51st-55th Imperishable, The Five Powers

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Further, reverend Śāradvatīputra, the bodhisattvas’ five powers are also imperishable.

What then are the five powers? 1) The power of faith, 2) the power of vigour, 3) the power of recollection, 4) the power of concentration and 5) the power of insight.

1) What then is the power of faith?

It is confidence, faith and uncrushability. Even though the sinful Evil One approaches him in the form of a Buddha and deters him and dissuades him from one kind of confidence or another in reflecting on moments of existence, he is not able to move or disturb him or make the bodhisattva confident in faith turn away from the power of faith.

This is called the power of faith.

2) What then is the power of vigour?

Whatever application of vigour the bodhisattva embarks upon, whatever good moments of existence he practises, in all of them (p. 141) he attains firmness in producing power. The whole world with the gods is not able to move, disturb or deflect the bodhisattva connected with such production of power as long as he does not get out of that state [himself, having completed what should be obtained].

This is called the power of vigour.

3) What then is the power of recollection?

In whatever state of recollection of moments of existence he establishes his thought, no vice is able to deter him from that; by his producing the power of recollection all vices are defeated; that recollection of the bodhisattva cannot be crushed by any vice.

This is called the power of recollection.

4) What then is the power of concentration?

It is to behave in such a way that one depends on aloofness from all crowds [and thus stays concentrated, but even staying with the crowd, he stays concentrated]: He teaches by means of words and sentences, but even the thorns of words do not produce any hindrance to his first state of meditation; he practises inspection and examination of the good, but this is no hindrance to his second state of meditation; he produces joy and happiness, but this is no hindrance to his third state of meditation; he is not equanimous when it concerns maturing beings and helping true religion, but this is no hindrance to his fourth state of meditation. The moments of existence which are contraries to meditation are unable to get the better of him when he practises the four states of meditation.

He does not give up the state of concentration, but he is not born again through the power of concentration [in the sphere of forms (rūpadhātu) only, he is also reborn in lower states of existence through the power of his vows (praṇidhānavaśena) and according to his intention (saṃcintya) to help living beings].

This is called the power of concentration.

5) What then is the power of insight?

It is indomitable knowledge of worldly and unworldly teachings. Throughout his different births all crafts and professions, different kinds of knowledge, formulas and powers appear to him though he has no teacher; whatever is best in the world, be it hard to do, hard to endure or hard to obtain, that appears to the bodhisattva. And further, the unworldly moments of existence by means of which transcendence of the world is brought about, those also he understands by his production of the power of insight and knowledge. That which is uncrushable by gods, humans and giants, this is called the power of insight.

Those, reverend Śāradvatīputra, are called the bodhisattvas’ five imperishable powers.