The Five Powers
Encyclopedia
The Five Strengths (Sanskrit
, Pali
: ) in Buddhism are faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration
, and wisdom
. They are one of the seven sets of "qualities conducive to enlightenment
." They are parallel facets of the five "spiritual faculties
."
The Five Faculties are ‘controlling' faculties because they control or master their opposites.
The faculties and powers are two aspects of the same thing.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
: ) in Buddhism are faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration
Samadhi (Buddhism)
In Buddhism, samādhi is mental concentration or composing the mind.-In the early Suttas:In the Pāli canon of the Theravada tradition and the related Āgamas of other early Buddhist schools, samādhi is found in the following contexts:* In the noble eightfold path, "right concentration" In Buddhism,...
, and wisdom
Prajña
Prajñā or paññā is wisdom, understanding, discernment or cognitive acuity. Such wisdom is understood to exist in the universal flux of being and can be intuitively experienced through meditation...
. They are one of the seven sets of "qualities conducive to enlightenment
Bodhipakkhiyadhamma
In Buddhism, bodhipakkhiyā dhammā are qualities conducive or related to Enlightenment .In the Pali commentaries, the term bodhipakkhiyā dhammā is used to refer to seven sets of such qualities regularly...
." They are parallel facets of the five "spiritual faculties
Indriya
Indriya, literally "belonging to or agreeable to Indra" is the Sanskrit and Pali term for physical strength or ability in general, and for the five senses more specifically....
."
Translation
Pañca (Sanskrit, Pali) means "five." Bala (Sanskrit, Pali) means "power," "strength," "force."Exegesis
Faith and Wisdom balance each other, as do Energy and Concentration.The Five Faculties are ‘controlling' faculties because they control or master their opposites.
The faculties and powers are two aspects of the same thing.
- Faith (saddha) - controls doubt
- Energy/Effort/Persistence (viriya) – controls laziness
- Mindfulness (sati); - controls heedlessness
- Concentration (samādhiSamadhi (Buddhism)In Buddhism, samādhi is mental concentration or composing the mind.-In the early Suttas:In the Pāli canon of the Theravada tradition and the related Āgamas of other early Buddhist schools, samādhi is found in the following contexts:* In the noble eightfold path, "right concentration" In Buddhism,...
) - controls distraction - Wisdom/Discernment (pañña, prajñaPrajñaPrajñā or paññā is wisdom, understanding, discernment or cognitive acuity. Such wisdom is understood to exist in the universal flux of being and can be intuitively experienced through meditation...
) – controls ignorance
See also
- BodhipakkhiyadhammaBodhipakkhiyadhammaIn Buddhism, bodhipakkhiyā dhammā are qualities conducive or related to Enlightenment .In the Pali commentaries, the term bodhipakkhiyā dhammā is used to refer to seven sets of such qualities regularly...
- lists the 32 qualities conducive to Enlightenment, which includes the Five Powers. - IndriyaIndriyaIndriya, literally "belonging to or agreeable to Indra" is the Sanskrit and Pali term for physical strength or ability in general, and for the five senses more specifically....
- "faculty," includes extended discussion of the Five Spiritual Faculties. - Five WisdomsFive WisdomsThe Five Wisdoms is an upāya or 'skillful means' doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism. The Five Wisdoms may be understood as the indivisible 'continuüm of bodhi ' , especially according to Yogācarā based Mahāyāna doctrines, ultimately derived from the Buddhabhūmi Sūtra.Capriles in...
External links
- The Way of Wisdom - The Five Spiritual Faculties, by Edward Conze
- The Five Spiritual Powers, Dharma talk by Sarah Doering
- Indriyas from Encyclopedia of Spiritual Knowledge