The Functioning of the Five Universal Mental Factors

Among the five universal mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga-caitasika), "accompanying everything" means that the five universal mental factors accompany all consciousnesses and all dharmas. As long as any consciousness is operating, the five universal mental factors must be operating; 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 (ālayavijñāna) and the seventh consciousness (manas), and the five universal mental factors necessarily accompany the operation of these two consciousnesses.

The meaning of the five universal mental factors arising together with one another is that these mental factors are born and operate as a group. For example, when the eighth consciousness gives rise to a dharma, all the mental factors among 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, 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 volition mental factor does not appear, 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 dharma is most profound; if one's contemplation is even slightly lacking in strength, deviations will arise. Yet the vast majority of people's contemplation is deviated in some way, and they themselves are unable to detect it. It is precisely because their own contemplation lacks strength that, having no alternative, they place one hundred percent faith in the words of famous figures, relying on a ready-made answer, taking it as final, believing it to be reliable, and not knowing when it is wrong. This is an extremely widespread phenomenon in the Buddhist world today.