The Difference and Connection Between Saṃjñā and Smṛti in Buddhist Mental Factors

The Five Universally Operating Mental Factors: attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition. The Five Object-Specific Mental Factors: desire, resolved understanding, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. The mental factor of perception belongs to the Five Universally Operating Mental Factors, functioning at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. Whenever conscious awareness arises, the mental factor of perception operates, because the primary function of conscious awareness is to recognize and comprehend the dharmas (phenomena) it contacts; perception is precisely this process of discrimination and comprehension, taking up an image in the mind. Only after an image is taken up in the mind does discrimination occur. Only after the dharma is discriminated do the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors begin to operate.

The operation of the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors begins with the arising of desire, interest, aspiration, and inquiry towards the discriminated dharma. After gaining a certain level of resolved understanding of the dharma, mindfulness towards the dharma arises, and the mental factor of mindfulness appears. Without the prior comprehension of the dharma, there would be no subsequent resolved understanding of it. If one cannot resolve and understand the dharma, one will not be mindful of it. If one does not understand the dharma and does not desire it, how could one keep it in mind? Being able to keep it in mind indicates that one has already understood the dharma, feels that this dharma is important, and that it is what one needs. This means that it is due to the mental factor of perception that the mental factor of mindfulness arises. Hence, there is the compound word "xiangnian" (perception-remembrance), signifying that perception comes first, followed by remembrance.

This mental factor of mindfulness corresponds to the mindfulness enlightenment factor among the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. For example, when studying the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths, only after fully understanding the Four Noble Truths, knowing the importance of the Four Noble Truths for the cycle of birth and death, and having attained a considerable degree of resolved understanding, can the mindfulness enlightenment factor arise. Then, one becomes constantly mindful, contemplating the Four Noble Truths and comparing them with the activities of the five aggregates in daily life. If one has not yet fully comprehended and understood the principles of the Four Noble Truths, it is impossible to be mindful of them.

From this, it can be seen that the operation of the Five Universally Operating Mental Factors has no prerequisites; they can operate constantly and everywhere, accompanying conscious awareness. In contrast, the appearance of the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors necessarily requires prerequisites; they cannot appear constantly and everywhere. They only appear occasionally when the conditions are sufficient. The mental factors of desire, resolved understanding, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom each require different conditions. Furthermore, these five mental factors respectively serve as the conditions for the appearance of the subsequent mental factors; the preceding mental factors determine whether the subsequent mental factors appear. Therefore, the mental factor of wisdom is not possessed by everyone, nor does it appear regarding all dharmas. The same applies to the mental factor of concentration, the mental factor of mindfulness, the mental factor of resolved understanding, and the mental factor of desire.