Mindfulness, Investigation of Mind Objects, Energy, Joy, Tranquility, Concentration, Equanimity. How to reflect on them? Well, take each one, for example, mindfulness - we can reflect about the qualities of mindfulness and how to develop them. When we look at mindfulness we are talking about the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, understanding what mindfulness is. Investigation, this is wisdom. We can reflect that mindfulness also needs the quality of investigation, wisdom, so that we can start to understand the nature of whatever mindfulness focuses on. Investigation of mental of objects is particularly encouraged here because we are investigating into the laws of the body and the mind. Energy, as far as energy goes, we have to know what helps with the arising of energy, and how it also needs to be balanced with the tranquility factor of enlightenment. So, when looking at energy, it brings to mind the Four Great Efforts: the effort to prevent, the effort to let go, the effort to develop, and the effort to maintain.
Energy is helped by joy, so we have to know how to bring up joyful objects of meditation, confidence-inspiring objects of meditation brings joy. Yet energy and joy need to be balanced, as we may get too agitated so we need tranquility. Tranquility is the balancing agent for energy and joy. However if we have too much tranquility then we lose mindfulness and we go into sloth and torpor. So, too much tranquility can mean not enough mindfulness, we need these balanced. Yet if we are investigating all the time we get agitated so we need the tranquility factor of enlightenment.
The understanding of how these factors of enlightenment need to be balanced is very important. Concentration, concentration and mindfulness also need to be balanced. Too much concentration goes into too much tranquility and the mind may go into "sinking" mind. So, we need concentration, energy, and mindfulness balanced. Equanimity, we need a certain amount of equanimity to have mindfulness. We also need a certain amount of equanimity to have objective awareness. So, it is a factor of mind that allows us to have objective awareness. It is also a result of wisdom and mindfulness, because without enough equanimity we can not actually be objective, we can not actually investigate, and without the deepening of wisdom it is difficult to develop this equanimity to higher levels. Then the effort to develop comes in at this point.
So, they are all interrelated, you can reflect about how they are interrelated to each other, how they need to be balanced by each other, and how these factors of enlightenment come to be and what methods help them come to be. In the fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, the Buddha says to know when they are present, to know when they are not present, to see how the factors of enlightenment arise, and if they are not there to see how they are brought about. So we have to know the techniques that bring them about, and if they are present to know how to strengthen them.
However, in order to be able to reflect on the Seven Factors of Enlightenment we have to know them. So, that brings an interesting Sutta to mind, the Canki Sutta, where it's recorded the Buddha taught that through respect we go and listen to the teacher. When we listen to the teacher, we hear the Dhamma, we memorize the Dhamma, and then we contemplate on its meaning. This helps energy and zeal arise until finally we practice and control ourselves, and finally we arrive at the truth. It is a very interesting way of investigating, where we actually have to sometimes memorize these things so we can reflect on their meaning. This is part of developing more wisdom, energy, and zeal.