View source for Five Strengths

{{Short description|Buddhist philosophical concept}}
{{Buddhist term
| fontsize=100%
| title=pañcabalāni
| sa=पञ्चबलानि (pañcabalāni)
| pi=pañcabalāni
| en= the five powers,<br/>the five strengths 
| bo= སྟོབས་ལྔའི་མིང་ལ་
| bo-Latn=[[Wylie transliteration|Wylie]]: stobs lnga'i ming la
| ja=五力
| ja-Latn= goriki
| ko = 오력
| ko-Latn = olyeog
| th=เบญจพล<br>(benjapol)
| zh=五力
| zh-Latn=wǔ lì
| km=បញ្ចពល<br>(banhja bula)|id=lima kekuatan|vi=Ngũ lực}}
{{buddhism|collapsed=1}}
{{bodhipakkhiyadhamma}}
The '''Five Strengths''' ([[Sanskrit]], [[Pali]]: ''{{IAST|pañcabalā}}'') in Buddhism are [[Saddha|faith]], [[Viriya|energy]], [[Mindfulness (Buddhism)|mindfulness]], [[Samadhi (Buddhism)|concentration]], and [[Wisdom in Buddhism|wisdom]].  They are one of the seven sets of [[Bodhipakkhiyadhamma]] ("qualities conducive to enlightenment"). They are paralleled in the five [[Indriya|spiritual faculties]], which are also part of the Bodhipakkhiyadhamma.

==Meaning==
''Pañca'' (Sanskrit, Pali) means "five."<ref>See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 387, entry for "Pañca," retrieved 2008-03-11 from "U. of Chicago" at [https://archive.today/20120629231445/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:971.pali]; and, Monier-Williams (1964), e.g., p. 579, entry "Pañcaka," retrieved 2008-03-11 from "U. of Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/MWScanpdf/mw0578-paJcAGguri.pdf.</ref> ''Bala'' (Sanskrit, Pali) means "power," "strength," "force."<ref>See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 482, entry for "Bala," retrieved 2008-03-11 from "U. of Chicago" at [https://archive.today/20120629231446/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3245.pali]; and, Monier-Williams (1964), p. 722, entry "Bala," retrieved 2008-03-11 from "U. of Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0722-barAsI.jpg.</ref> 

The five strengths are:
# Faith/Conviction ([[Faith in Buddhism|saddhā]] bala) 
# Energy/Effort/Persistence ([[Vīrya|viriya]] bala)
# Mindfulness ([[Sati (Buddhism)|sati]] bala)
# Concentration ([[Samadhi|samādhi]] bala) 
# Wisdom/Discernment ([[Prajñā (Buddhism)|paññā]] bala)

In the Abbidhamma-tradition, the five strengths are regarded as antidotes to ill will (''[[vyapada]]''), sloth and torpor (''[[styana-middha]]''), heedlessness (''[[apramada]]'') or sensual desire (''[[kamacchanda]]''), distraction or restlessness and worry
(''[[auddhatya-kaukrtya]]''), and skeptical doubt (''[[vicikitsa]]'').{{sfn|Buswell|Lopez|2013|p=pañcabala}}

In [[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 48.43, the Buddha declares that the five strengths are the [[Indriya|five spiritual faculties]] and vice versa.  He uses the metaphor of a stream passing by a mid-stream island; the island creates two streams, but the streams can also be seen as one and the same.{{sfn|Bodhi|2000|p=1688-1689}} The [[Atthakatha|Pali commentaries]] remark that these five qualities are "faculties" when used to control their spheres of influence, and are "powers" when unshakeable by opposing forces.{{sfn|Bodhi|2000|p=1511}}

==Interpretation==

According to Le Sy Minh Tung, faith here does not mean blind trust, but using our intellect to carefully consider our actions. We should have faith in [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|Enlightenment]] because when we reach [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|Enlightenment]], there are no more delusions or confusion. There should also be faith in striving to achieve the [[Right view|Right View]] (''sammā-diṭṭhi'') or the "right understanding", one of the factors [[Noble Eightfold Path]]. The right understanding includes knowing what is right or wrong and the nature of the self and the world. Lastly, we should also put faith in controlling and quieting down the six roots of sensation (the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Le |first=Sy Minh Tung |date=2011-08-04 |title=Pha Me Khai Ngo |url=https://thuvienhoasen.org/p22a12732/39-ngu-can-ngu-luc |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=Thu Vien Hoa Sen}}</ref>  According to [[Thích Nhất Hạnh|Thich Nhat Hanh]], faith can also be understood as confidence in ourselves. Faith can be applied to ideas but also practices.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Five Spiritual Powers (Plus One) {{!}} Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video) {{!}} Amara |url=https://amara.org/ |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=amara.org}}</ref>

