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[Full title: The Five Mental Powers (Pa帽cabal膩ni or Bala)鈥�(5): Mental Power of Wisdom (笔补帽帽腻产补濒补 or 笔谤补箩帽腻)]

The wisdom is 辫补帽帽腻, the highest virtue of all.

鈥淲isdom is based on concentration, because of the saying: 鈥極ne who is concentrated knows, sees what really is.鈥欌��^[1]

鈥淲isdom鈥� is, of course, only a very approximate equivalent of 辫补帽帽腻. The Buddhist conception of 鈥渨isdom鈥� is not unlike this, but more precise. It is best clarified by first giving its connotations, and then its actual definition.

The commentary of 顿丑补尘尘补蝉补峁単补峁嚹�^[2] mentions the connotations of 辫补帽帽腻: 鈥淥n that occasion the dominant of wisdom is wisdom, understanding, search, research, search for dhamma; discernment, discrimination, differentiation, erudition, expert skill, subtlety, clarity, reflection, investigation, amplitude, sagacity, a guide (to true welfare and to the marks as they truly are), insight, comprehension, a goad (which urges the mind to move back on the right track); wisdom, wisdom as virtue, wisdom as strength (because ignorance cannot dislodge it), the sword of wisdom (which cuts through the defilements), the lofty (and overpowering) height of wisdom, the light, luster and splendour of wisdom, the treasure of wisdom, absence of delusion, search for dhammas, right view.鈥� From mere cleverness wisdom is distinguished by its spiritual purpose, and we are told expressly that it is designed 鈥渢o cut off the defilements.鈥�

Now to the actual definition: 鈥淲isdom penetrates into dhammas as they are in themselves. It disperses the darkness of delusion, which covers up the own-being of dhammas.鈥�

What then does wisdom meditate about? Wisdom may be held to concern itself with three possible topics: (1) true reality; (2) the meaning of life; (3) the conduct of life. Buddhist tradition assumes that the second and third depend on the first. In its essence wisdom is the strength of mind which permits contact with the true reality, which is also called the realm of dhammas. Delusion, folly, confusion, ignorance and self-deception are the opposites of wisdom. It is because ignorance, and not sin, is the root evil that wisdom is regarded as the highest virtue. A holiness which is devoid of wisdom is not considered impossible, but it cannot be gained by the path of knowledge, to which alone these descriptions apply.

The antithesis of wisdom (辫补帽帽腻) is delusion (sammoha). It is ignorance, lack of clarity, vagueness and absence of lucidity of mind. It is the darkness shrouding the mind. This delusion cannot be removed by ordinary wisdom (pakati-辫补帽帽腻), nor by erudition (pariyatti-辫补帽帽腻), even if that comprises knowledge of the whole 罢颈辫颈峁璦办补.

It is only wisdom developed by meditation, (产丑腻惫补苍腻-辫补帽帽腻) that has set up mindful body contemplation, which can gradually dispel delusion.

Hence did the Buddha say:

鈥淗e develops the powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.鈥� (蝉补诲诲丑腻产补濒补峁� 产丑腻惫别迟颈鈥�)

In this world, the strength of builders lies in good tools, such as awls, chisels, axes, knives, saws, etc. Only when equipped with such tools can they undertake to build. Similarly, in the 蝉腻蝉补苍补, the tools of tranquillity and insight meditation (samatha) and (惫颈辫补蝉蝉补苍腻) for achieving the knowledge of the paths and fruitions of Sainthood (magga- and phala-帽腻峁嚹�) consist of developed faith, developed energy, developped mindfulness, developed concentration and developed wisdom (产丑腻惫补苍腻-蝉补诲诲丑腻, etc.), which are developed through one of the 蝉补迟颈辫补峁�峁�丑腻苍补蝉, such as mindfulness of breathing. These five powers are the strength of meditators (测辞驳腻惫补肠补谤补). Hence these five powers must be developed in order to undertake successfully the work of tranquility and insight meditation within the Buddha-蝉腻蝉补苍补. This is the meaning of the word 产丑腻惫别迟颈 (he develops) in the text quoted above.

When these five faculties are developed they destroy the five fetters that pull upward (耻诲诲丑补尘产丑腻驳颈测补 蝉补峁儁辞箩补苍补).^[3] With these five powers, release of mind through loving-kindness (尘别迟迟腻肠别迟辞惫颈尘耻迟迟颈) is developed.^[4] Morality (蝉墨濒补) is the foundation on which the five powers stand.

With these statements with regard to the five mental powers are considered together, they indicate that the five powers are nothing but the path that leads to 苍颈产产腻苍补; here the path is elaborated from a different angle. The last two powers, concentration (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) and wisdom (辫补帽帽腻) are the last two stages in the threefold discipline (迟颈蝉颈办办丑腻), another description of the path. 厂墨濒补, the first stage in the 迟颈蝉颈办办丑腻, is not given here, obviously because it is understood to precede 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 and 辫补帽帽腻. In fact, it is said clearly that the five powers stand on 蝉墨濒补.^[5] In the noble eightfold path 惫墨谤颈测补, sati, 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 and 辫补帽帽腻 are four stages. 痴墨谤颈测补 appears as 蝉补尘尘腻-惫腻测补尘补, sati as 蝉补尘尘腻-sati, 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 as 蝉补尘尘腻-蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 and 辫补帽帽腻 as 蝉补尘尘腻-诲颈峁�峁�丑颈. One who is possessed of these powers is, therefore, identical with one who has realized 苍颈产产腻苍补. The Buddha possesses them, and so do all the arahants.

The development of these five mental powers is identified with the path that leads to the uncompounded, i.e., 苍颈产产腻苍补 (补蝉补峁卥丑补迟补驳补尘颈尘补驳驳补).^[6]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

SN III, p. 13

[2]:

Vbh-A, p. 147-149

[3]:

SN V, p. 251

[4]:

Patis II, p. 133-4

[5]:

Mil, p. 33

[6]:

SN IV, p. 361