16. The Five Faculties (ARV16)

Herein, monastics, what are the five faculties?

They are as follows:

The faculty of faith,

the faculty of energy,

the faculty of mindfulness,

the faculty of concentration,

the faculty of wisdom.

Herein, what is the faculty of faith?

It is the faith he has regarding four things.

Which four?

He has faith in the right view concerning the worldly realms of birth and death,

in refuge in deeds and results,

in all the deeds that I will do, whether good or bad, I will experience the result of that deed,

in he will not do bad deeds, even for the sake of life.

This is said to be faith.

Herein, what is the faculty of energy?

With the faculty of faith he has faith in those things, and with the faculty of energy he makes those things arise.

This is said to be energy.

Herein, what is the faculty of mindfulness?

With the faculty of energy he makes those things arise, and with the faculty of mindfulness he makes those things not go to destruction.

This is said to be mindfulness.

Herein, what is the faculty of concentration?

With the faculty of mindfulness he makes those things not go to destruction, and with the faculty of concentration he fixes his attention on those things.

This is said to be concentration.

Herein, what is the faculty of wisdom?

With the faculty of concentration he fixes his attention on those things, and with the faculty of wisdom he penetrates and reflects on the birth of those things.

This is said to be wisdom.

These, monastics, are the five faculties.

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.