2. Bodhipakkhiya-dhammā (practices leading to enlightenment)

The practices leading to enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya) are often elaborated into seven groups of intersecting factors. The Buddha himself simply speaks of the things pertaining to enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya-dhammā) in Kinti sutta and Sāmagāma sutta of Majjhima Nikāya as:

“These things that I have taught you after directly knowing them–that is the four foundations of mindfulness, the fourfold supreme endeavour, the fourfold psychic power, the five faculties, the five mental powers, the seven factors of enlightenment and the noble eightfold path”.

(Ye vo mayā dhammā abhiññā desitā, seyathi-daṃcattaro satipaṭṭhāna cattaro sammappadhā cattāro iddhipādā pañcindriyāni pañcabalāni sattabojjhaṅgā ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo).^[1]

In the prelude to the Buddha’s parinibbāna (passed away) he urged the monks to learn, pursue, develop, and cultivate them (bodhipakkhiyadhammā) so that the holy life would endure long in the world, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans.

(Ye te mayā abhiñña desitā, te vo sādhukaṃ uggahetvā āsevitabbā bhāvetabbā bhahulīkātabbā yathayidaṃ brahmacariyaṃ addhanīyaṃ assa siraṭṭhikaṃ, tadassa bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṃ).^[2]

The Buddha requested the monks to meet often and recite the seven groups “meaning for meaning, phrase for phrase,” without disputes, again so that the holy life would endure long.

(Tattha sabbe-heva saṅgamma samāgamma atthena atthaṃ vyañjanena vyañjanaṃ saṅgāyitabbaṃ na viditabbaṃ yathayidaṃ brahmacariyaṃ addhanīyaṃ assa siraṭṭhikaṃ).^[3]

The Buddha made unity in the Sangha contingent upon concord regarding the seven groups and urged the disciples to train in the “united, in concord, not disputing”. It is because he teaches these seven groups that his disciples venerate him, and by developing them many of these disciples have attained consummation and perfection in direct knowledge.

(Tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāra-mipattā viharanti).^[4]

According to Ven. Buddhaghosa, these thirty-seven in all, are called “Factors of Enlightenment” (bodhipakkhiyā dhammā), because they are to be found in the sphere of the Noble Path which is called ‘Enlightenment’, in the sense of enlightening

(ime sattatiṃsadhammā bujjhaṭṭhena bodhoti laddha-nāmassa ariyamaggassa pakkhe bhavattā bodhipakkhiyā nāma).^[5]

In the Saṃyutta nikāya^[6] they are explained as conducing to the realization of Enlightenment (bodhāya saṃvattanti). The Nittipakaraṇa^[7] describes them as belonging to the sphere of the Noble Path

(tattha ariyamaggapakkhe satipaṭṭhānadinaṃ sattatiṃsa bodhipakkhiyānaṃ dhammānaṃ).^[8]

They are said to share in common, the characteristic of “leading out of saṃsāra” or “leading to salvation”

(sabbehi bodhaṅgamā dhammā bodhipakkhiyā niyyānika lakkhaṇena ekalakkhaṇā).^[9]

Again, they are defined as “bodhaṅgamā” because they lead towards supreme wisdom, to the knowledge of the noble path

(tattha bodhaṅgamāti bodhaṃ ariyamaggañānaṃ gacchantīti).^[10]

Ven. Dhammapāla, in his commentary to Nettipakaraṇa, describes them as lying within the realm of bodhi

(bodhassa pakkhe bhavantīti bodhipakkhiyā)^[11].

The Pali term Bodhipakkhiya can be explained as bodhi means enlightenment or awakening, pakkhiya literally means things pertaining to or requisites of or side of or wings to. Therefore the meaning of boddhipakkhiya is things pertaining to enlightenment, or requisite of enlightenment or sides of enlightenment or the wings to awakening. In the way of practice, they can be called “path to enlightenment”.

Bodhipakkhiya-dhammā, literally the states on leading to enlightenment are of the thirty-seven factors in the Pāli literature. These factors are call “path to enlightenment” because they are conducive to the attainment of enlightenment, which is the knowledge of the four supramundane paths (lokuttaramagga). The thirty-seven factors constitute the practice leading to enlightenment. When they are fulfilled, enlightenment naturally follows. Thus, a person who wants to know practice the method of enlightenment should first know at least thirtyseven factors.

These thirty-seven factors are generally known as the “Thirtyseven Factors of Enlightenment” (sattatiṃsa bodhipakkhiyādhammā).

They are always grouped under seven main sets:

1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness: There are: 1, the foundation of mindfulness in contemplation of the body; 2, the foundation of mindfulness in contemplation of the feelings; 3, the foundation of mindfulness in contemplation of the mind and 4, contemplation of the mental-objects.

