Lord Buddha identified the seven factors of enlightenment as concentration, energy, equanimity, investigation, joy, mindfulness and relaxation. All the seven factors lead to enlightenment and are clearly described by the Buddha in the Buddhism.
Enlightenment is the state of being enlightened. It is used to signify wisdom (also known as insight into the true nature of reality), knowledge, blowing out of disturbing emotions and desires (also known as nirvana or liberation); and the subsequent freedom.
The mind returns to its original condition of non-attachment, non-discrimination, and non-duality. The Lord Buddha is believed to have achieved full enlightenment.
The state of being full enlightened is known as the perfect Buddha-hood.
Buddha hood is one of the important virtues attributed to the Buddha. It is the moral quality being perfectly self-awakened. While attaining a concentration of the mind or meditation (a series of cultivated states of mind) which leads to the state of perfect awareness, Buddha attained three knowledge which helped him to achieve full enlightenment.
Those Knowledge are- Insight into his past lives, Insight into the workings of Karma and Reincarnation, Insight into the Four Noble Truths i.e. the universality of suffering, the cause of suffering, the solution of suffering and the path to overcoming suffering. The path to overcoming suffering consists of eight noble paths which are known as the Noble Eightfold Path.
Various factors of Enlightenment
Concentration- One's mind becomes one-pointed and still during concentration. One of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path is also known as concentration. When the person remains conscious, the mind becomes still. During concentration, an individual trains the mind to realize some benefit like promoting life force, relaxation and developing compassion. To observe insight into the changing flow of experience is also one of the benefits of concentration.Energy- It is defined as a positive effort to overcome unskillful ways. It is also the wholesome actions which are a necessary prerequisite for gaining liberation. The other words describing energy are enthusiasm, diligence, sustained effort, etc. It is usually associated with virility and heroism.
Equanimity- It is the purest mental stage cultivated on the path to enlightenment which is also defined as the stability in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune. In Buddhism, it is also known as the freedom from all points of self-reference.
Investigation- It is normally defined as the analysis of qualities or searching the truth. It is one of the important factors of enlightenment which is implied to overcome things from the craving. The investigation of doctrine is also termed as the investigation factor of enlightenment.
Mindfulness- The strong mindfulness is required to gain enlightenment which is also known as the balancing factor. It is also defined as the awareness which manifests the state of confronting an objective field. The strong perception is the proximate cause of the mindfulness. Retention and inspection also define the mindfulness.
Relaxation- Relaxation of both the mind and body is also required to gain the enlightenment state. It is the meditative absorptions which are defined as the tranquility of body, mind, speech, and consciousness on the path to enlightenment.