The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation of the truth, energy, rapture, tranquility, concentration and equanimity. So, we have three concepts from the Five Spiritual Faculties and four that seem new but have actually already been touched on to some degree. The order here is closely related to the stages of something called “The Progress of Insight,” which is like a map of standard stages through which diligent insight meditators pass in cycles. This connection is a fairly advanced topic that will be explored later.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment might be regarded as a pyramid with mindfulness as the base and each factor supporting and helping create the other. However, every factor is also important at every stage as well, so we will look into each of these and see what they can tell us.

MCTB Mindfulness as First Factor of Enlightenment