The Five Specific-Object Mental Factors (pañca-viśeṣa-caitta-dharma)

The five object-specific mental factors also accompany the mind consciousness in its operation, also serving to assist the operation of the mind consciousness; however, they cannot universally accompany the mind consciousness in its operation, cannot accompany the mind consciousness at all times, cannot accompany it in all places, but can accompany the mind consciousness throughout all bhūmis (stages).

The mental factor of desire (chanda) is when the mind consciousness has the desire, intention, thought, or demand to undertake some action; it is the cause that initiates the subsequent operation of the mind consciousness, but desire is not present at every moment. The mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa) is the mind consciousness's capacity for thorough understanding of dharmas; only when the mind consciousness possesses the power of determination and understands the dharma can it make correct choices and can it act with wisdom in accordance with the truth and in accord with reality. The mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti) is when the mind consciousness gives rise to mindful attention to the dharma it wishes to undertake or is currently undertaking, initiating the subsequent deliberation, choice, and continued action regarding that dharma. The mental factor of meditative concentration (samādhi) is the mind consciousness's state of focus, the state in which the mind consciousness is neither distracted nor dull, the state in which the mind consciousness's attention is highly concentrated and unified. The mental factor of wisdom (prajñā) is the mind consciousness's powerful capacity for discernment, comprehension, receptivity, discrimination, choice, and action; it is the mind consciousness's powerful ability to process and resolve problems.

These five capacities do not appear at every moment; they only manifest under particular circumstances. However, the eighth consciousness's power of determination, power of concentration, and power of wisdom exist at all times and are present at all times, exist everywhere and are present everywhere; its discernment and functioning pervade all dharmas, and it also pervades the operation of the three realms and nine levels of existence.