The Relationship between the Four Divisions of the Conscious Mind and the Five Universal Mental Factors (caittas)

The four aspects of the conscious mind are the perceiving-aspect, the object-aspect, self-cognition (svasaṃvitti), and self-validating cognition (sva-saṃvitti-saṃvitti-bhāga). If the object-aspect perceived by the conscious mind is also the conscious mind itself, then all four aspects must rely on the mental factors (caittas) in order to operate; only then do they have the function of perceiving, and only then are they called the perceiving-aspect, capable of seeing dharmas and seeing themselves. Among these, the mental factors are primarily the five universal mental factors; at every moment, the operation never departs from the functioning of the five universal mental factors. Without the five universal mental factors, the conscious mind cannot operate, and there would be no four aspects.

When the five universal mental factors operate, the conscious mind can contact dharmas, receive dharmas, recognize dharmas, and engage with dharmas; only then do the perceiving-aspect, object-aspect, self-cognition, and self-validating cognition manifest. At the same time the four aspects manifest, the five particular mental factors can be revealed, and wholesome and unwholesome mental factors are expressed. In other words, when the four aspects appear, they appear together with the other mental factors, revealing the conscious mind's strength or weakness, its wholesome and unwholesome mental actions, and whether it possesses meditative concentration and wisdom, and so forth.