Mental factors

Lists of mental factors

Within Buddhism, there are many different systems of abhidharma (commonly referred to as Buddhist psychology), and each system contains its own list of the most significant mental factors. These lists vary from system to system both in the number of mental factors listed, and in the definitions that are given for each mental factor.

Some of the main commentaries on the Abhidharma systems that are studied today include:

• Theravāda:
  • Abhidhammattha-sangaha by Acariya Anuruddha – a Theravada commentary that lists fifty-two mental factors.
  • Atthasālinī by Buddhaghosa – a Theravada commentary that provides explanations for fifty-two mental factors.
• Mahāyāna:
  • Abhidharma-samuccaya by Asanga – a Yogachara commentary (studied by the Mahayana schools) that lists fifty-one mental factors.
  • Innermost Core of Topics of Knowledge (mDzod-phug) by Shenrab Miwo – a Tibetan Bon commentary that lists fifty-one factors.
• Sarvāstivāda:
  • Abhidharmakośa by Vasubandhu – a Sarvastivada commentary (studied by the Mahayana schools) that lists forty-two mental factors.

Sthaviravāda Abhidharma tradition

The number of mental factors varies in different Sarvastivada works. The Abhidharmakośa lists 42 mental factors which include:

Ten factors arising with every mind (mahābhūmika)

• Vedanā – feeling
• Saṃjñā – perception
• Cetanā – volition
• Sparśa – contact
• Chanda – desire (to act)
• Prajñā – wisdom
• Smṛti – mindfulness
• Manasikāra – attention
• Adhimokṣa – decision
• Samādhi – mental concentration (also called ekaggata, one-pointedness)

Ten factors arising with every good mind (kuśalamahābhūmikā)

• Śraddhā – reasoned trust
• Vīrya – energy
• Hrī – shame at doing evil
• Apatrāpya – decorum, regard for consequence
• Alobha – non-attachment
• Adveṣa – non-aggression
• Praśrabdhi – calmness
• Upekṣā – equanimity
• Appamāda – conscientiousness
• Ahiṃsā – non-injuriousness

Six factors arising with every defiled mind (kleśamahābhūmika)

• Moha – delusion
• Pramāda – heedlessness, carelessness, unconcern
• Kauśīdya – laziness, slothfulness
• Āśraddhya – lack of reasoned trust
• Styāna – lethargy, gloominess
• Auddhatya – excitement, ebullience

Two factors arising with every bad mind (akusalamahābhūmika)

• Āhrīkya - shamelessness
• Anapatrapya - disregard

Ten factors arising with defiled mind to a limited extent (parittaklesabhūmika)

• Krodha - anger
• Mrakśa - hypocrisy
• Mātsarya - selfishness
• Īrṣyā - envy
• Pradāśa - spite
• Vihiṃsā - violence
• Upanāha - vengefulness
• Śāṭhya - deception
• Māyā - deceit
• Mada - pride

Four indeterminate factors (aniyatabhūmika)

These factors can be associated with good, bad or neutral mind.

• Kaukritya - regret
• Middha - sleepiness
• Vitarka - initial thought
• Vicāra - sustained thought

Theravāda Abhidhamma tradition

Within the Theravāda Abhidhamma tradition, the Abhidhammattha-sangaha enumerates the fifty-two mental factors listed below:

Seven universal mental factors

The seven universal mental factors (sabbacittasādhāraṇa cetasikas) are common (sādhāraṇa) to all consciousness (sabbacitta). Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "These factors perform the most rudimentary and essential cognitive functions, without which consciousness of an object would be utterly impossible."

