In Buddhism, the (Pali; variant spellings include and ; Skt.: ) are qualities () conducive or related to () awakening/understanding (), i.e. the factors and wholesome qualities which are developed when the mind is trained ().
In the Pali commentaries, the term is used to refer to seven sets of such qualities regularly attributed to the Buddha throughout the Pali Canon. Within these seven sets of -related qualities, there is listed a total of thirty-seven repetitious and interrelated qualities ().
These seven sets of qualities are recognized by both Theravadan and Mahayanan Buddhists as complementary facets of the Buddhist path to.
In the Pali Canon's BhÃÂvanÃÂnuyutta sutta ("Mental Development Discourse," AN 7.67), the Buddha is recorded as saying:
Elsewhere in the Canon, and in numerous places in the ÃÂgamas of other early schools, these seven sets of thirty-seven qualities conducive to Enlightenment are enumerated as:
In the Pali Canon's Nettipakaraá¹Âa (Netti 112) forty-three qualities connected with awakening () are mentioned which, according to the commentaries, include the aforementioned thirty-seven plus the following six contemplations (also found in the suttas, e.g. Saá¹ gëti Sutta D iii 251)
A sutta found in The Senior Collection of GandhÃÂran Buddhist texts ascribes forty one instead of thirty seven beneficial dharmas. The Gandharan text includes which the Pali tradition does not. Salomon notes this forty one numbered list appears in both a Chinese translation of the Dirghagama which current scholarship believes to be of the Dharmaguptaka school of Buddhism and a Chinese translation of the Dharmaguptaka vinaya.
The technical term, , explicitly referring to the seven sets of qualities identified above, is first encountered in the Pali commentaries; nonetheless, the seven sets of are themselves first collated, enumerated, and referenced in the Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka.
In the Digha NikÃÂya<nowiki/>'s famed Maha-parinibbana Sutta (DN 16), which recounts the Buddha's last days, in the Buddha's last address to his assembly of followers he states:<blockquote>Now, O bhikkhus, I say to you that these teachings of which I have direct knowledge and which I have made known to youâÂÂthese you should thoroughly learn, cultivate, develop, and frequently practice, that the life of purity may be established and may long endure, for the welfare and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, well being, and happiness of gods and men. And what, bhikkhus, are these teachings? They are the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four constituents of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path. These, bhikkhus, are the teachings of which I have direct knowledge, which I have made known to you, and which you should thoroughly learn, cultivate, develop, and frequently practice....</blockquote>In the Majjhima NikÃÂya<nowiki/>'s "Greater Discourse to SakuludÃÂyin" (MN 77), when asked why his disciples venerated him, the Buddha identified five qualities he possessed: highest virtues (); highest knowledge and vision (); highest wisdom (); his explanation of the Four Noble Truths (); and, his identification of numerous ways to develop wholesome states. The Buddha's elaboration of the last item included the seven sets of thirty-seven which are enumerated individually in this discourse.
In the Samyutta Nikaya, the fifth division's first seven chapters are each devoted to one of the . While there is a great deal of repetition among these chapters' discourses, these seven chapters include almost 900 discourses.
In the Anguttara Nikaya<nowiki/>'s "UpajjhÃÂyasuttaá¹Â" (AN 5.6.6), the Buddha recommends five things for a monk to overcome spiritual hindrances: control mental faculties; eat the right amount of food; maintain wakefulness; be aware of merit; and, develop the throughout the day.
In the Khuddaka NikÃÂya, the are mentioned at Iti. 82, Th. 900, and Nett. 31, 112, 197, 237, 240 and 261.
The are mentioned in several passages of the Abhidhamma, such as at Vbh. sections 571 and 584.
In terms of Pali commentaries, the are also mentioned in Dhammapada-Aá¹Âá¹Âhakathà(DhA i.230), SuttanipÃÂta-Aá¹Âá¹Âhakathà(SnA 164), and JÃÂtaka-Aá¹Âá¹Âhakathà(J i.275, iii.290, and v.483).
In the Visuddhimagga, Buddhaghosa enumerates the seven sets of along with a relevant Sutta Pitaka discourse (Vism. XXII.33), describes each set (Vism. XXII.34-38), and describes their existence in the consciousness of an arahant (Vism. XXII.39-40). In addition, Buddhaghosa factors the 37 qualities in a manner so as to describe fourteen non-redundant qualities (Vism. XXII.40-43); thus, for instance, while nine qualities (zeal, consciousness, joy, tranquility, equanimity, intention, speech, action, livelihood) are mentioned only once in the full list of 37 qualities, the other five qualities are mentioned multiple times. Table 1 below identifies the five qualities spanning multiple sets.