Seven factors of awakening in the context of Saṅkhāra


Seven factors of awakening in the context of Saṅkhāra

⭐ Core Definition: Seven factors of awakening

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, or "bringing the buried latencies or samskaras into full view"
  • 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).

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Seven factors of awakening in the context of Satipatthana

Satipatthana (Pali: Satipaṭṭhāna; Sanskrit: smṛtyupasthāna) is a central practice in the Buddha's teachings, meaning "the establishment of mindfulness" or "presence of mindfulness", or alternatively "foundations of mindfulness", aiding the development of a wholesome state of mind. In Theravada Buddhism, applying mindful attention to four domains, the body, feelings, the mind, and key principles or categories of the Buddha's teaching (dhammās), is thought to aid the elimination of the five hindrances and the development of the seven aspects of wakefulness.

The Satipatthana Sutta is probably the most influential meditation text in modern Theravada Buddhism, on which the teachings of the Vipassana movement are based. While these teachings are found in all Buddhist traditions, modern Theravada Buddhism and the Vipassana Movement are known especially for promoting the practice of satipaṭṭhāna as developing mindfulness to gain insight into impermanence, thereby reaching a first state of liberation. In the popular understanding, mindfulness has developed into a practice of bare awareness to calm the mind.

View the full Wikipedia page for Satipatthana
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