These seven factors are:

• Phassa – contact
• Vedanā – feeling
• Saññā – perception
• Cetanā – volition
• Ekaggata – one-pointedness (also called samādhi, concentration)
• Jīvitindriya – life faculty
• Manasikāra – attention

Six occasional mental factors

The six occasional or particular mental factors (pakiṇṇaka cetasikas) are ethically variable mental factors found only in certain consciousnesses. They are:

• Vitakka – Application of thought
• Vicāra – Examining
• Adhimokkha – Decision
• Viriya – Energy
• Pīti – Rapture
• Chanda – Desire (to act)

Fourteen unwholesome mental factors

The unwholesome mental factors (akusala cetasikas) accompany the unwholesome consciousnesses (akusala citta).

The fourteen unwholesome mental factors are:

• Four universal unwholesome mental factors (akusalasādhāraṇa):
  • Moha – delusion
  • Ahirika – lack of shame
  • Anottappa – disregard for consequence
  • Uddhacca – restlessness
• Three mental factors of the greed-group (lobha):
  • Lobha – greed (also called rāga, greed)
  • Micchādiṭṭhi – wrong view
  • Māna – conceit
• Four mental factors of the hatred-group (dosa)
  • Dosa – hatred
  • Issā – envy
  • Macchariya – miserliness
  • Kukkucca – regret
• Other unwholesome mental factors
  • Thīna – sloth
  • Middha – torpor
  • Vicikicchā – doubt

Bhikkhu Bodhi states:

Unwholesome consciousness (akusalacitta) is consciousness accompanied by one or another of the three unwholesome roots—greed, hatred, and delusion. Such consciousness is called unwholesome because it is mentally unhealthy, morally blameworthy, and productive of painful results.

Twenty-five beautiful mental factors

The beautiful mental factors (sobhana cetasikas) accompany the wholesome consciousnesses (kusala citta).

The twenty-five beautiful mental factors (sobhana cetasikas) are:

• Nineteen universal beautiful mental factors (sobhanasādhāraṇa):
  • Saddhā – reasoned trust
  • Sati – mindfulness
  • Hiri – shame at doing evil
  • Ottappa – regard for consequence
  • Alobha – lack of greed
  • Adosa – lack of hatred
    • Mettā – loving kindness (if adosa is developed)
  • Tatramajjhattatā – balance, neutrality of mind (also called upekkhā, equanimity)
  • Kāyapassaddhi – tranquility of mental body
  • Cittapassaddhi – tranquility of consciousness
  • Kāyalahutā – lightness of mental body
  • Cittalahutā – lightness of consciousness
  • Kāyamudutā – malleability/softness of mental body
  • Cittamudutā – malleability/softness of consciousness
  • Kāyakammaññatā – wieldiness of mental body
  • Cittakammaññatā – wieldiness of consciousness
  • Kāyapāguññatā – proficiency of mental body
  • Cittapāguññatā – proficiency of consciousness
  • Kāyujukatā – straightness/rectitude of mental body
  • Cittujukatā – straightness/rectitude of consciousness
• Three Abstinences (virati):
  • Sammāvācā – right speech
  • Sammākammanta – right action
  • Sammā-ājīva – right livelihood
• Two Immeasurables (appamañña):
  • Karuṇā – compassion
  • Mudita – sympathetic joy
• One Faculty of wisdom (paññindriya):
  • Paññā – wisdom (also called amoha, lack of delusion)

Bhikkhu Bodhi states:

Wholesome consciousness (kusalacitta) is consciousness accompanied by the wholesome roots—non-greed or generosity, non-hatred or loving-kindness, and non-delusion or wisdom. Such consciousness is mentally healthy, morally blameless, and productive of pleasant results.

Mahāyāna Abhidharma tradition

Abhidharma studies in the Mahayana tradition are based on the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda abhidharma system. Within this system, the Abhidharma-samuccaya identifies fifty-one mental factors:

(Note that this list is considered not exhaustive; there are other mental factors mentioned in the Mahāyāna teachings. This list identifies fifty-two important factors that help to understand how the mind functions.)

