Library
The largest free library in the world. Free. No Ads. No AI.
Events
The world’s top experts, live every day
Retreats
Get away with a Teacher
Browse retreatsJoin thousands
Explore a Challenge
The Seven Factors Of Awakening. Capacities And States That Drive Us To Awakening
With Stephen FulderIn this class, we will introduce all the Factors of Awakening, the bojjhangas, as capacities which we develop through spiritual practice. We will explain the sources of the Seven Factors in classical Theravada Buddhist practice, and continue with their relevance to our practice and development. They are changes to our mind and body, our personality, and how we look at the world. Our practice builds these new and beautiful capacities or qualities and awakening happens because of them not so much because of certain experiences we have on the way. We will explore each of the factors or aspects in each class. They include mindfulness/clarity/presence (Sati), investigation/ deepening/discovery (Dharmavicaya), energy/motivation/effort (Viriya), joy/rapture/well-being (Pitti), calm/steadiness/serenity (Passadhi), concentration/focus/absorption (Samadhi) and equanimity/limitlessness/realization (Upekkha). These are spiritual stepping stones, blessed states of mind and heart, though they do not necessarily develop in a linear fashion.
Discover the Seven Factors of Awakening—mindfulness, joy, and calm—to guide your journey toward enlightenment.
About this course
In this class, we will introduce all the Factors of Awakening, the bojjhangas, as capacities which we develop through spiritual practice. We will explain the sources of the Seven Factors in classical Theravada Buddhist practice, and continue with their relevance to our practice and development. They are changes to our mind and body, our personality, and how we look at the world. Our practice builds these new and beautiful capacities or qualities and awakening happens because of them not so much because of certain experiences we have on the way. We will explore each of the factors or aspects in each class. They include mindfulness/clarity/presence (Sati), investigation/ deepening/discovery (Dharmavicaya), energy/motivation/effort (Viriya), joy/rapture/well-being (Pitti), calm/steadiness/serenity (Passadhi), concentration/focus/absorption (Samadhi) and equanimity/limitlessness/realization (Upekkha). These are spiritual stepping stones, blessed states of mind and heart, though they do not necessarily develop in a linear fashion.
Meet your Teacher
Stephen is a senior spiritual teacher who is one of the pioneers who has brought Buddhist practice to the West. He has been practicing for nearly 50 years since his time in India in 1976 and is the founder and senior teacher of the leading Buddhist practice organisation in Israel. He has been teaching many kinds of meditative and Buddhist practices and teachings to many thousands of people during the last 30 years, in classes, online events and a large number of retreats. He has emphasized how to bring the extensive dharma tools and insights into the most challenging of circumstances and has had years of experience in peacemaking in the Middle East. His published books include The Five Powers and How To Thrive in Hard Times: A Buddhist Manual.