The Functioning of the Five Universal Mental Factors

“Concomitance with all” among the five universal mental factors means that the five universal mental factors are concomitant with all consciousnesses and with all dharmas. As long as any consciousness is operating, the five universal mental factors must be operating as well; apart from the five universal mental factors, a consciousness cannot operate, cannot exist, and cannot engage in discerning activity. Thus, on all dharmas, there are also the five universal mental factors of consciousness, because on all dharmas there is at the very least the operation of the eighth consciousness and the seventh consciousness, and the five universal mental factors necessarily accompany the operation of these two consciousnesses.

The mutual co-arising of the five universal mental factors means that these mental factors arise and operate together as a group. For example, when the eighth consciousness gives rise to a dharma, all the mental factors of the five universals must accompany the operation of the eighth consciousness from beginning to end, without a single one missing. The sixth and seventh consciousnesses, however, are not necessarily so. After the sixth and seventh consciousnesses direct attention (manaskāra), if they are not interested, there will be no contact (sparśa)—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After contact occurs, feeling (vedanā) does not necessarily follow—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After feeling, perception (saṃjñā) does not necessarily follow—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. After perception, volition (cetanā) does not necessarily follow—especially in the case of the seventh consciousness, the manas. If the manas's mental factors do not continue to operate, the six consciousnesses cannot appear; even if they appear, they will cease and stop operating. In particular, if the manas's mental factor of volition does not manifest, none of the six consciousnesses can appear. From this one can see the manas's sovereign, ruling position—how great His power is.

The Buddha's Dharma is profoundly deep. If one's contemplation is even slightly lacking in power, deviations will arise, and the vast majority of people's contemplation contains deviations that they themselves are unable to detect. It is precisely because their own contemplation lacks power that, having no alternative, they place one hundred percent faith in the words of famous figures, rely on a ready-made answer, take it as final and ultimate, believing this to be reliable—yet when they are wrong, they do not know it. This is an extremely widespread phenomenon in the Buddhist world today.