Aṅguttara Nikāya
Satta Nipāta
Dhana Vaggo

Sutta 4

Vitthata Satta-Bala Suttaɱ

Powers Explained

Translated from the Pali
by Sister Upalavanna

 

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[1][pts] I heard thus.

At one time The Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta's grove in Sāvatthī.

The Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

Bhikkhus, these seven are powers.

What seven?

The power of faith,
effort,
shame,
remorse,
mindfulness,
concentration
and wisdom.

Bhikkhus, these seven are powers.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of faith?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple takes faith in the enlightenment of the Thus Gone One: That Blessed One is worthy, rightfully enlightened.reñhe Teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of faith.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of effort?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple abides with aroused effort, to dispel demeritorious things and to amass meritorious things, becomes firm not giving up the main aim in meritorious things.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of effort.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of shame?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple abides with shame, shameful of bodily misconduct verbal misconduct and mental misconduct is shameful of demeritorious things.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of shame.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of remorse?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple abides with remorse for bodily, verbal and mental misconduct and with remorse for demeritorious things.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of remorse.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of mindfulness?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple abides endowed with the highest carefulness in mindfulness calling to mind and recalling things told and uttered long ago.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of mindfulness.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of concentration?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple secluding the mind from sensual desires, ... re ... abides in the fourth higher state of the mind.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of concentration.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of ?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple becomes wise of the rising and fading of the five holding masses, for the rightful penetration of unpleasantness.

Bhikkhus, this is the power of wisdom.

The powers of faith, effort, shame, remorse, mindfulness, concentration
And wisdom is the seventh, empowered by these the bhikkhu
Abides pleasantly, wisely discriminating the meanings in the Teaching
As a light is extinguished the release of extinction, comes to the mind.