50.1–12

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, balāni.

Katamāni pañca?

Saddhābalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, satibalaṁ, samādhibalaṁ, paññābalaṁ—

imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balānīti.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā;

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saddhābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ,

vīriyabalaṁ …pe…

satibalaṁ …

samādhibalaṁ …

paññābalaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañca balāni bhāvento pañca balāni bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

Dvādasamaṁ.

Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cha pācīnato ninnā,

cha ninnā ca samuddato;

Dvete cha dvādasa honti,

vaggo tena pavuccatīti.

“Mendicants, there are these five powers.

What five?

The powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

These are the five powers.

The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.

In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

And how does a mendicant who develops the five powers slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment?

It’s when a mendicant develops the powers of faith,

energy,

mindfulness,

immersion,

and wisdom, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”

Six on slanting to the east,

and six on slanting to the ocean;

these two sixes make twelve,

and that’s how this chapter is recited.