Balani
Powers
Distinguish between the Indriani, and the Balani thus: The indriyāni are the forces in nature of sight, etc.; the balani are the abilities of an individual to use those forces, i.e., powers. See on this SN 5.48.9, where they are described as more or less identical; and SN 5.48.43 which more or less confirms this way of understanding the difference.
References:
[DN 33]
Sangiti Suttanta in Pāḷi
PTS: Dialogs of the Buddha III, The Recital, 33.4.26, 33.7.09 T.W. and C.A.F. Rhys Davids, trans., pp201
WP: The Long Discourses of the Buddha, The Chanting Together, 33.4.26, 33.7.09 M. Walshe, trans., pp479
[AN 5.1]
PTS: Anguttara-Nikaya, III, Book of the Fives, pp 1 ff. Edited by Prof. E. Hardy
The Book of the Gradual Sayings, III: The Book of the Fives, #1: The Powers in Brief E.M. Hare, trans., pp 1 ff.
AN 5.1: The Seeker's Allies, Olds, trans.
AN 10.21
MN 12
The Ten Powers and the Four Confidences of the Tathāgata.
SN 5.48.43 which provides a simile by way of which it can be understood that the five forces (indriyani) can be thought of as the same thing as the five powers.
AN 4 153-155
| Pāḷi | MO | Hare | Horner | Punnaji | Bodhi | Nanamoli | Rhys Davids | (Mrs)Rhys Davids | Thanissaro | Walshe | Woodward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bala | Power Tool AN 8.27 Ability, Enabler, Ally | Powers, attributesAN 8.27 | Powers AN 8.27 | powers DN 33.4.26 | powers | strengths | powers [DN 33.4.26] | Powers [AN 4 153-155] | |||
| Saddhā | Faith, Trust | Faith | Faith | Faith | Faith | Faith | Conviction | Faith | |||
| viriya | Energy, virility | energy | energy | Practice | energy | energy | energy | energy, effort | Persistence | energy | energy |
| hiri | Sense of Shame | Conscienciousness | sense of shame | shame | conscientiousness | conscientiousness | Moral Shame | Moral Shame | Sense of Shame | ||
| ottappa | Fear of Blame | Fear of Blame | fear of wrongdoing | fear of wrongdoing | discretion | discretion | Fear of Wrongdoing | Moral Dread | fear of blame | ||
| sati | Mind, Memory, Mental Satisfaction | mindfulness | mindfulness | Attentiveness | mindfulness | mindfulness | mindfulness | mindfulness | mindfulness | Mindfulness | Mindfulness |
| samādhi | Serenity, Getting High | concentration | concentration | Equilibrium, Mental Repose | concentration | concentration | rapture | concentration | concentration | Concentration | concentration |
| paññā | Wisdom | Insight | Intuitive Wisdom | understanding, penetrative awareness, the primal knowledge | wisdom | wisdom | Intelligence | Discernment | Wisdom |
Pāḷi Text Society
Pāḷi English Dictionary
Edited by T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede
[EDITED ENTRY]
Bala: [Vedic bala, most likely to Lat. de-bilis "without strength" (cp. E. debility, P. dubbala), and Gr. be/ltistos (superl.)=Sk. balis.ṭha the strongest....1. strength, power, force D II.73; A I.244...(one of the 4 blessings, viz. āyu, vaṇṇa, sukha, bala...)...- adj. bala strong...2. an army, military force...- Eight balāni or strong points are 1. of young children (ruṇṇa-balaṃ). 2. of womanhood (kodha-). 3. of robbers (āvudha-). 4. of kings (issariya-), 5. of fools (ujjhatti-). 6. of wise men (nijjhatti-). 7. of the deeply learned (paṭisankhāna-). 8. of samaṇas and brāhmaṇas (khanti-)... -- Five balāni of women are: rūpabalaṃ, bhoga-, ñāti-, putta-, sīla-... The five-fold force (balaṃ pañca-vidhaṃ) of a king...consists of bāhābalaṃ strength of arms, bhoga- of wealth, amacca- of counsellors, abhijacca- of high birth, paññā- the force of wisdom; in the religious sense five balāni or powers are commonly enumd: saddhābalaṃ, viriya-, sati-, samādhi-, paññā- A III.12; D II.120; M II.12, III.296; S III.96, 153; IV.366, V.219, 249... They correspond to the 5 indriyāni and are developed with them...they are cultivated to destroy the five uddhambhāgiyāni saṃyojanāni S V.251. They are freq. referred to in instructions of the Buddha about the constituents of the "Dhamma," culminating in the eightfold Path, viz. cattāro satipaṭṭhānā, samappadhānā, cattāro iddhipādā, pañcindriyani, p. balāni, sattabojjhangāni, ariyo aṭṭhangiko maggo e. g. S III.96... Two balāni are specially mentioned A I.52 (paṭisankhānabalaṃ and bhāvanā-), also D III.213, followed here by the other "pair" satibalaṃ and samādhi-. There are four balāni of the ariyasāvaka, by which he overcomes the five fears (pañca bhayāni q. v.); the four are paññābalaṃ, viriya-, anavajja- sangāha- A IV.363 sq., as given at A II.141, also the foll. 3 groups of cattāri balāni: -- (1) saddhābalaṃ, viriya-, sati-, samādhi-, cp. D III.229. -- (2) sati- samādhi-, anavajja-, sangāha-. (3) paṭisankhāna-, bhāvanā-, anavajja-, sangāha-. -- For 4 balāni see also D III.229 note... The ten balāni of the Tathāgata consist of his perfect comprehension in ten fields of knowledge A V.32 sq.; M I.69...In a similar setting 10 powers are given as consisting in the knowledge of the Paṭiccasamuppāda at S II.27, 28. ... There are seven balāni D III.253, and seven khīṇāsava-balāni 283 i. e. saddhābalaṃ, viriya-, sati-, samādhi-, paññā-, hiri- and ottappa-.
