Four variables
Four variables (Skt. aniyata; Tib. གཞན་འགྱུར་བཞི་, Wyl. gzhan ‘gyur bzhi) — a set of four mental states which are part of the fifty-one mental states, so-called because their nature (virtuous, non-virtuous or neutral) varies according to one's motivation and other accompanying mental states. They are:
- sleep (Skt. middha; Tib. གཉིད་, Wyl. gnyid)
- regret (Skt. kaukṛtya; Tib. འགྱོད་པ་, Wyl. ‘gyod pa)
- conception (Skt. vitarka; Tib. རྟོག་པ་, Wyl. rtog pa)
- discernment (Skt. vicāra; Tib. དཔྱོད་པ་, Wyl. dpyod pa)
Alternative Translations
- Four variable factors (Padmakara)
- Four changeable types of subsidiary awareness or mental factors (Berzin)