How do I develop the seven factors? (sutra)

Ven. Nyanatiloka (trans.) edited by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How do I develop the Seven Factors?

In A.X.102, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment or Awakening are said to be the means of attaining Threefold Wisdom.

They may be attained by means of practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, as it is said in S.XLVI.1 and explained in M.118: 

(1) "O meditators, whenever one dwells contemplating the body (kāya), feeling (vedanā), mind (citta), and mind-objects (dhammā), strenuous, clearly-conscious, mindful [without judging or evaluating but just observing, watching with bare attention], after subduing greed and grief with regard to the world, at that time one's mindfulness is present and undisturbed.

And whenever  mindfulness is present and undisturbed, at that time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'mindfulness' (sati-sambojjhanga), and this factor of enlightenment [is moving toward reaching] fullest perfection.

(2) "Whenever, while dwelling with mindfulness, one wisely investigates, examines, and considers mind-body phenomena [in line with the Dharma taught by the Buddha]...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'investigation of phenomena' (dhamma-vicaya)...

(3) "Whenever, while wisely investigating, energy [effort] is firm and unshaken...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'energy' (viriya)....

(4) "Whenever, while firm in energy, there arises in one super-sensuous rapture [joy, bliss, zest]...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'rapture' (pīti)...

(5) "Whenever, while enraptured in mind, one's body and one's mind become composed [calm]...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'serenity' (passaddhi).

(6) "Whenever, while being composed in body and happy, one's mind becomes concentrated [composed, coherent, collected, settled and all together]...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'concentration' (samādhi).

(7) "Whenever one looks on one's mind free of bias [serene and settled] thus collected...at such time one has gained and is developing the factor of enlightenment 'equanimity' (upekkhā).

What do these terms mean in English?

The Pali word bojjhanga is a compound of bodhi ("enlightenment") and anga ("factor"). In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment or seven bojjhangas (Pali satta bojjhaṅgā or satta sambojjhaṅgā, Sanskrit sapta bodhyanga) are:

1. Mindfulness (sati): to recognize the dhammas (phenomena or reality, which are two ways of translating the multivalent term "dhamma" or "dharma").
2. Investigation of things (dhamma vicaya): observing mind-body phenomena (namarupa), namely, the Five Aggregates of Existence and Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
3. Energy (viriya): effort, determination, exertion
4. Rapture (pīti): joy, bliss, zest that accompanies the first and second absorptions, the original meaning of "meditation" (zen, dhyana, jhana, chan), meditative accomplishment, attainment.
5. Serenity (passaddhi): calm, relaxation, tranquility of both body and mind.
6. Coherence (samādhi): concentration, collectedness, composure, clear awareness, a lucid, calm, one-pointed state of mind (see Rhys Davids & Stede, dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.3:1:3397.pali).
7. Equanimity (upekkha): serene awareness of all phenomena free of bias, free of lust or aversion toward them.

This evaluation of the Seven Enlightenment Factors is one of the "seven sets" of "enlightenment-related things" [for a total of 37 items] called bodhipakkhiyadhamma in Buddhism. More

• It is interesting that just bringing these factors to mind, at least for those who have already developed them, has the power to instantly cure illness, suggesting that illness might be due to incoherence and that these factors restore coherence. They are therefore the popular subject of protective or safeguard chants (parittas). See the Galina Sutra when Ven. Maha Cunda recites these factors to cure the Buddha and related "bojjhanga discourses" such as the Maha Kassapa Bojjhanga.

Enlightenment: awakening (bodh), seeing things as they truly are. Bodh is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh- (to awake, become aware, notice, know, understand) corresponding to the verbs bujjhati in Pāli and bodhati or budhyate in Sanskrit.