The Buddha’s Seven Systems and Thirty-Seven Practices

They are the methods of training and practices to gain the knowledge of Nirvana.
They are called either “Shichika Sanjushichidohon” or “Sanjushichi Bodaibumpo” in Japanese.
They consist of seven kinds of systems and thirty-seven curricula to gain the sacred knowledge.
In the Agon Sutras that the Buddha taught, there are sutras and scriptures describing Nirvana.
Furthermore, one can even discover the ways to train and practice in order to gain the knowledge of Nirvana. These methods of training and practice are called the Seven Systems and Thirty-Seven Practices, consisting of seven courses and thirty-seven subjects. Kiriyama Kancho refers to them as the “Seven Systems and Thirty-Seven Curricula to gain the sacred knowledge.”
Most people know only Mahayana Buddhism and very few are aware that such Buddhist sutra exists.
This particular description is taken from the Kinti Sutta, which is sutra 103 of the Majjhjma Nikafya of the Pali Canon.
The Buddha says:
“So, bhikkhus, these things I have taught you after directly knowing them- that is, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right kinds of striving, the four bases for spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven enlightenment factors, the Noble Eightfold Path- in these things you should all train in concord, with mutual appreciation, without dispute.”
Abhidharma Buddhists organized the numerous practices taught in the early sutras into a classification they called the "Thirty-Seven Kinds of Practices for Attaining Nirvana" or the “Seven Systems and Thirty-Seven Practices Conducive to Enlightenment.” In Japanese, this classification is termed Shichika Sanjushichidohon.

 

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (cattari satipatthanani)

An old translation of this was the Four Fields of Mindfulness. Similarly, they have been called Contemplation of the Four Fields of Mindfulness. These are four kinds of contemplation, or the four meditation techniques conducive to attaining Buddhahood. They are the foundation of mindfulness of the body, of feelings, the mind and of phenomena.
In practice, one contemplates and meditates that:

  • the body is impure,
  • feelings are suffering,
  • the mind is impermanent,
  • phenomena are devoid of independent existence.

We contemplate and meditate on the notion that our body is impure. We contemplate and meditate on the notion that all our feelings are suffering. We contemplate and meditate on the notion that our minds are impermanent. We contemplate and meditate on the notion that all phenomena are devoid of self.

 

The Four Right Efforts (cattaro sammappadhanani)

An old translation of this term is the Four Right Kinds of Striving. These are the four practices of effort to eradicate evil, to produce good, to augment good and to prevent evil.

  • The practice of effort to eradicate evil is trying to eliminate the evil that has already arisen. This elimination must be repeated many times.
  • The practice of effort to produce good is trying to produce good that has not yet arisen.
  • The practice of effort to augment good is trying to increase and improve the good that has already arisen.
  • The practice of effort to prevent evil is trying to prevent the evil that has not yet occurred from arising.

 

The Four Bases of Spiritual Power (cattaro iddhipada)

It has also been translated as the Four Bases of Transcendental Knowledge. These are the practice methods that endow one with divine siddhi.

  • The spiritual power of the concentration of will is the possession of unobstructed freedom in relation to the material world.
  • The spiritual power of the concentration of effort is the possession of unobstructed freedom in relation to karma.
  • The spiritual power of the concentration of mind is the possession of unobstructed freedom in relation to the spiritual (non-material) world.
  • The spiritual power of the concentration of investigation into the principle of reality is the power to enter into the highest dhyana through attaining ultimate wisdom.

 

The Five Faculties (panca-jndrlyani)

The Five Faculties, or Five Roots, are the faculty of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. Faculty is an ability you have free use of. The practices that produce the profound faculties which lead to Nirvana are faith in the Three Jewels (the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha), diligence, mindfulness, concentration (meditation) and wisdom.

 

The Five Powers (panca balani)

The Five Powers are of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom (or the power of knowledge). These are the practices that endow us with the five highest powers to achieve Nirvana. The Five Powers have the same virtues as the Five Faculties, however the faculties are more basic than these five excellent powers with the latter signifying a greater measure of advancement on the path. They can be viewed, therefore, as differing in degree but not in kind.

 

The Seven Enlightenment Factors (satta bojjhanga)

The Seven Factors are the factor of investigation of the dharma, the factor of effort, joy, tranquility, detachment, concentration and mindfulness. These are the seven practices that lead to Nirvana.

  • The factor of investigation of the dharma means the practice of distinguishing the true doctrine from the false doctrine.
  • The factor of effort is the practice of diligently maintaining one's concentrated effort with no backsliding.
  • The factor of joy is the practice of rejoicing in the study and application of the true dharma.
  • The factor of tranquility is the practice of eliminating procrastination and sluggishness and attaining a state of brightness and relaxation in one's body and mind.
  • The factor of detachment is the practice of achieving balance and securing serenity of mind by divorcing it from bias, hatred and attachment. It is the practice of detaching one's thoughts from external objects.
  • The factor of concentration is the practice of attaining a concentrated mind during both the activities of meditation and those of daily life.
  • The factor of mindfulness is the practice of maintaining equilibrium of thought.

 

The Noble Eightfold Path (ariya-atthangika-magga)

  • Right view: correct view, the correct way of looking at things. This refers to the correct view of the world and of human nature according to Buddhism.
  • Right thought: the correct way of thinking, the right mental attitude. Right thought is to always think correctly about one's situation, to decide on the best course.
  • Right speech: correct speaking, the activity of right language.
  • Right action: the correct activity of the physical body.
  • Right livelihood: the correct way of conducting our lives. Livelihood here means lifestyle or way of living.
  • Right effort: correct striving, right courage.
  • Right mindfulness: correct awareness, right consciousness and correct consideration.
  • Right concentration: correct dhyafna or states of meditative absorption.

We can divide these seven systems and thirty-seven practices further into the categories of:

  1. meditation
  2. practice
  3. tapas (intensive spiritual exercises).

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Five Faculties belong to the category of meditation. The Four Right Efforts, the Five Powers, the Seven Enlightenment Factors, and the Noble Eightfold Path fall into the categories of meditation and practice. The Four Bases of Spiritual Power belong to the category of tapas. This level of spiritual power is what we have been referring to as divine siddhi or supernatural power. They teach four kinds of practices on how to gain supernatural power.