1. Sloping East, Etc.

“Mendicants, there are these five powers.*As seen in SN 48.43, the five powers are almost identical to the five spiritual faculties. Though theoretically consisting of 108 discourses, the Saṁyutta on the powers consists almost entirely of stock passages and abbreviations. The analysis lacking here is found in a series of Suttas at AN 5.13–16. | The Chinese version, representing the Sarvāstivāda Balasaṁyukta, gathers many of the discourses on different sets of “powers” that in the Pali are scattered about the canon. This is similar to the Indriyasaṁyutta, which likewise collects multiple different kinds of “faculties”. This is surely more likely to represent the original collection.What five?The powers of faith, energy, mindfulnesssatiAtención plena, memoria, poderes de referencia y retención. En algunos contextos, la palabra sati cuando se usa sola cubre también la alerta (sampajañña).Ver en el glosario, immersion, and wisdom.These are the five powers.The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, balāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhābalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, satibalaṁ, samādhibalaṁ, paññābalaṁ—imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balānīti. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.

“Mendicants, there are these five powers.*As seen in SN 48.43, the five powers are almost identical to the five spiritual faculties. Though theoretically consisting of 108 discourses, the Saṁyutta on the powers consists almost entirely of stock passages and abbreviations. The analysis lacking here is found in a series of Suttas at AN 5.13–16. | The Chinese version, representing the Sarvāstivāda Balasaṁyukta, gathers many of the discourses on different sets of “powers” that in the Pali are scattered about the canon. This is similar to the Indriyasaṁyutta, which likewise collects multiple different kinds of “faculties”. This is surely more likely to represent the original collection.“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, balāni. What five?Katamāni pañca? The powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.Saddhābalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, satibalaṁ, samādhibalaṁ, paññābalaṁ—These are the five powers.imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balānīti. The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.evameva kho, 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?It’s when a mendicant develops the powers of faith,energy,mindfulness,immersion,and wisdom, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.That’s how 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? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saddhābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, vīriyabalaṁ …pe… satibalaṁ … samādhibalaṁ … paññābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

And how does a mendicant who develops the five powers slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment?Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro? It’s when a mendicant develops the powers of faith,Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saddhābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, energy,vīriyabalaṁ …pe… mindfulness,satibalaṁ … immersion,samādhibalaṁ … and wisdom, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.paññābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.