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buddhavacana

Five Powers (`pañca balāni`)

· 6 min read

14S5/6.1.1–12 Balādisutta

1310. “Bhikkhave, these are the pañca balāni (five powers). What five?

  • The power of saddhā (faith),
  • the power of vīriya (energy),
  • the power of sati (awareness),
  • the power of samādhi (focus),
  • the power of paññā (wisdom) —

these, Bhikkhave, are the five powers.

Just as, Bhikkhave, the river Ganges slopes, inclines, and tends towards the east; so too, Bhikkhave, a bhikkhu, cultivating the five powers, practising the five powers often, slopes, inclines, and tends towards nibbāna (extinguishment).

And how, Bhikkhave, does a bhikkhu, cultivating the five powers, practising the five powers often, slope, incline, and tend towards extinguishment? Here, Bhikkhave,

  • A bhikkhu cultivates the power of faith, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and culminates in relinquishment.
  • He cultivates the power of energy …
  • He cultivates the power of awareness …
  • He cultivates the power of focus …
  • He cultivates the power of wisdom, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and culminates in relinquishment.

Thus, Bhikkhave, a bhikkhu, cultivating the five powers, practising the five powers often, slopes, inclines, and tends towards extinguishment.”

 
mindmap
  root((pañca balāni))
    saddhābalaṃ
    vīriyabalaṃ
    satibalaṃ
    samādhibalaṃ
    paññābalaṃ

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