The Buddha teaches on the five spiritual faculties regarding endowed, guiding mendicants in developing faith through wisdom on the path to liberation.

SN 48.19 Endowed

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“‘Indriyasampanno, indriyasampanno’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, indriyasampanno hotī”ti?

“Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu saddhindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, satindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, samādhindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, paññindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ. Ettāvatā kho, bhikkhu, bhikkhu indriyasampanno hotī”ti.

Navamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“‘Indriyasampanno, indriyasampanno’ti, bhante, vuccati.

“Sir, they speak of someone who is ‘accomplished in the faculties’.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, indriyasampanno hotī”ti?

How is someone accomplished in the faculties defined?”

“Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu saddhindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, satindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, samādhindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ, paññindriyaṁ bhāveti upasamagāmiṁ sambodhagāmiṁ.

“Mendicant, it’s when a mendicant develops the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom that lead to peace and awakening.

Ettāvatā kho, bhikkhu, bhikkhu indriyasampanno hotī”ti.

This is how someone who is accomplished in the faculties is defined.”

Navamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Collectedness

Collectedness

A mental quality of composure where awareness is gathered, steady, rather than scattered or tense. In such collectedness, supported by mindfulness and right view, experience is clearly known and can be wisely contemplated.

Also known as: mental composure, stability of mind, stillness of mind, concentration, undistracted awareness
Pāli: samādhi, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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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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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