The process of the operation of the five universal mental factors is like tracing a painting

When copying a painting, the eyes repeatedly and continuously observe and discern the scenery, while the mind consciousness observes and continuously memorizes it; during the copying, one paints while continuously recollecting, and then repeats this process over and over until the copying is finished and the work is complete. One glances at the scenery, paints a little, ponders for a while, paints a little more, ponders again, back and forth repeatedly, until the painting is done. Then the painting is set aside—no more pondering, no more painting, no more mental engagement—and one moves on to the next activity.

The operation of the five universal mental factors is similar to copying a painting; the process of painting resembles the operating principle of the cognizing mind. When the cognizing mind operates on a certain dharma, it must finish operating on it before letting that dharma go. If the operation is not complete, there will be repeated mental engagement, repeated contact, reception, feeling, discernment, knowing, sensation, and deliberation (manana), with continuous analysis and examination, repeated operation and execution—the process is extremely complex. The sequence in which the mental factors operate is not necessarily feeling first and perception second; when they operate is not fixed—it depends on the cognitive wisdom and level of the cognizing mind. Only when the operation is complete does a deeper feeling arise; after feeling, there is further discernment, and after discernment, further feeling, until the manas considers that the discernment is clear, at which point it stops making mental engagement. If, later on, the manas thinks of something that still needs to be understood, it will once again engage in mental engagement, contact, feeling, perception, and volition with regard to that dharma; once it has understood clearly and thought it through, the operation of the mental factors on that dharma ceases, and that dharma again disappears from the cognizing mind.

After deliberation, sometimes a decision is made, and sometimes no decision is made, because the manas feels that the discernment was not clear or thorough enough. As long as the manas does not make its final choice, the operation of the five universal mental factors does not end. Only when the manas feels satisfied and its aim has been achieved does it stop deliberating and immediately make a decision on how to handle the matter.