Seven Factors of Awakening

Monk meditating beside Sirikit Dam in Thailand.

In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Awakening (Pali: satta bojjha or satta sambojjha; Skt.: sapta bodhyanga) are:

  • Mindfulness (sati, Sanskrit smṛti). To maintain awareness of reality, in particular the teachings (Dhamma).
  • Investigation of the nature of reality (dhamma vicaya, Skt. dharmapravicaya).
  • Energy (viriya, Skt. vīrya) also determination, effort
  • Joy or rapture (pīti, Skt. prīti)
  • Relaxation or tranquility (passaddhi, Skt. prashrabdhi) of both body and mind
  • Concentration (samādhi) a calm, one-pointed state of mind,[1] or "bringing the buried latencies or samskaras into full view"[2]
  • Equanimity (upekkhā, 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 ("awakening," "enlightenment") and anga ("factor").[3]

  1. ^ See, e.g., Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–1925), entry for "Samādhi," retrieved 3 Feb. 2011 from "U.Chicago" at "The Pali Text Society's Pali-English dictionary". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-08-17. .
  2. ^ Lusthaus (2014), p. 113.
  3. ^ For instance, see Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–1925), p. 490, entry for "Bojjhanga" (retrieved 10 Jul 2007).