The Buddha teaches that by developing and cultivating the five faculties a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, living with insight due to the ending of defilements.

SN 48.43 At Sāketa

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati añjanavane migadāye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni hontī”ti?

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti …pe…

“Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ; yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ; yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ; yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ; yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā, tassa majjhe dīpo. Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Atthi pana, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati? Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa purimante udakaṁ, yañca pacchimante udakaṁ ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti? Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa uttarante udakaṁ, yañca dakkhiṇante udakaṁ ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ; yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ; yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ; yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ; yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

Pañcannaṁ, bhikkhave, indriyānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati añjanavane migadāye.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa in the deer park at the Añjana Wood.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni hontī”ti?

“Mendicants, is there a method in which the five faculties become the five powers, and the five powers become the five faculties?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti …pe…

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti.

“Mendicants, there is a method in which the five faculties become the five powers, and the five powers become the five faculties.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti?

And what is that method?

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ;

The faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith.

yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ;

The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy.

yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ;

The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness.

yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ;

The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion.

yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā, tassa majjhe dīpo.

Suppose that there was a river slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, and in the middle was an island.

Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

There’s a method in which that river can be reckoned to have just one stream.

Atthi pana, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

But there’s also a method in which that river can be reckoned to have two streams.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati?

And what’s the method in which that river can be reckoned to have just one stream?

Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa purimante udakaṁ, yañca pacchimante udakaṁ

By taking into account the water to the east and the west of the island,

ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

that river can be reckoned to have just one stream.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti?

And what’s the method in which that river can be reckoned to have two streams?

Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa uttarante udakaṁ, yañca dakkhiṇante udakaṁ

By taking into account the water to the north and the south of the island,

ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

that river can be reckoned to have two streams.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ;

By the same method, the faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith.

yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ;

The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy.

yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ;

The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness.

yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ;

The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion.

yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.

Pañcannaṁ, bhikkhave, indriyānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

It’s because of developing and cultivating the five faculties that a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Topics & 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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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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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