Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga

Sutta 5

Bala-Saṅgaha-Vatthu Suttaɱ

Powers

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 Sāvatthi.

Bhikkhus, these five are powers.

What five?

The power of wisdom, the power of effort, the power of non-faultiness and the power of collectiveness. Bhikkhus, what is the power of wisdom?

Here bhikkhus, the bhikkhu has wisely recognized and penetrated these things that are merit and reckoned as merit, demerit and reckoned as demerit, faulty and reckoned as faulty, not faulty and reckoned as not faulty, impure and reckoned as impure, pure and reckoned as pure, practiced and reckoned as should be practiced, not practiced and reckoned as should not be practiced, not noble and reckoned as not noble, noble and reckoned as noble, Bhikkhus, to this is called the power of wisdom.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of effort?

Here bhikkhus, the bhikkhu arouses interest and effort pursues the mind and endeavours to dispel, things that are demerit and reckoned as demerit, faulty and reckoned as faulty, impure and reckoned as impure, not practiced and reckoned as should not be practiced, not noble and reckoned as not noble and arouses interest and effort to pursue the mind and make endeavour to gain, things that are merit and reckoned as merit, not faulty and reckoned as not faulty, pure and reckoned as pure, practiced and reckoned as should be practiced, noble and reckoned as noble Bhikkhus, to this is called the power of effort.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of non-faultiness?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is endowed with non-faulty bodily, verbal and mental action. Bhikkhus, to this is called the power of non-faultiness.

Bhikkhus, what is the power of collectiveness?

Bhikkhus, these four are the characteristics of sympathy-giving gifts, pleasant words, leading an useful life and equality. Bhikkhus, out of giving gifts, the foremost is giving gifts of the Teaching. Out of pleasant words the foremost is giving the Teaching again and again to those who attend carefully until the meaning is attained. Bhikkhus, out of leading an useful life the foremost, is establishing those who have, no faith in faith, no virtues in virtues, the selfish in benevolence, the lacking in wisdom in wisdom. Bhikkhus, out off equality, the foremost is the equality of a stream enterer with a stream enterer, once returner with a once returner, non-returner with a non-returner and a noble one with a noble one. Bhikkhus, these are the four powers.

Bhikkhus, the noble disciple endowed with these four powers has overcome five fears. What five? The fear of, a livelihood, the lack of virtues, antagonizing the gathering, death and an evil birth. The noble disciple reflects: -'I have no fears of a livelihood. Why should I have fears of a livelihood? I have these four powers of wisdom, effort, non-faultiness and collectiveness. Those lacking in wisdom, the lazy, those with faulty bodily, verbal and mental activity, those without the power of collectiveness may have fears of a livelihood. I have no fears of the lack of virtues ... re ... I have no fears of antagonzing the gathering ... re ... I have no fears of death, ... re ... I have no fears of an evil birth Why should I have fears of an evil birth? I have these four powers of wisdom, effort, non-faultiness and collectiveness. Those lacking in wisdom, the lazy, those with faulty bodily, verbal and mental activity, those without the power of collectiveness may have fears of an evil birth.

Bhikkhus, the noble disciple endowed with these four powers has overcome these five fears.