The 7 Factors of Enlightenment

The seven factors of enlightenment are practiced for the cultivation of total liberation, arahantship. They are divided into two categories: active factors (investigation, effort, and joy) and passive factors (tranquility, concentration, and equanimity), with mindfulness being the balancing factor between them. Practicing these enlightenment factors develops insight into impermanence and thereby directs the mind to let go of its tendency to cling. Thus, greed fades away. Without greed, anger has no footing. When the mind sees things as they are, that it is inherently impermanent, it is no longer subject to delusion. One thus becomes wise and overcomes ignorance.

The first factor of enlightenment is mindfulness, which can be developed anywhere, anytime, whether sitting on a cushion for meditation, standing, walking, lying down, or having a conversation. We can develop it at any moment and become mindful of the three characteristics of existence—impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and nonself—and thereby develop clear comprehension.

In order to reveal the truth of the three characteristics of existence, one should take an object of concentration. When selecting a particular domain, its intrinsic characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and nonself must be clear. These objects of investigation are described in the four foundations of mindfulness. To gain insight into the three characteristics of existence, the mind has to remain focused, alert, and ardent. Setting aside greed (attachment) and stress regarding the mind-body complex composed of the five aggregates, we should practice with zest and vigor in order to see the three characteristics of existence in our own body and mind. This requires developing the habit of paying total, undivided, mindful attention to whatever we are doing, whether it be thinking, speaking, or acting, which entails being heedful at every moment. To the extent that we are able to sustain this effort, we gain insight into the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and nonself.

As our insight into the three characteristics of existence deepens, we notice their interconnectedness. With insight into impermanence, one gains an understanding of the unsatisfactoriness and nonself inherent to all conditioned phenomena. With an improved comprehension of the nature of dissatisfaction, one understands its connection to impermanence and nonself. In this way, developing discernment into any of the three characteristics of existence leads to a clearer understanding of the other two.

As our insight into the three characteristics of existence deepens, we notice their interconnectedness.

When we practice mindfulness, no matter how brief our practice is, it will all add up over time. It is just like drops of water rolling down from the top of a mountain; eventually the drops produce streams through tributaries, and small streams then grow into more significant rivers. Similarly, every time we practice mindfulness it adds to our total mindfulness factor of enlightenment. Therefore, we shouldn’t think that we have to practice the mindfulness factor of enlightenment all at once, during just one or a few meditation sessions. Every fraction of mindfulness adds up to the mindfulness factor of enlightenment. This is how we can overcome the influxes of sense pleasures, becoming, ignorance, and wrong views, bit by bit.

The second factor of enlightenment is investigation of the dhamma, which is necessary for spiritual progress. This means making the effort to read, discuss, memorize, and reflect on the dhamma. We reflect on the meaning of the words we learn in dhamma books or from our teachers, scrutinize their context, and think about how they apply to our lives and how to put them into practice in order to liberate ourselves from suffering. In our study of the dhamma we should not adopt an attitude of blind faith but rather be investigative. When we meet with friends to discuss the dhamma, when we ask our teachers about the Buddha’s teachings, or whenever we reflect on the dhamma, we develop our investigation factor of enlightenment. This will lead in turn to the blossoming of wisdom within us.

The third factor of enlightenment is effort. [This includes] the fourfold efforts involved in eradicating influxes: the efforts to prevent and abandon unwholesome states of mind and to arouse and develop wholesome ones. As we exert right effort our successes encourage us and clarity of understanding unfolds in us. We start seeing positive results in ourselves, and this motivates us to increase our efforts. This makes us very glad.

As a result, the fourth factor of enlightenment, joy, develops. Whenever we see the rising and falling of the aggregates, our wisdom, clear understanding, and insight begin to unfold. This too causes joy to arise. As our practice develops, along with investigation and effort, we begin to see how wonderful and marvelous the dhamma is. We understand that it is the key to our liberation from suffering. And seeing that there is a genuine way out of suffering is a great source of joy indeed. This kind of joy has nothing to do with mundane happiness, which comes from excitement. When people have mundane joy, they may hug, kiss, jump up and down, sing, and work themselves up into a tizzy.

Spiritual joy, on the other hand, leads to a calm, relaxed, serene, and composed mind. This is called the tranquility factor of enlightenment. Anytime we see the dhamma for ourselves and feel happy while meditating, discussing, and reading about the dhamma, it is this kind of spiritual joy that we are experiencing. And this joy makes us tranquil, calm, relaxed, and peaceful.

The calm, relaxation, peacefulness, and tranquility resulting from the joy we experience when we attain insight into the dhamma leads to the sixth factor of enlightenment, concentration. With concentration, we are able to see things clearly as they really are, and this brings equanimity to our minds. This is equanimity, the seventh and final factor of enlightenment, a supremely clear and pure state of mind that is attained during meditation.

When the mind gets excited rather than tranquil, the restlessness fetter is present. Restlessness as a hindrance is a negative state, but when we get close to attaining arahantship, it is not negative. Instead it is like trepidation or excitement when we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel after a long effort toward full enlightenment. To calm this excitement down, we employ mindfulness to balance the factors of investigation, effort, and joy with tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. In this way, all the calming factors are brought to mind, thereby enhancing tranquility, concentration, and equanimity.

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© 2024 by Bhante Gunaratana and Veronique Ziegler, Dependent Origination in Plain English. Reprinted by arrangement with Wisdom Publications.