The Buddha describes the five powers—faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom—and teaches that wisdom is the chief power that holds and binds the others together.
“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, balāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhābalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, satibalaṁ, samādhibalaṁ, paññābalaṁ— imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balāni. Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ paññābalaṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kūṭāgārassa etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ kūṭaṁ. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ balānaṁ etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ paññābalan”ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, balāni.
“Mendicants, there are these five powers.
Katamāni pañca?
What five?
Saddhābalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, satibalaṁ, samādhibalaṁ, paññābalaṁ—
The powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.
imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balāni.
These are the five powers.
Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ paññābalaṁ.
Of these five powers, the power of wisdom is the chief. It holds and binds everything together.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kūṭāgārassa etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ kūṭaṁ.
It’s like a bungalow. The roof-peak is the chief point, which holds and binds everything together.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ balānaṁ etaṁ aggaṁ etaṁ saṅgāhikaṁ etaṁ saṅghātaniyaṁ, yadidaṁ paññābalan”ti.
In the same way, of these five powers, the power of wisdom is the chief. It holds and binds everything together.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026