The Buddha teaches mendicants the unconditioned—defined as the ending of greed, hate, and delusion—and declares faculties to be the path that leads to the unconditioned, urging them to practice absorption without negligence.

SN 43.8 Faculties

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? Pañcindriyāni. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo …pe….

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo?

“And what is the path that leads to the unconditioned?

Pañcindriyāni. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo …pe….

The five faculties. …”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026