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Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, the Seven Factors of Awakening (
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
: ''satta bojjhagā'' or ''satta sambojjhagā''; Skt.: ''sapta bodhyanga'') are: * Mindfulness (''
sati Sati or SATI may refer to: Entertainment * ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi * ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike *Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer *Sati, a character in ''Th ...
'', Sanskrit ''smrti''). To maintain awareness of reality, in particular the teachings (''
dhamma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for ''d ...
''). * Investigation of the nature of reality (''
dhamma vicaya In Buddhism, ''dhamma vicaya'' (Pali; sa, dharma-) has been variously translated as the "analysis of qualities," "discrimination of ''dhammas''," "discrimination of states," "investigation of doctrine," and "searching the Truth." The meaning is ...
'', Skt. ''dharmapravicaya''). * Energy ('' viriya'', Skt. ''vīrya'') also determination, effort * Joy or rapture (''
pīti ''Pīti'' in Pali (Sanskrit: ''Prīti'') is a mental factor (Pali:''cetasika'', Sanskrit: ''caitasika'') associated with the development of '' jhāna'' (Sanskrit: ''dhyāna'') in Buddhist meditation. According to Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, ''piti'' i ...
'', Skt. ''prīti'') * Relaxation or tranquility (''
passaddhi ''Passaddhi'' is a Pali noun (Sanskrit: prasrabhi, Tibetan: ཤིན་ཏུ་སྦྱང་བ་,Tibetan Wylie: shin tu sbyang ba) that has been translated as "calmness", "tranquillity", "repose" and "serenity." The associated verb is ''pa ...
'', Skt. prashrabdhi) of both body and mind * Concentration (''
samādhi ''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditation, meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ash ...
'') a calm, one-pointed state of mind, or "bringing the buried latencies or ''
samskaras Samskara, saṃskāra, saṅskāra or sanskara may refer to: * Sanskara (rite of passage), Hindu and Jain rites of passage * Samskara (ayurvedic), a technique in ayurvedic medicine * Samskara (Indian philosophy), the concept of imprints or impres ...
'' into full view" * Equanimity ('' upekkha'', Skt. ''upekshā''). To accept reality as-it-is (''yathā-bhuta'') without craving or aversion. This evaluation of seven awakening factors is one of the "Seven Sets" of "Awakening-related states" ('' bodhipakkhiyadhamma''). The Pali word ''bojjhanga'' is a compound of ''
bodhi The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti. The abstract noun ''bodhi'' (; Sanskrit: बोधि; Pali: ''bodhi''), means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect ...
'' ("awakening," "enlightenment") and ''anga'' ("factor").


Etymology

Satta sambojjhagā: * satta – seven; * bodh – an
abstract noun A noun () is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.Example nouns for: * Living creatures (including people, alive, d ...
formed from the verbal root ''*budh-'' (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand) corresponding to the verbs ''bujjhati'' (Pāli) and ''bodhati'' or ''budhyate'' (Sanskrit); * aṅga – a part of a whole; factor, cause.


Pali literature

In the
Sutta Pitaka Sutta may refer to: *Sutta Nipata, is a Buddhist scripture *Sutta Piṭaka, The second of the three divisions of the Tripitaka or Pali Canon *Sutta Pazham, is a 2008 Indian Tamil language adult comedy thriller film *Sutta Kadhai, 2013 Indian Tamil ...
's Samyutta Nikaya, the bojjhangas refer to wholesome, mundane factors ''leading to'' enlightenment. In the Abhidhamma and Pali commentaries, the bojjhangas tend to refer to supramundane factors ''concurrent with'' enlightenment.


Sutta Pitaka

According to one discourse in the Samyutta Nikaya entitled "Bhikkhu Sutta" ( SN 46.5): : hikkhu:"Venerable sir, it is said, 'factors of enlightenment, factors of enlightenment.' In what sense are they called factors of enlightenment?" : uddha:"They lead to enlightenment, bhikkhu, therefore they are called factors of enlightenment...." During
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
, one may contemplate the seven Factors of Enlightenment as well as on their antithesis, the
Five Hindrances In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances ( Sinhala: ''පඤ්ච නීවරණ pañca nīvaraṇa''; Pali: ') are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives. In the Theravada tradition, thes ...
(
sensual pleasure A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the central nervous system re ...
, ill-will, sloth-torpor, restlessness-worry, doubt). In addition, one Samyutta Nikaya sutta identifies developing each of the enlightenment factors accompanied by each of the four brahma viharas (
lovingkindness ( he, חֶסֶד, also Romanized: ) is a Hebrew word that means 'kindness or love between people', specifically of the devotional piety of people towards God as well as of love or mercy of God towards humanity. It is frequently used in Psalms i ...
,
compassion Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...
, sympathetic joy,
equanimity Equanimity (Latin: ''æquanimitas'', having an even mind; ''aequus'' even; ''animus'' mind/soul) is a state of inner peace, psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenom ...
). In the Samyutta Nikaya's "Fire Discourse," the Buddha identifies that mindfulness is "always useful" (''sabbatthika''); while, when one's mind is sluggish, one should develop the enlightenment factors of investigation, energy and joy; and, when one's mind is excited, one should develop the enlightenment factors of tranquility, concentration and equanimity."Fire Discourse" (''Aggi Sutta'', SN 46.53) (Bodhi, 2000, pp. 1605–7; Walshe, 1985
sutta 58
pp. 69–70).
Again according to the Samyutta Nikaya, once when the Buddha was gravely ill he asked Venerable Mahacunda to recite the seven Factors of Enlightenment to him. In such a way the Buddha was cured of his illness.


