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- Samyutta Nikaya XLVIII.10
- Indriya-vibhanga Sutta
- Analysis of the Mental Faculties
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"Monks, there are these five faculties. Which five? The
faculty of conviction, the faculty of persistence, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty
of concentration, the faculty of discernment.
"Now what is the faculty of conviction? There is the case where a monk, a noble
disciple, has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata's Awakening: 'Indeed, the Blessed
One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone,
an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be
tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.' This is called the
faculty of conviction.
"And what is the faculty of persistence? There is the case where a monk, a noble
disciple, keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and
taking on skillful mental qualities. He is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking
his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities. He generates desire, endeavors,
arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of
evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen...for the sake of the abandoning of
evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen...for the sake of the arising of skillful
qualities that have not yet arisen...(and) for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase,
plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This is
called the faculty of persistence.
"And what is the faculty of mindfulness? There is the case
where a monk, a noble disciple, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to
call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. He remains focused on the
body in & of itself -- ardent, alert, & mindful -- putting aside greed &
distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of
themselves...the mind in & of itself...mental qualities in & of themselves --
ardent, alert, & mindful -- putting aside greed & distress with reference to the
world. This is called the faculty of mindfulness.
"And what is the faculty of concentration? There is the case where a monk, a noble
disciple, making it his object to let go, attains concentration, attains singleness of
mind. Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, he
enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed thought
& evaluation, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born
of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation --
internal assurance. With the fading of rapture he remains in equanimity, mindful &
alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters & remains in the third jhana,
of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.'
With the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of elation
& distress -- he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is called the faculty of concentration.
"And what is the faculty of discernment? There is the case where a monk, a noble
disciple, is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising & passing away -- noble,
penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. He discerns, as it is actually
present: 'This is stress...This is the origination of stress...This is the cessation of
stress...This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.' This is called
the faculty of discernment.
"These are the five faculties."
See also: AN VIII.30.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/sn48-10.html