The Buddha teaches on the five spiritual faculties regarding ascetics and brahmins (2nd), guiding mendicants in developing faith through wisdom on the path to liberation.

SN 48.35 Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Sukhindriyaṁ, dukkhindriyaṁ, somanassindriyaṁ, domanassindriyaṁ, upekkhindriyaṁ.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā sukhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; dukkhindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… somanassindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… domanassindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… upekkhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca panete āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā sukhindriyaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti; dukkhindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe… somanassindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe… domanassindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe… upekkhindriyaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni.

“Mendicants, there are these five faculties.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Sukhindriyaṁ, dukkhindriyaṁ, somanassindriyaṁ, domanassindriyaṁ, upekkhindriyaṁ.

The faculties of pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, and equanimity.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā sukhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand the faculty of pleasure, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

dukkhindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand the faculty of pain …

somanassindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

happiness …

domanassindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

sadness …

upekkhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

equanimity, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca panete āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā sukhindriyaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, sukhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand the faculty of pleasure, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

dukkhindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe…

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand the faculty of pain …

somanassindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe…

happiness …

domanassindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe…

sadness …

upekkhindriyaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, upekkhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti,

equanimity, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Pañcamaṁ.

Qualities:

Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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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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Equanimity

Equanimity

A state of mental poise and balance, characterized by non-reactivity and composure in the face of agreeable or disagreeable experiences.

Also known as: mental poise, mental balance, equipose, non-reactivity, composure
Pāli: upekkha
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Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026