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 48.64 Ending of Defilements

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattanti. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantīti.

Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni saṁyojanappahānāya saṁvattanti, anusayasamugghātāya saṁvattanti, addhānapariññāya saṁvattanti, āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattanti. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni saṁyojanappahānāya saṁvattanti, anusayasamugghātāya saṁvattanti, addhānapariññāya saṁvattanti, āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattanti.

“Mendicants, when these five faculties are developed and cultivated they lead to the ending of defilements.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ

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

imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantīti.

When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they lead to the ending of defilements.”

Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni saṁyojanappahānāya saṁvattanti, anusayasamugghātāya saṁvattanti, addhānapariññāya saṁvattanti, āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattanti.

“Mendicants, when these five faculties are developed and cultivated they lead to giving up the fetters, uprooting the underlying tendencies, completely understanding the course of time, and ending the defilements.

Katamāni pañca?

What five?

Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ

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

imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni saṁyojanappahānāya saṁvattanti, anusayasamugghātāya saṁvattanti, addhānapariññāya saṁvattanti, āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantī”ti.

When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they lead to giving up the fetters, uprooting the underlying tendencies, completely understanding the course of time, and ending the defilements.”

Catutthaṁ.

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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Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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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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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