(cattārosatipaṭṭhānā-kāyānupassanā satipaṭṭhā-naṃ vedanānupassanā satipaṭṭhān-aṃ cittānupassanā satipaṭṭhānaṃ dhammānupassanaṃ).^[12]

2. the Fourfold Supreme Endeavour: there are: 1, the endeavour to avoid the arising of evil and unwholesome states of mind that have not arisen; 2, the endeavour to overcome evil and unwholesome states of mind that have arisen; 3, the endeavour to develop wholesome states of mind that have not arisen; 4, the endeavour to maintain and increase the wholesome states of mind that have arisen.

(cattāro sammappadhāna-uppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ pahānāya vayamo, anuppannānaṃ pāpakā-naṃ anuppādāya vāyamo, anuppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ uppādāya vāyamo, upp-annānaṃ kusalānaṃ bhiyyobhāvāya vāyamo).^[13]

3. the Fourfold Psychic Power: There are: 1, psychic power of desire; 2, psychic power of effort, 3, psychic power of consciousness; IV, psychic power of investigation.

(cattāro iddhipādā-chandiddhipādo vīriyiddhipādo, cittiddhipādo, vīmaṃsiddhipādo).^[14]

4. the Five Faculties: There are: 1, faculty of faith; 2, faculty of effort or energy; 3, faculty of mindfulness; 4, faculty of concentration; and 5, faculty of wisdom.

(pañcindriyāni-saddhindriyaṃ vīriyindriya satindriya samādhindriya paññindriyaṃ).^[15]

5. the Five Mental Powers: there are: 1, power of faith; 2, power of effort or energy; 3, power of mindfulness; 4, power of concentration; and 5, power of wisdom.

(pañcabalānisaddhābalaṃ vīriyabalaṃ satibalaṃ samādhibalaṃ paññābalaṃ).^[16]

6. Seven Factors of Enlightenment: there are: 1, enlightenment factor of mindfulness; 2, the enlightenment factor of investtigation of the truth; 3, enlightenment factor of effort; 4, enlightenment factor of joy; 5, enlightenment factor of calmness or tranquility; 6, enlightenment factor of concentration and 7, enlightenment factor of equanimity.

(sattabojjhaṅgā-satisambojjhaṅga dhammavi-jayasambojjhaṅga dhammavijayasambojjhaṅga vīriyasambojjhaṅga pītisambojjhaṅga passaddhisambojjhaṅga samādhisambojjhaṅga upekkhāsambojjhaṅga).^[17]

7. the Noble Eightfold Path: there are: 1, right understanding or view; 2, right thought; 3, right speech; 4, right action; 5, right livelihood; 6, right effort; 7, right mindfulness; and 8, right concentration.

(ariyo atthaṅgiko maggo-seyathidaṃ sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappa sammāvācā sammākammanta sammāājīva sammāvāyama sammāsati sammāsamādhi).

In the Mahāparinibbāna sutta of the Dīgha nikāya^[18] all the thirtyseven factors of enlightenment are mentioned under the generic term Dhammā. the Buddha is reported to have charged his disciples to “practice them, meditate upon them, and spread them abroad, in order that pure religion may last long and be perpetuated, in order that it may continue to be for that good and happiness of the great multitude, out of pity for the world, to the good and gain and the weal of gods and men”.^[19] The fact that the Buddha, in his last address to his disciples laid such emphatic stress on them, clearly illustrates their importance.

The Buddha’s teachings are called Dhamma. The Dhamma that the Buddha discovered and taught thirty-seven factors leading to enlightenment in order to get rid of defilements—passion, ill-will and ignorance, and in order to realization the liberation. Therefore, to understand these factors in details is most important for one who wants liberation from defilements.

The Pāḷi word nibbāna (liberation) is derived from a verb nibbāti meaning ‘to be blown out” or “to be extinguished.” It thus signifies the extinguishing of the worldly “fires” of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha). But the Pāḷi commentaries prefer to treat it as the negation of, or “departure from” (nikkhantatta), the entanglement (vāna) of craving (taṇhā), the derivation that is offered here. For, as long as one is entangled by craving, one remains bound in saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death; but, when all craving has been extinguished, one attains nibbāna (liberation), the deliverance from the cycle of birth and death.

This thesis focuses on An Analytical Study of the Buddhist Path to Enlightenment. The most reliable sources for this research are in the Pāli Canon, Aṭṭhakathās (their commentaries), Ṭīkas (their sub-commentaries), their translation books, the Buddhist literature, Jain Literature and other scholarly interpretations of Buddhist Literature concerned with the field of this study and so on.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

MN II, p. 237; 245

[2]:

DN II, p. 119-20

[3]:

DN III, p. 127-8

[4]:

MN II, p. 11-12

[5]:

Vism, p. 528

[6]:

SN V, p. 227

[7]:

Nett, p. 197

[8]:

Ibid. p. 197

[9]:

Nett, p. 31

[10]:

Nett. A, p. 82

[11]:

Nett-A, p. 82.

[12]:

Vbh, p. 193

[13]:

Ibid, p. 207

[14]:

Vbh, p. 215

[15]:

SN V, p.192

[16]:

SN V, p. 248

[17]:

Vbh, p. 226

[18]:

DN II, p. 199, 120

[19]:

Dialogues of the Buddha II, p. 127