1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Saketa in the Añjana Grove, in the Deer Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:

"Bhikkhus, is there a method of exposition by means of which the five faculties become the five powers and the five powers become the five faculties?"

2"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it." …

3"There is a method of exposition, bhikkhus, by means of which the five faculties become the five powers and the five powers become the five faculties.

4And what is that method of exposition? That which is the faculty of faith is the power of faith; that which is the power of faith is the faculty of faith. [n.230] The statement as such seems to maintain that there is no essential difference between the faculties and the powers, that they are the same five factors viewed from two different angles. Though it is tempting to see the powers (bala) as a more highly developed stage than the faculties, nothing in the canon or the commentaries supports this idea. Spk says that one factor is the faculty of faith "in the sense of exercising control in the characteristic of resolution" (adhimokkhalakkhaṇe indaṭṭhena saddhindriyaṁ), and the power of faith "in the sense of not being shaken by lack of faith" (assaddhiye akampanena saddhābalaṁ). Similarly, the other four are faculties exercising control respectively in regard to application, establishment, nondistraction, and seeing (paggaha, upaṭṭhāna, avikkhepa, dassana); they are powers in that they are unshaken by laziness, forgetfulness, distraction, and ignorance. That which is the faculty of energy is the power of energy; that which is the power of energy is the faculty of energy. That which is the faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness; that which is the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness. That which is the faculty of concentration is the power of concentration; that which is the power of concentration is the faculty of concentration. That which is the faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom; that which is the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.

"Suppose, bhikkhus, there is a river which slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, with an island in the middle. There is a method of exposition by means of which that river could be considered to have one stream, but there is a method of exposition by means of which it could be considered to have two streams. sn.v.220

5"And what is the method of exposition by means of which that river could be considered to have one stream? Taking into account the water to the east of the island and the water to its west—this is the method of exposition by means of which that river could be considered to have one stream.

"And what is the method of exposition by means of which that river could be considered to have two streams? Taking into account the water to the north of the island and the water to the south—this is the method of exposition by means of which that river could be considered to have two streams.

"So too, bhikkhus, that which is the faculty of faith is the power of faith … that which is the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.

"It is, bhikkhus, because he has developed and cultivated these five faculties that a bhikkhu, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete vihārati añjanavane migadāye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni hontī"ti?

2"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti … pe …

3"Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti.

4Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ; yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ; yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ; yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ; yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā, tassa majjhe dīpo. Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Atthi pana, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

5Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati? Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa purimante udakaṁ, yañca pacchimante udakaṁ – ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

6Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti? Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa uttarante udakaṁ, yañca dakkhiṇante udakaṁ – ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ; yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ; yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ; yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ; yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.

Pañcannaṁ, bhikkhave, indriyānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.