Sāketasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati 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?

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa in the deer park at the Añjana Wood. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “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? 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.

And what is that method? The faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith. The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy. The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness. The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion. The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom. Suppose there was a river slanting, sloping, and inclining to the east, and in the middle was an island. There’s a method in which that river can be reckoned to have just one stream. 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? Yañca, bhikkhave, tassa dīpassa purimante udakaṁ, yañca pacchimante udakaṁ— ayaṁ kho, 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? By taking into account the water to the east and the west of the island, that river can be reckoned to have just one stream.

Katamo 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 viharatī”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

And what’s the method in which that river can be reckoned to have two streams? By taking into account the water to the north and the south of the island, that river can be reckoned to have two streams. By the same method, the faculty of faith is the power of faith, and the power of faith is the faculty of faith. The faculty of energy is the power of energy, and the power of energy is the faculty of energy. The faculty of mindfulness is the power of mindfulness, and the power of mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness. The faculty of immersion is the power of immersion, and the power of immersion is the faculty of immersion. The faculty of wisdom is the power of wisdom, and the power of wisdom is the faculty of wisdom. It’s because of developing and cultivating the five faculties that a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.”