Pali term: bala (power/strength)

power, strength.

The word is used in a wide variety of meanings. In the general sense, it means physical strength, healthiness, power or authority (AN 3.70), sometimes intellectual authority (e.g. a powerful argument, MN 11), moral strength, or determination (as in the compound bala·vīriya).

♦ The most frequent list of balas is as follows:

Each item is defined in the Vitthata Sutta:

Alternative definitions of the power of energy and the power of wisdom as found at AN 9.5 will be provided below.

This group of five balas is part of a set of 37 dhammas which are sometimes listed together (e.g. at AN 10.90, SN 22.81). They are sometimes called the bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, although this expression doesn’t have a strict definition in the suttas and is loosely used to describe other sets.

In the Daṭṭhabba Sutta, it is said that these balas are ‘to be seen’ (daṭṭhabba) each in its domain of mastery:

This set of five balas has its own entire saṃyutta (SN 50), which consists essentially in repetition series. At SN 50.1, these five balas lead towards nibbāna just as the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east (seyyathāpi gaṅgā nadī pācīna·ninnā pācīna·poