The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

w 58tects the mind and keeps the object of meditation from being lost.That is why mindfulness appears to one discerning it, with insightknowledge, as that which protects the object of meditation and alsothe mind of the meditator. Without mindfulness a person is unable tolift up the mind or restrain the mind. So that is why the Buddha hastaught that it is useful everywhere. (See also Vsm IV, 48. MahŒÊ´ka1, 150-154.)Balancing The Seven Factors Of Enlightenment.It is also important to balance the seven factors of enlightenmentin order to achieve jhŒna using mindfulness of breathing.1. The enlightenment factor of mindfulness (sati) is the mindfulnesswhich remembers the paÊibhŒga nimitta and discerns itagain and again.2. The enlightenment factor of investigation of dhamma(dhammavicaya) is the penetrative understanding of thepaÊibhŒga nimitta.3. The enlightenment factor of effort (v´riya) is the effort to bring theenlightenment factors together and balance them on the paÊibhŒganimitta, especially the effort to develop the enlightenment factorsof investigation of dhamma and the enlightenment factor ofeffort.4. The enlightenment factor of joy (p´ti) is the gladness of the mindwith the experience of the paÊibhŒga nimitta.5. The enlightenment factor of calm (passadhi) is the calmness ofthe mind and mental factors that have the paÊibhŒga nimitta astheir object.6. The enlightenment factor of concentration (samŒdhi) is theonepointedness of the mind on the object of the paÊibhŒga nimitta.7. The enlightenment factor of equanimity (upekkhŒ) is the evennessof mind which becomes neither excited or withdraws fromthe object of the paÊibhŒga nimitta.