According to Le Sy Minh Tung, energy is the drive to push forward on the journey of learning. When we have faith in the Buddhist teachings, we then commit to fulfilling what we believe in. There is no gain if there is only faith. Since the learning journey is full of obstacles, we need patience and strength to keep moving on our journey. The more we learn, the more interested we will be in the subjects. The more effort we put in, the less tired we will be. That is persistence.<ref name=":0" /> [[Thích Nhất Hạnh|Thich Nhat Hanh]] claims that persistence is diligence in maintaining daily practices. <ref name=":1" />

According to Le Sy Minh Tung, mindfulness is the accumulation and preservation within us. We need to be mindful in committing good deeds like helping and donating what we can to others. We could donate money and properties to the poor or deliver teachings to bring people out of misery and reach [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|Enlightenment]]. We also need to enforce mindfulness in preserving what we have learned, keeping a clear mind, and not losing sight of the right path. In practice, [[Thích Nhất Hạnh|Thich Nhat Hanh]] believes that mindfulness involves avoiding the events that invoke negative seeds/feelings within us. We should consume information mindfully and not let negative thoughts contaminate our minds.<ref name=":1" />

According to Le Sy Minh Tung, concentration is quietness of the mind. The goal is to keep the focus on the dharma and use the mind to practice. There are three types of samadhi:
# elimination of all mental obstacles;
# elimination of mental obstacles gives great merit;     
# this merit should benefit all sentient beings, helping them to attain liberation.

According to Le Sy Minh Tung,  wisdom refers to having a clear mind. There is no more discrimination, differentiation, or distinguishment. Discrimination or differentiation comes from deluded consciousness. It then causes people to chase after the [[Three poisons|Three Poisons]]. For example, we denote an object as good or bad, beautiful or ugly, etc. However, these connotations are delusions. When we learn to stop differentiating objects, people, and other aspects of the world, we have gained wisdom.<ref name=":0" /> Wisdom can be achieved with many methods including [[meditation]] which helps to clear our minds and get rid of delusions.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
* [[Bodhipakkhiyadhamma]] - lists the 37 qualities conducive to Enlightenment, which includes the Five Powers.
* [[Five Wisdoms]]
* [[Index of Buddhism-related articles]]
* [[Indriya]] - "faculty," includes extended discussion of the Five Spiritual Faculties.
* [[Secular Buddhism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{ref begin}}
* {{cite book|last =Bodhi  |first =Bhikkhu | year =2000 | title =The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya | place =Boston | publisher =Wisdom Publications | isbn =0-86171-331-1}}.
* {{citation |last1=Buswell |first1=Robert E. Jr. |author1-link=Robert Buswell Jr. |last2=Lopez |first2=Donald S. Jr. |author2-link=Donald S. Lopez Jr. |title=Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |date=2013 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |location=Princeton, NJ |isbn=978-0-691-15786-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXN2AAAAQBAJ}}
* [[Monier Monier-Williams|Monier-Williams, Monier]] (1899, 1964). ''A Sanskrit–English Dictionary''.  London: Oxford University Press.  An on-line search engine for the MWD is available from the "U. of Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/.
* [[T. W. Rhys Davids|Rhys Davids, T.W.]] & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). ''The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary''. Chipstead: [[Pali Text Society]]. An on-line search engine for the PED is available from "Chicago U." at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
{{ref end}}

==External links==
*[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/conze/wheel065.html The Way of Wisdom - The Five Spiritual Faculties, by Edward Conze]
*[http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma7/5powers.html The Five Spiritual Powers, Dharma talk by Sarah Doering]
*[http://www.encyclopedia-of-religion.org/indriya.html Indriyas from Encyclopedia of Spiritual Knowledge]
*[http://www.peacecomics.com/ The Secret of 5 Powers, Comic Book - Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh] 
{{Buddhism topics}}

[[Category:Buddhist philosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Mindfulness (Buddhism)]]


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