Mindfulness of Breathing
Balancing the Seven Factors of Enlightenment
If one is to achieve jhàna using mindfulness-of-breathing, it is also important to balance the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. They are:
- The Enlightenment Factor of Mindfulness (sati), which is the mindfulness that remembers the pañibhàga-nimitta, and discerns it again and again.
- The Enlightenment Factor of Investigation of Phenomena (dhammavicaya), which is the penetrative understanding of the pañibhàga-nimitta.
- The Enlightenment Factor of Effort (vãriya), which is the effort to bring the enlightenment factors together, and balance them on the pañibhàga-nimitta; especially the effort to further strengthen the Enlightenment Factor of Investigation of Phenomena, and the Enlightenment Factor of Effort itself.
- The Enlightenment Factor of Joy (pãti), which is the gladness of the mind when experiencing the pañibhàga-nimitta.
- The Enlightenment Factor of Tranquillity (passaddhi), which is the calmness of the mind and mental-concomitants that have the pañibhàga-nimitta as their object.