Buddhism is full of lists: the three trainings, the four foundations of mindfulness, the five skandhas, the eightfold path, the twelve-fold dependent origination, the 37 limbs of awakening, and so forth. Often these lists are presented in a rather static way, as if we’re just being offered an overview of some area of life. For instance, the four foundations are usually described as four aspects of our experience that we can be mindful of, and the five skandhas as just a way to break down the idea of a unified self.
One such list is the five faculties, often called the five spiritual faculties. If you’re not familiar, these are common teachings involving faith, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. These faculties are often presented as if they just exist or are simply five things we need to develop to become awakened. Traditionally, the scriptures describe them as essential for declaring enlightenment.
I believe Buddha wasn’t just providing overviews; he was more focused on how things work, much like an engineer. His teaching on dependent origination showcases this by explaining how conditions lead to greater freedom and joy. So, when I see Buddhist lists, I think about how the items might work together as a dynamic system.
During my research for this article, I came across an early text that treats the five spiritual faculties as a dynamic series, each building on the previous one. In “The Discourse on the Analysis of Topics” (Arthaviniscaya Sutra), a commentarial text created by monks after the Buddha’s death, the five spiritual faculties are described as a step-by-step development of the qualities needed for awakening.
This early text shows the faculties working together as a system. Recently, I taught a class at a local Buddhist center explaining how these faculties can work moment by moment, more or less simultaneously, to help us move from unskillful to skillful states of mind, from suffering to peace, calm, and joy.
For example, when we experience anger, the five spiritual faculties can help us deal with it. They work together in a simultaneous manner, so we could start with any of them.
Mindfulness is about observing our experience. Without it, no practice can take place. Mindfulness helps us recognize that anger has arisen. Instead of just being angry, we’re aware of our anger.
Today, there’s a trend to see mindfulness as the only necessary spiritual quality. But it’s simply about observing; in itself, it does nothing, which is why we need the other spiritual faculties.
Wisdom is often seen as an enlightened quality, as something realized at the end of the path. However, early Buddhism regarded wisdom as understanding spiritual truths, such as knowing the consequences of our deeds. So, in our anger example, mindfulness tells us that anger is present, and wisdom tells us that this anger isn’t good for us and will likely cause suffering. Wisdom also knows there are alternatives like curiosity, patience, and kindness that can make us happier.
Faith in Buddhism isn’t blind belief; it’s more like confidence and clarity. On one level, we might know that anger causes problems, but on another level, believe we need anger to get what we want. Our practice gets compromised. But as we mindfully observe actions and consequences, and with wisdom see how they’re connected, we gain confidence that letting go of anger and practicing things like curiosity, patience, and kindness has both short- and long-term benefits.
So far, we’ve mindfully noticed that anger is present, wisely recognized that anger causes suffering, and now, with faith, we have confidence in alternatives to anger. However, we haven’t yet acted.
Vigor, or virya, is about taking action. Now that we have confidence that non-anger is better than anger, we act. This could mean letting go of angry thoughts or words. It could mean being open to acting in more helpful ways, like practicing curiosity, patience, and kindness. This might involve speaking kindly or empathetically trying to understand the person we’re angry with.
Concentration, or samadhi, means bringing the mind together around one purpose. It refers to an absence of internal conflict and continuity of mindfulness.
In our anger example, concentration involves maintaining a sustained effort to respond skillfully. Parts of the mind may want to be angry, believing anger solves problems, and these parts can be persistent. That’s why maintaining concentration is necessary. Concentration can also refer to the state of mind that emerges from mindfulness, wisdom, faith, and vigor. The more we prioritize wiser aspects of our mind, the weaker and less controlling the reactive parts become, leading to less inner conflict and greater harmony.
Ultimately, these five spiritual faculties function moment by moment, supporting each other each time we work with an unhelpful habit. As we consistently exercise them, they grow stronger, aiding in our liberation from suffering. This is what the scriptures mean when they say a mendicant must develop and cultivate these faculties to declare enlightenment—moment-by-moment change fostering habits that help us become free from suffering.