The Buddha analyzes the five spiritual faculties—defining faith as conviction in the Buddha's awakening, energy as the four right efforts, mindfulness as the four establishments of mindfulness, immersion as the four absorptions, and wisdom as discerning the four noble truths.

SN 48.7 Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā saddhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; vīriyindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… satindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… samādhindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe… paññindriyaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyanirodhagāminiṁ 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 saddhindriyaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti; vīriyindriyaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti; satindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe… samādhindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe… paññindriyaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

Sattamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā saddhindriyaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

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

vīriyindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

They don’t understand the faculty of energy …

satindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

mindfulness …

samādhindriyaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

immersion …

paññindriyaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, paññindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti,

wisdom, 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 saddhindriyaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, saddhindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;

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

vīriyindriyaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, vīriyindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;

They do understand the faculty of energy …

satindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe…

mindfulness …

samādhindriyaṁ pajānanti …pe…

immersion …

paññindriyaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, paññindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti,

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

te 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.”

Sattamaṁ.

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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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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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