Abhidhamma and commentarial literature

In the
Visuddhimagga The ''Visuddhimagga'' (Pali; English: ''The Path of Purification''), is the 'great treatise' on Buddhist practice and Theravāda Abhidhamma written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th century in Sri Lanka. It is a manual condensing and syst ...
, in a section discussing skills needed for the attainment and maintenance of absorption (''
jhana In the oldest texts of Buddhism, ''dhyāna'' () or ''jhāna'' () is a component of the training of the mind (''bhavana''), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, "burn up" the ...
''),
Buddhaghosa Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator and philosopher. He worked in the Great Monastery (''Mahāvihāra'') at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajjavāda school and in t ...
identifies the bojjhangas in the following fashion: * "Strong mindfulness ... is needed in all instances...." * "When his mind is slack with over-laxness of energy, etc., then ... he should develop those hree enlightenment factorsbeginning with investigation-of-states..." (i.e., ''dhamma vicaya, viriya, piti''). * "When his mind is agitated through over-energeticness, etc., then ... he should develop those hree enlightenment factorsbeginning with tranquility..." (i.e., ''passaddhi, samadhi, upekkha'').


Meditation

The seven factors of awakening are closely related to the practice of ''
dhyana Dhyana may refer to: Meditative practices in Indian religions * Dhyana in Buddhism (Pāli: ''jhāna'') * Dhyana in Hinduism * Jain Dhyāna, see Jain meditation Other *''Dhyana'', a work by British composer John Tavener (1944-2013) * ''Dhyana'' ...
'', resembling the various factors that are part of the four dhyanas.Gethin, ''Tha Buddhis Path to Awakening'', chapter five; Arbel (2017), ''Early Buddhist Meditation'' In meditation everyone most likely experiences two of the
five hindrances In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances ( Sinhala: ''පඤ්ච නීවරණ pañca nīvaraṇa''; Pali: ') are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives. In the Theravada tradition, thes ...
(Pāli: pañca nīvaraṇāni). They are sloth and torpor (Pāli: thīna-middha), which is half-hearted action with little or no collectedness, and restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca), which is the inability to calm the mind. As indicated above, in the "Fire Discourse" ( SN 46.53), it is recommended that joy or rapture, investigation, and energy are to be developed when experiencing sloth and torpor. Relaxation, concentration, and equanimity are to be developed when experiencing restlessness or worry. Mindfulness should be constantly present to remain aware of physical change as well as mental change in either skillful or unskillful direction.


See also

*
Five hindrances In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances ( Sinhala: ''පඤ්ච නීවරණ pañca nīvaraṇa''; Pali: ') are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives. In the Theravada tradition, thes ...
*
Five Strengths The Five Strengths (Sanskrit, Pali: ') in Buddhism are faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. They are one of the seven sets of Bodhipakkhiyadhamma ("qualities conducive to enlightenment"). They are paralleled in the five spir ...
* Iddhipāda *
Reality in Buddhism Reality in Buddhism is called ''dharma'' (Sanskrit) or ''dhamma'' (Pali). This word, which is foundational to the conceptual frameworks of the Indian religions, refers in Buddhism to the system of natural laws which constitute the natural order ...
* Thirty-seven factors of Enlightenment


Notes


Sources

* Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). ''The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya''. Boston: Wisdom Pubs. . *
Buddhaghosa Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator and philosopher. He worked in the Great Monastery (''Mahāvihāra'') at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajjavāda school and in t ...
, Bhadantacariya & Bhikkhu (trans.) (1999). ''The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga''. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. . * *
Piyadassi Thera Piyadassi Maha Thera ( si, පියදස්සි මහා ස්ථවිරයන් වහන්සේ, 8 July 1914 – 18 August 1998) was a preacher of the Dhamma both in Sinhala and in English. He was born on 8 July 1914 at Kotahena in C ...
, Venerable (trans.) (1999). ''Gilana Sutta: Ill (Factors of Enlightenment)'' ( SN 46.16). Retrieved 10 Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.016.piya.html. * Piyadassi Thera, Venerable (trans.) (n.d.). ''The Book of Protection: Factors of Enlightenment (3), Maha Cunda Thera Bojjhanga''. Retrieved from "BuddhaNet.net" at http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/bp_sut14.htm. * Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921–5). ''The Pali Text Society's Pali–English Dictionary''. Chipstead:
Pali Text Society The Pali Text Society is a text publication society founded in 1881 by Thomas William Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pāli texts". Pāli is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism are preserved. The Pā ...
. A general on-line search engine for this dictionary is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/. * Walshe, Maurice O'C. (1985). ''Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology (Part III)'' (Wheel No. 318-321). Kandy:
Buddhist Publication Society The Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) is a publishing house with charitable status whose objective is to disseminate the teaching of Gautama Buddha. It was founded in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan lay Buddhists, A.S. Karunaratna and ...
. Retrieved 2008-11-09 from "Access to Insight" (2007, 2009) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/walshe/wheel318.html and, for an excerpted version of the "Fire Discourse" ( SN 46.53), at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.053.wlsh.html .


External links

* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). ''Himavanta Sutta: The Himalayas (On the Factors for Awakening)'' ( SN 46.1). Retrieved from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn46-001.html. *
Seven Factors of Enlightenment
' by Ven Vimalaramsi *

' by
Piyadassi Thera Piyadassi Maha Thera ( si, පියදස්සි මහා ස්ථවිරයන් වහන්සේ, 8 July 1914 – 18 August 1998) was a preacher of the Dhamma both in Sinhala and in English. He was born on 8 July 1914 at Kotahena in C ...
*
The Seven Factors of Enlightenment
' by Ven Ariyadhamma {{Buddhism topics Buddhist philosophical concepts