The seven awakening factors (bojjaṅga) are a set of psychological qualities that, when developed and cultivated, lead directly to awakening and the end of suffering. They are part of the "37 qualities leading to awakening" and focus on the psychology of contemplation.

1. Mindfulness (sati): Includes the recollection of teachings and a continuous, sustained awareness of both internal and external phenomena.
2. Investigation of principles (dhammavicaya): The wisdom element that involves exploring and inquiring into the teachings and the nature of one's own experience.
3. Energy (viriya): Both physical and mental effort used to give up unskillful qualities and embrace skillful ones.
4. Rapture (pīti): An experience of uplifting joy and spiritual exhilaration that arises as the mind becomes peaceful in meditation.
5. Tranquility (passaddhi): The calming of both the body and the mind, which often follows the experience of rapture.
6. Immersion (samādhi): The unification of the mind through deep meditative stillness, specifically the four jhānas.
7. Equanimity (upekkhā): A state of brilliant, radiant awareness and mental poise that allows the meditator to watch over the mind without interference.

The awakening factors fit into the spiritual path through a sequential process of nourishment:

• Foundation in Ethics and Mindfulness: The factors rest on a foundation of well-purified ethics. The practice of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation (satipaṭṭhāna) is the primary engine that fulfills the awakening factors.
• The Chain Reaction: The factors are intended to be developed in order, as each serves as fuel for the next. For example, when a mendicant is mindful, they can investigate principles; as they investigate, energy is roused; when energetic, rapture arises; through rapture, the body becomes tranquil; through tranquility, one feels bliss and the mind reaches immersion; and an immersed mind allows for steady equanimity.
• Balancing the Mind: Practically, these factors are used to regulate the mind’s energy:

The sources describe these factors as "creators of vision and knowledge". Unlike the five hindrances—which are described as "parasites" or "corruptions of the heart" that block wisdom—the awakening factors allow for the shattering of the masses of greed, hate, and delusion. They are the active qualities that transform conceptual understanding into liberating insight, allowing a practitioner to truly see the four noble truths and reach the "unshakable freedom of heart".

Analogy for Balancing the Factors: The Buddha compared balancing these factors to starting or extinguishing a fire. If you want to make a small, sluggish fire flare up, you do not throw wet grass and water on it; you add dry timber and blow on it. Conversely, if you want to extinguish a great, restless mass of fire, you do not add more fuel; you throw on wet grass and spray it with water. In the same way, the meditator uses the specific awakening factors to either ignite a dull mind or cool a restless one.

The Seven FactorsPractical Implementation in the PathWhy They Are Essential