Enlightenment factors (Buddhism)

In Hinayana Buddhism, three enlightenment or wisdom factors are described as being conducive to exerting a slack mind. These are: investigation into doctrine or states, and accordingly distinguishing right from wrong; energy, joyfully exerting one's self in practice – virya; happiness or rapture, full of joy in the teaching – piti; And three are described as conducive to restraining an agitated mind. These are: tranquillity, peacefully overcoming the passions or kleshas; concentration; equanimity – upeksha. Figuratively speaking, the first three contribute to assisting in bringing to a blaze a fire which is dampened down, while the second three dampen down a fire which is blazing too freely.

Other sources list seven factors as prerequisite for enlightenment, excluding concentration but including mindfulness (remembrance) – smriti – and also including discrimination as a separate factor from investigation.

On the path of seeing, the seven branches of enlightenment listed are mindfulness, discrimination of phenomena, effort, joy, pliancy, meditative stabilization and equanimity.

Among the prerequisites for enlightenment – bodhi pakshika dharma – of which there are 37 grouped in seven areas, bodhyanga numbers sixth of the seven areas. Also development of these factors is one of the samyag-vyayama (four perfect efforts), the second area of the prerequisites for enlightenment. One of the sections of yogic paths or harmonies with enlightenment defined in Buddhism.