AN5.2 — The Chapter on the Powers of a Trainee

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Disciples, there are these five powers of a trainee.

What five?

The power of faith, the power of conscience, the power of prudence, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom.

And what, disciples, is the power of faith?

Here, a noble disciple has faith; they have conviction in the Tathāgata’s awakening:

‘That Blessed One is a perfected one, a fully awakened Tathāgata, accomplished in knowing and conduct, well-gone, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One.

This is called the power of faith.

And what, disciples, is the power of conscience?

Here, a noble disciple has a conscience. They are ashamed of bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, and bad mental conduct; they are ashamed of acquiring bad, unskillful qualities.

This is called the power of conscience.

And what, disciples, is the power of prudence?

Here, a noble disciple is prudent. They dread bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, and bad mental conduct; they dread acquiring bad, unskillful qualities.

This is called the power of prudence.

And what, disciples, is the power of energy?

Here, a noble disciple lives with energy roused for the abandoning of unskillful qualities and the undertaking of skillful qualities; they are strong, firm in exertion, not laying down the burden when it comes to developing skillful qualities.

This is called the power of energy.

And what, disciples, is the power of wisdom?

Here, a noble disciple is wise. They are endowed with the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, noble, penetrative, and leading rightly to the complete ending of suffering.

This is called the power of wisdom.

These, disciples, are the five powers of a trainee.

Therefore, disciples, you should train like this:

‘We will be endowed with the power of faith, a trainee’s power; with the power of conscience… the power of prudence… the power of energy… we will be endowed with the power of wisdom, a trainee’s power.

That is how you should train, disciples.

The Second.

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