The Inner Science of Buddhist Practice - Khamkoo

474 ▶ Notes to Part Two
184 The main source for the actions of the mental factors is Asaṅga’s AS.
185 This sentence is somewhat problematic. The text literally says: “Because the essential
nature is presented first, it will be explained first.” In fact, as Sthiramati just noted, the
root text only presents the essential nature of each mental factor; it is he who adds the
actions. The point seems to be simply that he will begin his explanation of each mental
factor with a clarification of the description that appears in the root text.
186 Of the five universal mental factors, feeling and conception have already been
explained.
187 In other words, the “convergence” of faculty, object, and consciousness should not
be taken to mean that these three entities exist simultaneously, since the faculty and
object are the causes of a particular consciousness. Therefore, the consciousness that is
produced by a specific moment of a faculty and an object must follow them in time.
188 S: vikāraḥ, T: ’gyur ba.
189 S: vedanāsaṃniśrayatvam asya karma, T: ’di’i las ni tshor ba’i rten byed pa.
190 S: ābhogaḥ, T: ’jug pa.
191 S: ālambane cittadhāraṇakarmakaḥ, T: dmigs pa la sems ’dzin pa’i las can.
192 Sthiramati is saying that his explanation should not be thought of as suggesting
that this mental factor continues to exist over time, exerting its action on multiple
moments of consciousness. He clarifies this in his commentary to the Thirty Verses
by saying, “The operation (of this mental factor) only occurs within each individual
moment; it does not carry over to any other moment.” This is an affirmation that his
description does not contradict the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence.
193 S: cittābhisaṃskāraḥ, T: sems mngon par ’du byed pa.
194 S: manaskarma, T: yid kyi las.
195 AS, p. 6: “Its action is to direct the mind toward virtuous, nonvirtuous, and indeterminate
[entities]” (S: kuśalākuśalāvyākṛteṣu cittapreraṇakarmikā, T: dge ba dang mi
dge ba dang lung du ma bstan pa rnams la sems ’jug bar byed pa’i las can).
196 S: tṛṣṇā, T: sred pa. Craving is synonymous with the root mental affliction of desire
(S: rāgaḥ, T: ’dod chags). The question being asked is not an idle one; for instance, the
question might be phrased this way: Is the desire to attain liberation or Buddhahood
a mental affliction? While this form of desire or aspiration is not a mental affliction,
there are many for whom this question can be confusing. Strictly speaking, the mental
factor of aspiration is morally neutral; however, the aspiration to pursue a virtuous
object is by definition not a nonvirtue. Nevertheless, the topic is further complicated
by the fact that a virtuous activity can remain a cause of samsaric existence if it does
not directly promote the attainment of liberation or Buddhahood.
197 S: *abhiṣvaṅgaḥ, T: mngon par chags pa.
198 S: vīryārambhasaṃniśrayadānakarmakaḥ, T: brtson ’grus rtsom pa’i rten byed pa’i las
can.
199 S: niścitam, T: nges pa.
200 S: asaṃhāryatākarmakaḥ, T: mi ’phrogs pa nyid kyi las can.
201 S: saṃstutam, T: ’dris pa.
202 S: asaṃpramoṣaḥ, T: mi brjed pa. The Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit original literally
means “[the quality of ] not being forgetful.” This does not seem to accurately
capture the intended sense of the original Sanskrit term. The primary meaning of the
Sanskrit verbal root muṣ is “to steal” or “to carry off,” in the sense of theft of property.
A secondary meaning that relates to the mind or intellect is “to be clouded” or “to be
obscured.” However, as Sthiramati’s gloss of asaṃpramoṣaḥ clearly indicates, the pre-