The Buddha teaches a repeated simile of great rivers slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, showing how a mendicant who develops the five powers likewise inclines to extinguishment, applied across each river in this grouped discourse.

SN 50.55-66 Sloping East, Etc.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu, saddhābalaṁ bhāveti rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

Vitthāretabbā.

Dvādasamaṁ.

Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cha pācīnato ninnā,
cha ninnā ca samuddato;
Dvete cha dvādasa honti,
vaggo tena pavuccatīti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

“Mendicants, the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.

In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro?

And how does a mendicant who develops the five powers slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu, saddhābalaṁ bhāveti rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ

It’s when a mendicant develops the powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom, which culminate in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”

Vitthāretabbā.

(Tell in full for each of the different rivers as in SN 45.91–102, removal of greed version.)

Dvādasamaṁ.

Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cha pācīnato ninnā,

Six on slanting to the east,

cha ninnā ca samuddato;

and six on slanting to the ocean;

Dvete cha dvādasa honti,

these two sixes make twelve,

vaggo tena pavuccatīti.

and that’s how this chapter is recited.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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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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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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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