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:

1. Sleep (Skt. middha; Tib. གཉིད་)
2. Regret (Skt. kaukṛtya; Tib. འགྱོད་པ་)
3. Conception (Skt. vitarka; Tib. རྟོག་པ་)
4. Discernment (Skt. vicāra; Tib. དཔྱོད་པ་)

Alternative Translations

• Four variable factors (Padmakara)
• Four changeable types of subsidiary awareness or mental factors (Berzin)