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SN 48.8PTS SN 5.1961 min read

Should Be Seen

Daṭṭhabbasutta

Each of the five faculties should be seen in a particular set of teachings.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.8Linked Discourses 48.8
  • 0.21. Suddhikavagga1. Plain Version

0.3DaṭṭhabbasuttaShould Be Seen

1.1“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni.“Mendicants, there are these five faculties.11.2Katamāni pañca?What five?1.3Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ.The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

1.4Kattha ca, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ?And where should the faculty of faith be seen?1.5Catūsu sotāpattiyaṅgesu—In the four factors of stream-entry.21.6ettha saddhindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

1.7Kattha ca, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ?And where should the faculty of energy be seen?1.8Catūsu sammappadhānesu—In the four right efforts.31.9ettha vīriyindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

1.10Kattha ca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ?And where should the faculty of mindfulness be seen?1.11Catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu—In the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.41.12ettha satindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

1.13Kattha ca, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ?And where should the faculty of immersion be seen?1.14Catūsu jhānesu—In the four absorptions.51.15ettha samādhindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

1.16Kattha ca, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ?And where should the faculty of wisdom be seen?1.17Catūsu ariyasaccesu—In the four noble truths.61.18ettha paññindriyaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

1.19Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī”ti.These are the five faculties.”

1.20Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse offers brief expansions of each of the five faculties in terms of standard doctrinal groups of four. This complements the definitions in the next discourses.

    The same analysis is applied to the five powers at AN 5.15.

    ↩ sn48.8:1.1

  2. Faith in the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, and unshakeable ethics (SN 12.41, SN 55.1).

    By this means “ethics” are included in the faculties although not explicitly mentioned. We have noted the same thing for the awakening factors (SN 46.1) and mindfulness meditations (SN 47.3).

    ↩ sn48.8:1.5

  3. Per the next Saṁyutta (SN 49.1).

    ↩ sn48.8:1.8

  4. Per the previous Saṁyutta (SN 47.1).

    ↩ sn48.8:1.11

  5. As usual, samādhi (“immersion”) is defined in terms of jhāna (“absorption”; see SN 53.1–12).

    ↩ sn48.8:1.14

  6. Per the final Saṁyutta (SN 56.1).

    ↩ sn48.8:1.17