The Functioning of the Five Universal Mental Factors

Among the five universally operating mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga-caitasika-dharma), "accompanying everything" means that the five universally operating mental factors accompany all consciousnesses and accompany all dharmas. As long as a consciousness is operating, the five universally operating mental factors must be operating; apart from the five universally operating mental factors, a consciousness cannot operate, cannot exist, and cannot engage in discriminating activity. Therefore, on all dharmas, there are also the five universally operating mental factors of consciousness, because on all dharmas there is at least the operation of the eighth consciousness and the seventh consciousness, and the five universally operating mental factors necessarily accompany the operation of these two consciousnesses.

The meaning of the five universally operating mental factors mutually arising together is that these mental factors arise and operate gathered together. For example, when the eighth consciousness gives rise to a dharma, all of the five universally operating mental factors must accompany the operation of the eighth consciousness from beginning to end, without a single one missing. But this is not necessarily so with the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. After the sixth and seventh consciousnesses direct attention (manaskāra), if they are not interested, they will not make contact (sparśa)—especially the seventh consciousness, the manas. After making contact, feeling (vedanā) does not necessarily arise—especially in the seventh consciousness, the manas. After feeling arises, perception (saṃjñā) does not necessarily follow—especially in the seventh consciousness, the manas. After perception, volition (cetanā) does not necessarily follow—especially in the seventh consciousness, the manas. If the mental factors of the manas do not continue to operate, the six consciousnesses cannot appear; even if they appear, they will cease and stop operating. In particular, if the volition mental factor (cetanā) of the manas does not arise, none of the six consciousnesses can appear. From this one can see the kingly, ruling position of the manas—how great His power is.

The Buddha's teaching is profound and deep; if one's contemplation is even slightly lacking in strength, deviations will appear, and the vast majority of people's contemplation contains deviations that they themselves cannot detect. It is precisely because their own contemplation lacks strength that, having no other recourse, they place one hundred percent faith in the words of famous figures, relying on a ready-made answer, taking it as ultimate, believing this to be reliable, and not knowing even when they are wrong. This is an extremely widespread phenomenon in the current Buddhist world.