after thought without changing—for example, missing a certain person, or being mindful of a certain matter or a certain dharma—such mindfulness can be rather stubborn.

Take another example, the mental factor of meditative concentration (samādhi): one can be concentrated on the Buddha's teachings—investigating Chan, recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), sitting in meditation—or one can be concentrated on worldly dharmas, doing scientific research, tackling some project, and so on. Here the concentration includes the concentration of the mind consciousness, and also the concentration of the manas. When the mind consciousness has concentration, it can think and contemplate in fine detail, analyze, study, and infer carefully; but the concentration of the mind consciousness is also the result of the concentration of the manas, the result of the manas's supervision and regulation. If the manas cannot be concentrated on the Buddha's teachings, cannot be concentrated on scientific research and tackling problems, the mind consciousness cannot focus on the Dharma or on research, and no results will be produced.

As for wisdom, there is the wisdom of the mind consciousness, and also the wisdom of the manas; one can have wisdom in the Buddha's teachings, and one can also have wisdom in worldly dharmas.

Therefore, the five particular mental factors are possessed by both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; they are the key to accomplishing all worldly and transcendental dharmas, and are extremely important mental factors. If the sixth and seventh consciousnesses did not have the five particular mental factors, many dharmas could not arise; not only could the Path not be accomplished, even worldly dharmas could not be accomplished.