Samyutta Nikaya - Indriya Samyutta II

Samyutta Nikaya - Indriya Samyutta II

SN 48.8

§ 69. Monks, there are these five faculties. Which five? The faculty of conviction, the faculty of persistence, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of discernment.

Now where is the faculty of conviction to be seen? In the four factors of stream-entry...

And where is the faculty of persistence to be seen? In the four right exertions...

And where is the faculty of mindfulness to be seen? In the four frames of reference...

And where is the faculty of concentration to be seen? In the four jhānas...

And where is the faculty of discernment to be seen? In the four noble truths...


SN 48.50

§ 74. The Buddha: Tell me, Sāriputta: A disciple of the noble ones who is thoroughly inspired by the Tathāgata, who has gone solely to the Tathāgata (for refuge), could he have any doubt or uncertainty concerning the Tathāgata or the Tathāgata's teachings?

Ven. Sāriputta: No, venerable sir... With a disciple of the noble ones who has conviction, it may be expected that he will keep his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and taking on skillful mental qualities, that he will be steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities. Whatever persistence he has, is his faculty of persistence.

With a disciple of the noble ones who has conviction, who is resolute & persistent, it may be expected that he will be mindful, highly meticulous, remembering and able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. Whatever mindfulness he has, is his faculty of mindfulness.

With a disciple of the noble ones who has conviction, who is resolute & persistent, and whose mindfulness is established ['tuned'], it may be expected that — making it his object to let go — he will attain concentration & singleness of mind. Whatever concentration he has, is his faculty of concentration.

With a disciple of the noble ones who has conviction, who is resolute & persistent, whose mindfulness is established, and whose mind is rightly concentrated, it may be expected that he will discern: 'From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. The total fading & cessation of ignorance, of this mass of darkness, is this peaceful, exquisite state: the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' Whatever discernment he has, is his faculty of discernment.

And so this convinced disciple of the noble ones, thus striving again & again, recollecting again & again, concentrating his mind again & again discerning again & again, becomes thoroughly convinced: 'Those phenomena that once I had only heard about, I here & now dwell touching them with my body and, through discernment, I see them clear through.' Whatever conviction he has, is his faculty of conviction.


SN 48.52

§ 75. Just as, in a house with a ridged roof, the rafters are not stable or firm as long as the ridge beam is not in place, but are stable & firm when it is; in the same way, four faculties are not stable or firm as long as noble knowledge has not arisen in a disciple of the noble ones, but are stable & firm when it has. Which four? The faculty of conviction, the faculty of persistence, the faculty of mindfulness, & the faculty of concentration.

When a disciple of the noble ones is discerning, the conviction that follows from that stands solid. The persistence that follows from that stands solid. The mindfulness that follows from that stands solid. The concentration that follows from that stands solid.


SN 48.46

§ 76. It's through the development & pursuit of two faculties that a monk whose effluents are ended declares gnosis: 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.' Through which two? Through noble discernment & noble release. Whatever is his noble discernment is his faculty of dis-cernment. Whatever is his noble release is his faculty of concentration.


SN 48.55

§ 77. Just as, of all scented woods, red sandalwood is reckoned the chief, even so of all the mental qualities that are wings to self-awakening, the faculty of discernment is reckoned the chief in terms of leading to awakening. And what are the mental qualities that are wings to self-awakening? The faculty of conviction is a mental quality that is a wing to self-awakening leading to awakening. The faculty of persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment is a mental quality that is a wing to self-awakening leading to Awakening.


SN 48.3, 5

§ 88. When a disciple of the noble ones discerns, as they have come to be, the origination, the disappearance, the allure, the drawbacks — and the emancipation from — these five faculties, he is called a disciple of the noble ones who has attained the stream: not subject to perdition, certain, destined for self-awakening... When, having discerned as they have come to be, the origination, the disappearance, the allure, the drawbacks — and the emancipation from — these five faculties, he is released from lack of clinging/sustenance, he is called an Arahant...