Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (七覺分)
The Buddha is an enlightened being. Our goal in learning Buddhism is to be enlightened. The more enlightened we are, the less confusion we will have. Then we gain the factor of ease and abide in the factor of joy. This is what we are seeking.
To gain the factors of enlightenment, we must reduce our delusions. Once we reduce delusions, won’t we be carefree and content? If we can remain carefree and content, we will have the joy of enlightenment, which is the state all Buddhists aspire to attain. So now ,let us discuss the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.
The Seven Factors [Branches] of Enlightenment are the Factor of Discernment; the Factor of Diligence; the Factor of Joy; the Factor of Elimination; the Factor of Renunciation; the Factor of Samadhi; and the Factor of Though.
There are seven factors of enlightenment. Factors means component. They are seven methods that help us remain firm in our spiritual cultivation. If the Roots and Powers are strong, then our minds remain clear and not deluded. These seven methods help us stay on the right track.
The first is the Factor of Discernment. Discernment means to differentiate between the true Dharma and the false. We have already discussed many ways to distinguish between them, as well as ways to know if we are on the right track or not. Are we are on the right path of spiritual cultivation or not? We should already be clear about this. It all depends on our discerning choices. We must choose the right way and avoid the wrong; we must choose the true Dharma, not the false. This is the Branch of Discernment. To clarify, the Factor of Discernment can also be called the Branch of Discernment. It means choosing the true Dharma to enlighten us. Therefore, it is called the Branch of Discernment.
The second factor is the Factor of Diligence. Factor and Branch have the same meaning. We have previously referred to them as the Seven Branches of Enlightenment. The Seven Factors and Seven Branches are the same. The Factor of Diligence is also the Branch of Diligence, which means “to diligently practice all the teachings.”
Everyone knows that when each day is over, our life is shorter by one day. Yesterday’s life was different from today’s. Compared to yesterday, we have one less day to live. How many days are left in our future? No one knows. Now that we have chosen the right way, we need to diligently practice it. Do not let your life go by in vain. The Factor of Diligence means to practice all teachings without becoming indolent.
The third factor is the Factor of Joy. The Factor of Joy means that in realizing genuine Dharma, joy arises. We often mention the Dharma-joy of meditation. Every day when we make offerings to the Buddha, we recite, “The Dharma-joy of meditation is nourishment.” This joy is nourishment for our life and nourishment for our spiritual journey. Joy nurtures our Wisdom-life so that we can develop wisdom. If we always feel at ease, then our Wisdom-life is healthy. And when we are constantly filled with joy, our Wisdom-life can develop.
What can damage our Wisdom-life? Afflictions. What are afflictions? They are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. Because of greed, our minds lose focus and wander. Once a thought of greed arises, we recklessly pursue what we desire, thus creating negative karma.
When a thought of anger arises, our minds lose balance and peace. And when an ignorant thought arises, our minds become obscured, unable to distinguish right from wrong. This is all ignorance. If we become arrogant, looking down on others and overly valuing ourselves, we create negative affinities with people. How can we be happy if we have bad relationships with others?
The next is doubt.
Because of doubt, you stop following the true Dharma and fall into decline. These five afflictions in our minds destroy our Wisdom-life. So we if want to attain Dharma-joy, we must eradicate these afflictions. If we realize the Dharma, our minds will merge with it, and the teachings will enter our hearts. Once the Dharma is in our minds and applied to our daily life, we will never be apart from the Dharma. We call this “realization of the true Dharma.”
Do you think we can truly integrate the Dharma in our daily living? Yes, we can, even while working. Zen masters always say that all things are meditation, whether we are carrying firewood, fetching water, drinking tea or eating. What kind of mindset do we have in our daily life? If we apply the mind of Buddha in our daily living, everything is Buddha-Dharma to us. So we have to be mindful in our practice and put the teachings into action in our daily living. This is called the realization of the true Dharma. The Dharma will be a part of our body and mind. Once we do this, we can attain Dharma-joy and be very joyful. It is called the Dharma-joy of meditation. When the mind is immersed in the Dharma, the mind can maintain its concentration.
We have discusses the Root of Samadhi and the Root of Faith before. With the Root of Samadhi and the Root of Faith, the Root and Power of Wisdom arise. So please keep this in mind. From the Five Roots and the Five Powers, to the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, we should have a clear understanding of how to attain enlightenment, how to be joyful, how to remain unwavering in dealing with things, and how to always remain in the joy of meditation. All of these are referred to as Dharma-joy, which nurtures our Wisdom-life.
