THE QUINTESSENCE OF BUDDHIST RIGHTNESS: A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF BODHIPAKKHIYA DHAMMA

Abstract

The Buddha in his last admonishment directed that 37 factors of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dhamma) are the teachings that should be learned, cultivated, developed, and practiced concomitantly for long endurance and welfare of the multitude of the world. These 37 factors (Dhamma) in 7 sets are the epitome of Buddhist Rightness in both Theravāda and Mahāyaāa. Among these factors, the most crucial to learn, cultivate, develop, and practice simultaneously is mindfulness. With developed mindfulness, one regards the essential as ‘essential’ and unessential as ‘unessential’ (sārañ ca sārato ñātvā, asārañca asārato); which is the core of Buddhist philosophy- see things as they truly are (yathā- bhūta dassana). This philosophy was later supported by the Mahayana Buddhist schools as perception is imagination - free and errorless (kalpanāpoḍhambhrāntaṁ pratyaksaṁ). By practicing these 37 factors one can truly realise the central theme of Buddhist moral philosophy – abandon the arisen defilements, prevent the un-risen defilements, develop the un-risen righteousness, and maintain the arisen righteousness. This paper attempts to analyse these 37 factors from the perspective of Buddhist moral philosophy using both Theravāda and Mahāyaāa sources.