Five universal mental factors

The five universal mental factors (sarvatraga) are:

1. Sparśa – contact, contacting awareness, sense impression, touch
2. Vedanā – feeling, sensation
3. Saṃjñā – perception
4. Cetanā – volition, intention
5. Manasikāra – attention

These five mental factors are referred to as universal or omnipresent because they operate in the wake of every mind situation. If any one of these factors is missing, then the experience of the object is incomplete. For example:

• If there is no sparśa (contact), then there would be no basis for perception.
• If there is no vedana (feeling, sensation), there is no relishing of the object.
• If there is no saṃjñā (perception), then the specific characteristic of the object is not perceived.
• If there is no cetanā (volition), then there is no movement towards and settling on the object.
• If there is no manasikāra (attention), then there is not holding onto the object.

Five object-determining mental factors

The five object-determining mental factors (viṣayaniyata) are:

1. Chanda – desire (to act), intention, interest
2. Adhimokṣa – decision, interest, firm conviction
3. Smṛti – mindfulness
4. Prajñā – wisdom
5. Samādhi – concentration

The five factors are referred to as object-determining is because these factors each grasp the specification of the object. When they are steady, there is certainty concerning each object.

Eleven virtuous mental factors

The eleven virtuous (kuśala) mental factors are:

1. Sraddhā – faith
2. Hrī – self-respect, conscientiousness, sense of shame
3. Apatrāpya – decorum, regard for consequence
4. Alobha – non-attachment
5. Adveṣa – non-aggression, equanimity, lack of hatred
6. Amoha – non-bewilderment
7. Vīrya – diligence, effort
8. Praśrabdhi – pliancy, mental-flexibility
9. Apramāda – conscientiousness
10. Upekṣa – equanimity
11. Ahiṃsā – nonharmfulness, nonviolence

Six root unwholesome factors

The six root unwholesome factors (mūlakleśa) are:

1. Rāga – attachment
2. Pratigha – anger
3. Avidya – ignorance
4. Māna – pride, conceit
5. Vicikitsa – doubt
6. Dṛṣṭi – wrong view

Twenty secondary unwholesome factors

The twenty secondary unwholesome factors (upakleśa) are:

1. Krodha – rage, fury
2. Upanāha – resentment
3. Mrakśa – concealment, slyness-concealment
4. Pradāśa – spitefulness
5. Īrṣyā – envy, jealousy
6. Mātsarya – stinginess, avarice, miserliness
7. Māyā – pretense, deceit
8. Śāṭhya – hypocrisy, dishonesty
9. Mada – self-infatuation, mental inflation, self-satisfaction
10. Vihiṃsā – malice, hostility, cruelty, intention to harm
11. Āhrīkya – lack of shame, lack of conscience, shamelessness
12. Anapatrāpya – lack of propriety, disregard, shamelessness
13. Styāna – lethargy, gloominess
14. Auddhatya – excitement, ebullience
15. Āśraddhya – lack of faith, lack of trust
16. Kauśīdya – laziness, slothfulness
17. Pramāda – heedlessness, carelessness, unconcern
18. Muṣitasmṛtitā – forgetfulness
19. Asaṃprajanya – non-alertness, inattentiveness
20. Vikṣepa – distraction, desultoriness

Four changeable mental factors

The four changeable mental factors (aniyata) are:

1. Kaukṛitya – regret, worry,
2. Middha – sleep, drowsiness
3. Vitarka – conception, selectiveness, examination
4. Vicāra – discernment, discursiveness, analysis

Alternate translations

Alternate translations for the term mental factors (Sanskrit: caitasika) include:

• Mental factors (Geshe Tashi Tsering, Jeffrey Hopkins, Bhikkhu Bodhi, N.K.G. Mendis)
• Mental events (Herbert Guenther)
• Mental states (Erik Pema Kunzang, Nārada Thera)
• Concomitants (N.K.G. Mendis)
• Concomitants of consciousness (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
• Subsidiary awareness (Alexander Berzin)