1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" sn.v.71

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: "āvuso bhikkhavo"ti.

"Friend," they replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca: 

2"Friends, there are these seven factors of enlightenment. What seven? The enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of discrimination of states, the enlightenment factor of energy, the enlightenment factor of rapture, the enlightenment factor of tranquillity, the enlightenment factor of concentration, the enlightenment factor of equanimity. These are the seven factors of enlightenment.[n.66] Spk: In this sutta the elder's fruition enlightenment factors (phalabojjhaṅga) are discussed. For when he enters fruition attainment after making the enlightenment factor of mindfulness the key, the other six enlightenment factors follow along; and so for the others. Thus the elder spoke this sutta to show his own mastery over fruition attainment. The simile of the wardrobe just below is also at MN32 (MN I 215,6–15), again spoken by Sāriputta.

2"Sattime, āvuso, bojjhaṅgā. Katame satta? Satisambojjhaṅgo, dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgo, vīriyasambojjhaṅgo, pītisambojjhaṅgo, passaddhisambojjhaṅgo, samādhisambojjhaṅgo, upekkhāsambojjhaṅgo – ime kho, āvuso, satta bojjhaṅgā.

"Whichever of these seven factors of enlightenment I want to dwell in during the morning, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the morning. Whichever I want to dwell in during the middle of the day, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the middle of the day. Whichever I want to dwell in during the evening, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the evening.

Imesaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharāmi; yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ viharāmi; yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi sāyanhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena sāyanhasamayaṁ viharāmi.

"If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of mindfulness,’ it occurs to me, ‘It's measureless’; it occurs to me, ‘It's fully perfected.’ While it persists, I understand, ‘It persists. ’ If it abates in me, I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’ …

Satisambojjhaṅgo iti ce me, āvuso, hoti, ‘appamāṇo’ti me hoti, ‘susamāraddho’ti me hoti, tiṭṭhantañca naṁ ‘tiṭṭhatī’ti pajānāmi. Sacepi me cavati, ‘idappaccayā me cavatī’ti pajānāmi

"If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of equanimity,’ it occurs to me, ‘It's measureless’; it occurs to me, ‘It's fully perfected.’ While it persists, I understand, ‘It persists.’ But if it abates in me, I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’

… pe … upekkhāsambojjhaṅgo iti ce me, āvuso, hoti, ‘appamāṇo’ti me hoti, ‘susamāraddho’ti me hoti, tiṭṭhantañca naṁ ‘tiṭṭhatī’ti pajānāmi. Sacepi me cavati, ‘idappaccayā me cavatī’ti pajānāmi.

3"Suppose, friends, a king or a royal minister had a wardrobe full of differently coloured clothes. Whatever suit he might want to wear in the morning he would wear in the morning. Whatever suit he might want to wear during the middle of the day he would wear during the middle of the day. Whatever suit he might want to wear in the evening he would wear in the evening. sn.v.72 So too, friends, whichever of these seven factors of enlightenment I want to dwell in during the morning … during the middle of the day … during the evening, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the evening.

3Seyyathāpi, āvuso, rañño vā rājamahāmattassa vā nānārattānaṁ dussānaṁ dussakaraṇḍako pūro assa. So yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya pubbaṇhasamayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ pārupeyya; yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ pārupeyya; yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya sāyanhasamayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ sāyanhasamayaṁ pārupeyya. Evameva khvāhaṁ, āvuso, imesaṁ sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharāmi; yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena majjhanhikaṁ samayaṁ viharāmi; yena yena bojjhaṅgena ākaṅkhāmi sāyanhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tena tena bojjhaṅgena sāyanhasamayaṁ viharāmi.

"If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of mindfulness’ … all as above … I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’"

Satisambojjhaṅgo iti ce me, āvuso, hoti, ‘appamāṇo’ti me hoti, ‘susamāraddho’ti me hoti, tiṭṭhantañca naṁ ‘tiṭṭhatī’ti pajānāmi. Sacepi me cavati, ‘idappaccayā me cavatī’ti pajānāmi … pe … upekkhāsambojjhaṅgo iti ce me, āvuso, hoti, ‘appamāṇo’ti me hoti, ‘susamāraddho’ti me hoti, tiṭṭhantañca naṁ ‘tiṭṭhatī’ti pajānāmi. Sacepi me cavati, ‘idappaccayā me cavatī’ti pajānāmī"ti.

Catutthaṁ.