The Six Faculties · SN 48.21–48.30

SN 48.21 · Future Lives

SN 48.21 · Punabbhavasutta

“Mendicants, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. As long as I didn’t truly understand these five faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ. Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these five faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

SN 48.22 · The Life Faculty

SN 48.22 · Jīvitindriyasutta

“Mendicants, there are these three faculties. What three? The faculties of femininity, masculinity, and life. These are the three faculties.”

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni tīṇi? Itthindriyaṁ, purisindriyaṁ, jīvitindriyaṁ— imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi indriyānī”ti.

SN 48.23 · The Faculty of Enlightenment

SN 48.23 · Aññindriyasutta

“Mendicants, there are these three faculties. What three? The faculty of understanding that enlightenment is imminent. The faculty of enlightenment. The faculty of one who is enlightened. These are the three faculties.”

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni tīṇi? Anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṁ, aññindriyaṁ, aññātāvindriyaṁ— imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi indriyānī”ti.

SN 48.24 · A One-Seeder

SN 48.24 · Ekabījīsutta

“Mendicants, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. These are the five faculties.

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ— imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni.

Someone who has completed and fulfilled these five faculties is a perfected one. If they are weaker than that, they’re one who is extinguished between one life and the next … one who is extinguished upon landing … one who is extinguished without extra effort … one who is extinguished with extra effort … one who heads upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm … a once-returner … a one-seeder … one who goes from family to family … one who has seven rebirths at most … a follower of teachings … a follower by faith.”

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ samattā paripūrattā arahaṁ hoti, tato mudutarehi antarāparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī, tato mudutarehi sakadāgāmī hoti, tato mudutarehi ekabījī hoti, tato mudutarehi kolaṅkolo hoti, tato mudutarehi sattakkhattuparamo hoti, tato mudutarehi dhammānusārī hoti, tato mudutarehi saddhānusārī hotī”ti.

SN 48.25 · Plain Version

SN 48.25 · Suddhakasutta

“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. These are the six faculties.”

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni cha? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ— imāni kho, bhikkhave, cha indriyānī”ti.

SN 48.26 · A Stream-Enterer

SN 48.26 · Sotāpannasutta

“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. A noble disciple comes to truly understand these six faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. Such a noble disciple is called a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni cha? Cakkhundriyaṁ …pe… manindriyaṁ. Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.

SN 48.27 · A Perfected One

SN 48.27 · Arahantasutta

“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. A mendicant comes to be freed by not grasping after truly understanding these six faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape.

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni cha? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti—

Such a mendicant is called a perfected one, with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment.”

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto’”ti.

SN 48.28 · Awakened

SN 48.28 · Sambuddhasutta

“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni cha? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these six faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these six faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

SN 48.29 · Ascetics and Brahmins (1st)

SN 48.29 · Paṭhamasamaṇabrāhmaṇasutta

“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni cha? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ.

There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand the origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape when it comes to these six faculties. I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca panete āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand the origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape when it comes to these six faculties. I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imesaṁ channaṁ indriyānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

SN 48.30 · Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

SN 48.30 · Dutiyasamaṇabrāhmaṇasutta

“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand the eye faculty, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. They don’t understand the ear faculty … nose faculty … tongue faculty … body faculty … mind faculty, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā cakkhundriyaṁ nappajānanti, cakkhundriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, cakkhundriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, cakkhundriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; sotindriyaṁ …pe… ghānindriyaṁ …pe… jivhindriyaṁ …pe… kāyindriyaṁ …pe… manindriyaṁ nappajānanti, manindriyasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, manindriyanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, manindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti. Na me te, bhikkhave …pe… sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand the eye faculty, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. They understand the ear faculty … nose faculty … tongue faculty … body faculty … mind faculty, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā cakkhundriyaṁ pajānanti, cakkhundriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, cakkhundriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, cakkhundriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, sotindriyaṁ …pe… ghānindriyaṁ …pe… jivhindriyaṁ …pe… kāyindriyaṁ …pe… manindriyaṁ pajānanti, manindriyasamudayaṁ pajānanti, manindriyanirodhaṁ pajānanti, manindriyanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.