Muni's PlayThese two suttas from the Book of the Twos outline two fundamental powers (बल - bala) in Buddhist practice: the power of reflection and the power of cultivation. Both suttas define the power of reflection identically but provide different scopes for the power of cultivation.
The Two Powers
- The Power of Reflection (पटिसङ्खानबल - paṭisaṅkhānabala / Skt: प्रतिसङ्ख्यानबल - pratisaṅkhyānabala)
- The Power of Cultivation (भावनाबल - bhāvanābala / Skt: भावनाबल - bhāvanābala)
Summary of Key Phrases
| Power | Key Action (English) | Pali | Sanskrit Chaya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power of Reflection (AN 2.11 & 2.12) | Abandoning bad conduct, developing good conduct | कायदुच्चरितं पहाय कायसुचरितं भावेति, वचीदुच्चरितं पहाय वचीसुचरितं भावेति, मनोदुच्चरितं पहाय मनोसुचरितं भावेति (kāyaduccaritaṃ pahāya kāyasucaritaṃ bhāveti, vacīduccaritaṃ pahāya vacīsucaritaṃ bhāveti, manoduccaritaṃ pahāya manosucaritaṃ bhāveti) | कायदुश्चरितं प्रहाय कायसुचरितं भावयति, वाग्दुश्चरितं प्रहाय वाक्सुचरितं भावयति, मनोदुश्चरितं प्रहाय मनस्सुचरितं भावयति (kāyaduścaritaṃ prahāya kāyasucaritaṃ bhāvayati, vāgduścaritaṃ prahāya vāksucaritaṃ bhāvayati, manoduścaritaṃ prahāya manassucaritaṃ bhāvayati) |
| Power of Cultivation (AN 2.11) | Abandoning the three poisons | रागं पजहति, दोसं पजहति, मोहं पजहति (rāgaṃ pajahati, dosaṃ pajahati, mohaṃ pajahati) | रागं प्रजाहाति, द्वेषं प्रजाहाति, मोहं प्रजाहाति (rāgaṃ prajāhāti, dveṣaṃ prajāhāti, mohaṃ prajāhāti) |
| Power of Cultivation (AN 2.12) | Developing the awakening factors | सतिसम्बोज्झङ्गं भावेति… (satisambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti…) | स्मृतिसम्बोध्यङ्गं भावयति… (smṛtisambodhyaṅgaṃ bhāvayati…) |
1. The Power of Reflection (पटिसङ्खानबल)
Both AN 2.11 and 2.12 define the power of reflection in the same way: it is the process of considering the negative consequences of bad conduct in body, speech, and mind, and subsequently abandoning them to develop good conduct.
Pali
“कतमञ्च, भिक्खवे, पटिसङ्खानबलं? इध, भिक्खवे, एकच्चो इति पटिसञ्चिक्खति: ‘कायदुच्चरितस्स खो पापको विपाको दिट्ठे चेव धम्मे अभिसम्परायञ्च, वचीदुच्चरितस्स… मनोदुच्चरितस्स…’ति। सो इति पटिसङ्खाय कायदुच्चरितं पहाय कायसुचरितं भावेति, वचीदुच्चरितं पहाय वचीसुचरितं भावेति, मनोदुच्चरितं पहाय मनोसुचरितं भावेति, सुद्धं अत्तानं परिहरति।”
Sanskrit Chaya
“कतमच्च भिक्षवः प्रतिसङ्ख्यानबलम्? इह भिक्षव एकक इति प्रतिसञ्चष्टे: ‘कायदुश्चरितस्य खलु पापो विपाको दृष्टे चैव धर्मेऽभिसम्पराये च, वाग्दुश्चरितस्य… मनोदुश्चरितस्य… ’ इति। स इति प्रतिसङ्ख्याय कायदुश्चरितं प्रहाय कायसुचरितं भावयति, वाग्दुश्चरितं प्रहाय वाक्सुचरितं भावयति, मनोदुश्चरितं प्रहाय मनस्सुचरितं भावयति, शुद्धमात्मानं परिहरति।”
“And what, monks, is the power of reflection? Here, someone reflects thus: ‘Bad bodily conduct has a bad result both in this visible life and in the life to come. Bad verbal conduct… Bad mental conduct…’ Reflecting in this way, they abandon bad bodily conduct and develop good bodily conduct, they abandon bad verbal conduct and develop good verbal conduct, they abandon bad mental conduct and develop good mental conduct, and they maintain themselves in purity.”
2. The Power of Cultivation (भावनाबल)
The two suttas define the power of cultivation differently. AN 2.11 defines it in terms of abandoning the three root poisons, while AN 2.12 defines it in terms of developing the seven awakening factors.
AN 2.11: Abandoning the Three Poisons
Pali
“तत्र, भिक्खवे, यमिदं भावनाबलं सेखानमेतं बलं। सेखञ्हि सो, भिक्खवे, बलं आगम्म रागं पजहति, दोसं पजहति, मोहं पजहति। रागं पहाय, दोसं पहाय, मोहं पहाय यं अकुसलं न तं करोति, यं पापं न तं सेवति।”
Sanskrit Chaya
“तत्र भिक्षवो यदेतद्भावनाबलं शैक्षाणामेतद्बलम्। शैक्षं हि स भिक्षवो बलमागम्य रागं प्रजाहाति, द्वेषं प्रजाहाति, मोहं प्रजाहाति। रागं प्रहाय, द्वेषं प्रहाय, मोहं प्रहाय यदकुशलं न तत्करोति, यत्पापं न तत्सेवते।”
“Herein, monks, this power of cultivation is the power of those in training (sekha). Relying on the power of a trainee, one abandons lust, abandons hatred, and abandons delusion. Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, one does not do whatever is unwholesome, one does not engage in whatever is bad.”
AN 2.12: Developing the Seven Awakening Factors
Pali
“इध, भिक्खवे, भिक्खु सतिसम्बोज्झङ्गं भावेति विवेकनिस्सितं विरागनिस्सितं निरोधनिस्सितं वोसग्गपरिणामिं, धम्मविचयसम्बोज्झङ्गं भावेति… वीरियसम्बोज्झङ्गं… पीतिसम्बोज्झङ्गं… पस्सद्धिसम्बोज्झङ्गं… समाधिसम्बोज्झङ्गं… उपेक्खासम्बोज्झङ्गं भावेति विवेकनिस्सितं विरागनिस्सितं निरोधनिस्सितं वोसग्गपरिणामिं।”
Sanskrit Chaya
“इह भिक्षवो भिक्षुः स्मृतिसम्बोध्यङ्गं भावयति विवेकनिश्रितं विरागनिश्रितं निरोधनिश्रितं व्युत्सर्गपरिणामि, धर्मविचयसम्बोध्यङ्गं भावयति… वीर्यसम्बोध्यङ्गं… प्रीतिसम्बोध्यङ्गं… प्रश्रब्धिसम्बोध्यङ्गं… समाधिसम्बोध्यङ्गं… उपेक्षासम्बोध्यङ्गं भावयति विवेकनिश्रितं विरागनिश्रितं निरोधनिश्रितं व्युत्सर्गपरिणामि।”
“Here, monks, a monk develops the awakening factor of mindfulness based on seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the awakening factor of investigation of principles… energy… rapture… tranquility… concentration… equanimity based on seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release.”