Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.43
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 48.43
5. Jarāvagga
5. Old Age
Sāketasutta
At Sāketa
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati añjanavane migadāye.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa in the deer park at the Añjana Wood.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:
“atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni hontī”ti?
“Mendicants, is there a method in which the five faculties become the five powers, and the five powers become the five faculties?”
“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti …pe…
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”
“Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti.
“Mendicants, there is a method in which the five faculties become the five powers, and the five powers become the five faculties.
Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma yāni pañcindriyāni tāni pañca balāni honti, yāni pañca balāni tāni pañcindriyāni honti?
And what is that method?
Yaṁ, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ;
The faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith.
yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ;
The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy.
yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ;
The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness.
yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ;
The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion.
yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.
The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā, tassa majjhe dīpo.
Suppose that there was a river slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, and in the middle was an island.
Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
There’s a method in which that river can be reckoned to have just one stream.
Atthi pana, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.
But there’s also a method in which that river can be reckoned to have two streams.
Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati?
And what’s the method in which that river can be reckoned to have just one stream?
Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa purimante udakaṁ, yañca pacchimante udakaṁ—
By taking into account the water to the east and the west of the island,
ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā eko sototveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
that river can be reckoned to have just one stream.
Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti?
And what’s the method in which that river can be reckoned to have two streams?
Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa uttarante udakaṁ, yañca dakkhiṇante udakaṁ—
By taking into account the water to the north and the south of the island,
ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma tassā nadiyā dve sotānitveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchanti.
that river can be reckoned to have two streams.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ saddhindriyaṁ taṁ saddhābalaṁ, yaṁ saddhābalaṁ taṁ saddhindriyaṁ;
By the same method, the faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith.
yaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ taṁ vīriyabalaṁ, yaṁ vīriyabalaṁ taṁ vīriyindriyaṁ;
The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy.
yaṁ satindriyaṁ taṁ satibalaṁ, yaṁ satibalaṁ taṁ satindriyaṁ;
The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness.
yaṁ samādhindriyaṁ taṁ samādhibalaṁ, yaṁ samādhibalaṁ taṁ samādhindriyaṁ;
The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion.
yaṁ paññindriyaṁ taṁ paññābalaṁ, yaṁ paññābalaṁ taṁ paññindriyaṁ.
The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.
Pañcannaṁ, bhikkhave, indriyānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.
It’s because of developing and cultivating the five faculties that a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”
Tatiyaṁ.