Jīvitindriyasutta
Three faculties: femininity, masculinity, and vitality.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni.“Mendicants, there are these three faculties.11.2Katamāni tīṇi?What three?1.3Itthindriyaṁ, purisindriyaṁ, jīvitindriyaṁ—The faculties of femininity, masculinity, and life.21.4imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi indriyānī”ti.These are the three faculties.”
1.5Dutiyaṁ.
Here begins a series on faculties other than the main five. The sequence of topics is not clear, and the collection may be disorganized.
The faculty of femininity is described as “feminine moves, feminine appearance, feminine ways, feminine desires, feminine voice, and feminine adornment”, which may be observed and desired in oneself or another (AN 7.51:2.2). It is thus the expression of femininity, the performance of it, and perhaps the potential for such performance, rather than biological sex. The faculty of masculinity is the opposite. That these are “faculties” suggests that everyone has the potential for both.
The faculty of life is the life force (SN 47.9:2.5), which, when cut off, means death (DN 22:18.10, MN 9:22.5, Bu Pj 3:3.10). It has both material and mental aspects (Vb 5:11.1).