The fourth factor is the Factor of Elimination. To eliminate means to get rid of things. What should we eliminate? We should eliminate all afflictions. As we have discussed earlier, to attain Dharma-joy in our Wisdom-life, we must “eliminate all views that cause afflictions” such as View of Self, of Sentient Beings, etc. Those views and perspectives lead our minds to discriminate. Discriminative thoughts and views cause confusion in our minds. In order to attain enlightenment, we must first eliminate afflictions. So the Factor of Elimination is eliminating all the views that cause afflictions.
The fifth is the Factor of Renunciation. Renunciation means letting go; letting go of our attachment to views. I often say that in order to move ahead, we must let go of our last step to take the next. Yesterday’s affairs have passed, so why we still cling to them? They are already in the past and completely gone. What can be done? What can be achieved? There is no need to dwell on yesterday. Even if there were afflictions, they have passed. Even if there was joy or pride, they, too, are in the past, so we should let go of lingering thoughts. Do not hang on to personal gains or losses. Things from the past should not be kept in our minds. The world follows the laws of nature, so we should strive to gain realization. Good and bad affinities, as well as good and bad deeds, are all karmic seeds that we carry with us from our past lives. As we meet new people, joy-will arise in us, and others will have the same feeling about us. They may help us, or we may help them. This mutual harmony and willingness to joyfully help one another is caused by the merits that we have accumulated in the past.
We should always be grateful. As for those who we love so dearly, can we keep them with us forever? No. The Buddha told us that there are Eight Sufferings. Besides birth, aging, illness and death, there is separation from loved ones, meeting those we hate, unfulfilled desires, etc. [These comprise the Eight Sufferings.] Think about it, during our life time, who is free of these Eight Sufferings? When we encounter suffering, there is no need to cling to it and not let go. Let the past be the past. Otherwise, it is an attachment. If we could just let go and not let past conditions remain in our thoughts, our minds would be free and at ease. Otherwise, the suffering of meeting those we hate, being apart from those we love, and not being able to get what we desire will cause us much suffering. if we always hold on, it can bring us unspeakable pain. So we must let go of attachments.
The sixth is the factor of Samadhi. We speak of Samadhi every day. Indeed, our minds must be at ease and stable. Starting with the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts, Four Basses of Spiritual Power, Five Roots and Five Powers, none of these can be practiced without Samadhi. Samadhi means to have an unshakable mind. If we can remain focused in choosing what is right regardless of our surrounding conditions, our minds will not lose focus. Then, we can progress from a mundane existence to reach Buddhahood. If your mind is unfocused, it means the state of Samadhi is not strong enough and you may easily go astray. Temptation lures us away, and delusions continue to arise in our minds. Then the five Root Afflictions and many kinds of Branch Ignorance repeatedly arise. So Samadhi is very important. We cannot reach enlightenment without Samadhi.
The seventh is the Factor of Thought. Once we have Samadhi, our thoughts and intentions can be correct. Our minds should remain in absolute stillness with tranquility and clarity. That is the foundation of our spiritual practice. When our state of mind remains pure and clean our vow can be as vast as the universe and unwavering for countless eons. That is our spiritual practice. That is the Factor of thought. We must think about all the teachings we practice.
The nature of life is suffering. So we must let go of all afflictions. Let go of clinging thoughts, and let your mind be stable. It all depends on your thoughts being correct. Look at how everyone in Tzu Chi walks the Bodhisattva-path. On the Bodhisattva-path, we must be diligently devoted to our practice. We seek the Buddha-Dharma. The Path of the Buddha is the Right Dharma and is a very broad and wide path. We must diligently pursue the path to enlightenment, the path to Buddhahood. We also continue to help sentient beings transform. So we seek Buddha’s way and help sentient beings. This is our duty.
Thus, we must get involved in the community to help enlighten others. The Buddha came to this world to free sentient beings from suffering. He expounded the Dharma in a variety of ways. As ordinary people, we must accept the Buddha’s teachings and learn how to carry on His missions. As we learn the Dharma, we must also teach it to others. The Buddha left the world over 2,000 years ago. How do we carry on His missions? How do we enter the community to dispel the afflictions of sentient beings? How do we help all beings eliminate confusion? We do so by following by Buddha’s teachings.
When we see people suffering due to a lack of material necessities, we lend a helping hand and give them material goods to relieve their worries. As Living Bodhisattvas, we go to where there are people in need, and witness a world full of suffering. We should learn to recognize our blessings through witnessing their hardship. These are the Seven Branches of Enlightenment. We must always be mindful of the Factors of Discernment, Diligence, Joy, Elimination, Renunciation, Samadhi and Thought, also called the Seven Factors of Bodhi. We must learn from each other. Please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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