15. The Four Bases of Spiritual Power (ARV15)

Herein, monastics, what are the four bases of spiritual power?

Herein, monastics, a monastic cultivates the basis of spiritual power that is concentration of desire accompanied by the volition of striving, depending on solitude, depending on dispassion, depending on cessation, maturing in relinquishment, and his desire will not be too slack, nor too grasping.

He cultivates the basis of spiritual power that is concentration of energy accompanied by the volition of striving, depending on solitude, depending on dispassion, depending on cessation, maturing in relinquishment, and his energy will not be too slack, nor too grasping.

He cultivates the basis of spiritual power that is concentration of thought accompanied by the volition of striving, depending on solitude, depending on dispassion, depending on cessation, maturing in relinquishment, and his thought will not be too slack, nor too grasping.

He cultivates the basis of spiritual power that is concentration of investigation accompanied by the volition of striving, depending on solitude, depending on dispassion, depending on cessation, maturing in relinquishment, and his investigation will not be too slack, nor too grasping.

These, monastics, are the four bases of spiritual power.

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, 2016

Based on the edition by Prof. N. H. Samtani in The Arthaviniścaya-sūtra & its commentary (Nibandhana) (Patna, 1971), updated to include the corrections he printed in that work on pp. 180–181, most of which were also printed in his translation of the same, Gathering the Meanings (Berkeley, 2002), on pp. 309–310.

Original translation with comments to be found at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.