The Requisites of Enlightenment

by Ledi Sayadaw

In this treatise, noted Burmese scholar and monk Ledi Sayadaw explains the bodhipakkhiya the 37 requisites of enlightenment. The requisites are comprised of the four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of success, five controlling faculties, five mental powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path. This book is valuable to those interested in understanding the Buddha's teaching at a deeper level, while providing the inspiration to continue walking step-by-step on the path.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

The Venerable Ledi Sayadaw, Aggamahapandita, D. Litt. was an influential Theravada Buddhist monk. He was recognized from a young age as being developed in both the theory (Abhidhamma) and practice of Buddhism and so was revered as being scholarly. He wrote many books on Dhamma in Burmese and these were accessible even to a serious lay person, hence he was responsible for spreading Dhamma to all levels of society and reviving the traditional practice of Vipassanā meditation, making it more available for renunciates and lay people alike.

Reviews

[Arunothia Marappan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're progressing in your practice of Vipassana meditation, this book can act as a great guide and inspiration to further your practice. This book is actually quite intense as a whole, so the relevant chapters should be referred to as and when needed.

Some notes from my reading:

"Any kind of work will be properly and appropriately done only if the person performing it obtains quick mastery over it. It will be improperly done if the work obtains mastery over the person. By 'the work obtaining mastery over the person' is meant that the work is done without real energy, as a result of which no concrete results appear, and as days and months drag on, distaste for meditation) and slackness in body postures appear, leading to sloth. With the appearance of sloth, progress in the work slows down, and with the slowing down of progress, further sloth develops. The idea then appears that it would be better to change the form of the work. Thus constant changes in forms of work occur, and in that way the work obtains mastery over the person lacking energy. "

"In meditative work, quick success is obtained only by one endowed with both bodily and mental energy. From the moment when body contemplation is set up, the energy that develops day by day is bhāvanā viriya, energy developed by meditation, and it is this energy that, in the bodhipakkhiya dhammas, is called the faculty of energy, viriyindriya. It represents the disappearance of sloth and laziness in meditative work and the appearance of enthusiasm and vigor. The mind takes delight in dwelling on objects on which its attention is strong."

"Ordinary Saddha is under the control of cravings.
Ordinary Viriya is under the control of mental laziness."


"These five unwholesome opposing forces are:
1) taṇhā;
2) laziness (kosajja), or inability to take pains (lassitude), or lack of fearlessness in Dhamma practice (paṭipatti),
3) absentmindedness (muṭṭha-sacca),
4) distraction (vikkhepa), and
5) delusion (sammoha).

The five things that can counteract and dispel them are called powers (bala). If any one of these powers is weak and unable to dispel the respective opposite, then meditation, be it tranquility or insight, cannot be very successful as far as neyya individuals are concerned, i.e., those in need of guidance."


"As regards persons deficient in wisdom, the mere performance of good and meritorious acts has to be encouraged as beneficial. But as to those persons who possess wisdom, if they desire to become stable heirs either in this life or the next, then they should establish in themselves firmly ājīvaṭṭhamaka sīla, set up mindful body contemplation and try (for at least three hours a day) to achieve perception of the three characteristics of existence in the five aggregates of 'personality'. If they perceive any of the three characteristics, they can become 'stable' heirs and attain to the status of a stream-enterer."

[Chetan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a jewel of a book! So wonderful!!

Ledi Sayadaw explains very concisely and clearly all the requisites of enlightenment. The dhamma was explained as clearly as possible. There are though some things in here that require a bit of faith to understand. But this is faith must be gained by practice. The problem I'm talking about is the framework of reincarnation and how it fits into the dhamma as a whole. Not understanding the framework of how this current mind, is the fruit of the mind of the past. Meaning the one of the future is the seed that is planted now. This requires understanding karma from within oneself, truly understanding change (anicca) in one of the four mindfulness bases (sati patthana). For those who practice the dhamma, this is book is an invaluable jewel.

[KAMAL]

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