Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Faculties). Faith, diligence, and mindfulness, the first
three, are the preparation for the fourth, dhyana. From
the cultivation of these Five Roots spring:
e. The Five Powers (panca balani) the same as the Five
Roots but apply to a higher level of practice. They are
sometimes treated serially, one factor leading to another
in the Pali Suttas.
f. Following them come the Seven Bodhyangas:
beginning with how to discriminate dharmas
(dharma-pravicaya sambodhyanga) and four other
factors, these first five are preparatory to meditation, the
sixth.
g. Finally, and most important, is the Eightfold Noble
Path (arya asta marga), which should be mentioned in
some detail.
Mr. Chen picked up a red book, Dialogues of the
Buddha, Part III (translation by T. W. Rhys Davids).
Opening this at a turned-down page, he showed the
writer a page of the Sangiti Sutta, where the factors
are grouped according to numerical categories.
Under the "sevens" there are listed, "Seven
Requisites of Concentration" which are none other
than this Path without its last factor, Right
Meditation. Thus the first seven steps are all
preparation for the eighth.
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