The Buddha analyzes the five spiritual faculties—defining faith as conviction in the Buddha's awakening, energy as the four right efforts, mindfulness as the four establishments of mindfulness, immersion as the four absorptions, and wisdom as discerning the four noble truths.

SN 48.11 Gain

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ …pe….

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ? Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro sammappadhāne ārabbha vīriyaṁ paṭilabhati idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ? Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne ārabbha satiṁ paṭilabhati idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhati samādhiṁ, labhati cittassa ekaggataṁ idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni.

“Mendicants, there are these five faculties.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ …pe….

The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ?

And what is the faculty of faith?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ:

It’s when a noble disciple has faith in the Realized One’s awakening:

‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti

‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ.

This is called the faculty of faith.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ?

And what is the faculty of energy?

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro sammappadhāne ārabbha vīriyaṁ paṭilabhati

The energy that’s gained owing to the four right efforts.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ.

This is called the faculty of energy.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ?

And what is the faculty of mindfulness?

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne ārabbha satiṁ paṭilabhati

The mindfulness that’s gained owing to the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ.

This is called the faculty of mindfulness.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ?

And what is the faculty of immersion?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhati samādhiṁ, labhati cittassa ekaggataṁ

It’s when a noble disciple, relying on letting go, gains immersion, gains unification of mind.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ.

This is called the faculty of immersion.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ?

And what is the faculty of wisdom?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā

It’s when a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ.

This is called the faculty of wisdom.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī”ti.

These are the five faculties.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Unification

Unification

Mind becoming single and integrated with the settling down of reflection and examination.

Also known as: unification of mind, being collected, integration, oneness, singleness of mind
Pāli: ekagga, ekodibhāva
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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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