Table 2.
Five mental hindrances, five mental attributes, and seven mental factors of enlightenment associated with the development of ACAM-J. The five mental hindrances are characterized by framing responses to and evaluation of external stimuli are framed in relation to a sense of “self” and are obstacles to the success of experiencing ACAM-J. In contrast, the five mental factors and seven mental factors of enlightenment are mental qualities that are said to help the meditator maintains focus on the meditation object.
| Category | Factor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Five mental hindrances | Sensual desire (kāmacchanda) | Attending to the phenomenology of the five senses |
| Ill will (vyāpāda) | Broad general term for negative mental contents such as self-deprecation, rumination, and anxiety | |
| Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha) | State of lethargy and drowsiness that hinders attention to the meditation object | |
| Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca) | State of mind wandering and remorse Restlessness is a state of mind wandering while remorse is a state of worry or regret from past wrongdoing |
|
| Doubt (vicikiccha) | Lack of confidence in the teacher, teachings, and oneself | |
| Five mental attributes | Faith (saddhā) | Strong faith in the teachings |
| Effort (vīriya) | Strong effort | |
| Mindfulness (sati) | Strong mindfulness on the meditation objects | |
| Concentration (samādhi) | Strong concentration on the meditation objects | |
| Wisdom (paññā) | Understanding about the meditation objects | |
| Seven mental factors of enlightenment | Mindfulness (sati) | Remembers the meditation object and discerns it repeatedly |
| Investigation of phenomena (dhamma-vicaya) | Understands the meditation object comprehensively | |
| Effort (vīriya) | Brings the enlightenment factors together and balances them on the meditation object | |
| Bliss (pīti) | Gladness of the mind | |
| Tranquility (passaddhi) | Tranquility of the mind and associated mental factors | |
| Concentration (samādhi) | One-pointedness of the mind on the meditation object | |
| Equanimity (upekkhā) | Evenness of the mind that neither becomes excited nor withdraws from the meditation object |