The Object-Specific Mental Factors Cannot Be Present and Active at Every Moment and in Every Place

The five specific mental factors (śārikā-dharmas) of the seventh consciousness include: desire (chanda), determination (adhimokṣa), mindfulness (smṛti), meditative concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā). Because of ignorance, among these five mental factors of the seventh consciousness, meditative concentration, wisdom, and determination cannot be present and operating at all times and in all places, but can only manifest and operate on certain occasions. Because of ignorance, the seventh consciousness sometimes lacks meditative concentration; because of ignorance, the seventh consciousness sometimes lacks wisdom; because of ignorance, the seventh consciousness sometimes cannot attain determination regarding the meaning of the Dharma. If ignorance is eliminated and no longer obscures the seventh consciousness, the seventh consciousness will be able to abide in meditative concentration at all times and in all places — such is the case with bodhisattvas of the eighth ground and above and all Buddhas; it will have wisdom at all times and in all places, and be able to attain determination regarding the meaning of the Dharma at all times and in all places — such is the case with all Buddhas.

As for the fundamental Buddha, the tathāgatagarbha, the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna) of all Buddhas, it abides in meditative concentration at all times and in all places, possesses great wisdom at all times and in all places, and can attain determination regarding all dharmas, without any ignorance. The eighth consciousness of sentient beings is also like this, but the content of its meditative concentration, wisdom, and determination differs from that of the seventh consciousness. The seventh consciousness has meditative concentration, wisdom, and determination with respect to the Four Noble Truths, whereas what the eighth consciousness attains determination regarding is not worldly dharmas; its meditative concentration is not worldly concentration, and its wisdom is even less worldly wisdom.

The mindfulness and desire mental factors of the manas impel the eye consciousness to arise.

Original text of the Zuochan Sanmei Jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of Sitting Meditation): 云何心。是心无常。从因缘生故。生灭不住。相似生故。但颠倒故。谓是为一。本无今有。已有还无。是故无常。观知心空。云何为空。从因缘生。有眼有色可见。忆念欲见。如是等和合。眼识生。

Explanation: What is the conscious mind? These consciousnesses are impermanent dharmas, arising from various conditions and causes. After arising, they constantly arise, cease, change, and do not abide. It appears that consciousnesses have arisen — these are the six consciousnesses. Because the minds of sentient beings (the manas) are inverted, they take the six consciousnesses to be permanent and unchanging. In fact, these consciousnesses did not exist before and have only now arisen, and after arising they will again cease; therefore they are said to be impermanent.

Contemplate these minds and know that they are all empty, produced by the conjunction of causes and conditions. For example, for the eye consciousness to arise: one condition is that there must be the eye faculty; one condition is that there must be material form to be seen; one condition is that there must be mindfulness and recollection; one condition is that there must be the desire to see. Only when these causal conditions conjoin can the eye consciousness arise. The arising of the mind consciousness is also like this.

Then a question arises: 1. Which consciousness must be mindful and recollecting for the eye consciousness to arise? 2. Which consciousness must desire to see forms for the eye consciousness to arise? It is the manas's nature of mindfulness and its nature of desiring to see that impel the eye consciousness to arise and see forms; it is not that the mindfulness and desire to see of the mind consciousness give rise to the eye consciousness, because at this time the mind consciousness has not yet appeared, and even if there were a mind consciousness, the eye consciousness would not arise because of the mind consciousness's mindfulness and desire to see forms. Therefore the manas must possess the mental factor of mindfulness and must possess the mental factor of desire. The eye consciousness sees forms not driven by the mind consciousness, but certainly driven by the manas. All dharmas arise driven by the manas. Therefore the manas must possess the nature of mindfulness and recollection, the mental factor of mindfulness, and the mental factor of desire, so that the myriad dharmas can operate in the world.