The Tree of Enlightenment

are the keys to self-development, as is clearly reflected in the
thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. is is why it has often
been said that the mind is the most valuable thing we have. e
mind has sometimes been likened to a wish-fulfilling gem, in
that it can grant rebirth in fortunate or unfortunate states. It
is on the basis of mind that one crosses the threshold of conditioned
existence and enters the supramundane states of the
noble ones. It is the mind which determines this, and it does so
through intentional action, or karma – the expressed will of the
mind, which results in the particular conditions in which we
find ourselves.
We can also see the importance of the mind reflected in
the four roads to power (see Chapter 40), which are mental factors
that can affect and control matter. What we need to do is
intensify, cultivate, and elevate the mind. We can see this clearly
when we look at the five factors of absorption or intensification
(jhananga) and the five hindrances (nivarana), two aspects of our
ordinary, mundane consciousness (see Chapter 34). e five hindrances
are typical of very low levels of conscious development,
such as the consciousness of animals, which is saturated with
these factors. e presence of these hindrances means that one’s
mind is totally conditioned and manipulated by various stimuli.
In opposition to these five hindrances are the five factors of
absorption, which are also present even in the consciousness
of animals. e five absorptions counter and eventually eliminate
the five hindrances. us we can reduce the controlling
power of the hindrances to whatever extent we can cultivate the
absorptions.
In a sense, we are standing at a crossroads. All ten factors,
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