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

SN 48.44 At the Eastern Gate

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbakoṭṭhake. Tatra kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi:

“saddahasi tvaṁ, sāriputta saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti?

“Na khvāhaṁ ettha, bhante, bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Yesañhetaṁ, bhante, aññātaṁ assa adiṭṭhaṁ aviditaṁ asacchikataṁ aphassitaṁ paññāya, te tattha paresaṁ saddhāya gaccheyyuṁ saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Yesañca kho etaṁ, bhante, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya, nikkaṅkhā te tattha nibbicikicchā saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Mayhañca kho etaṁ, bhante, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya. Nikkaṅkhvāhaṁ tattha nibbicikiccho saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti.

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Yesañhetaṁ, sāriputta, aññātaṁ assa adiṭṭhaṁ aviditaṁ asacchikataṁ aphassitaṁ paññāya, te tattha paresaṁ saddhāya gaccheyyuṁ saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Yesañca kho etaṁ, sāriputta, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya, nikkaṅkhā te tattha nibbicikicchā saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbakoṭṭhake.

At one time the Buddha was staying in Sāvatthī at the eastern gate.

Tatra kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi:

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta:

“saddahasi tvaṁ, sāriputta

“Sāriputta, do you have faith that

saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti?

the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom, when developed and cultivated, have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination?”

“Na khvāhaṁ ettha, bhante, bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi

“Sir, in this case I don’t rely on faith in the Buddha’s claim that

saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ.

the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom, when developed and cultivated, have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.

Yesañhetaṁ, bhante, aññātaṁ assa adiṭṭhaṁ aviditaṁ asacchikataṁ aphassitaṁ paññāya, te tattha paresaṁ saddhāya gaccheyyuṁ

There are those who have not known or seen or understood or realized or experienced this with wisdom. They may rely on faith in this matter.

saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ.

Yesañca kho etaṁ, bhante, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya, nikkaṅkhā te tattha nibbicikicchā

But there are those who have known, seen, understood, realized, and experienced this with wisdom. They have no doubts or uncertainties in this matter.

saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ.

Mayhañca kho etaṁ, bhante, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya.

I have known, seen, understood, realized, and experienced this with wisdom.

Nikkaṅkhvāhaṁ tattha nibbicikiccho saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti.

I have no doubts or uncertainties that the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom, when developed and cultivated, have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.”

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta.

“Good, good, Sāriputta!

Yesañhetaṁ, sāriputta, aññātaṁ assa adiṭṭhaṁ aviditaṁ asacchikataṁ aphassitaṁ paññāya, te tattha paresaṁ saddhāya gaccheyyuṁ

There are those who have not known or seen or understood or realized or experienced this with wisdom. They may rely on faith in this matter.

saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ.

Yesañca kho etaṁ, sāriputta, ñātaṁ diṭṭhaṁ viditaṁ sacchikataṁ phassitaṁ paññāya, nikkaṅkhā te tattha nibbicikicchā

But there are those who have known, seen, understood, realized, and experienced this with wisdom. They have no doubts or uncertainties that

saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānan”ti.

the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom, when developed and cultivated, have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.”

Catutthaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

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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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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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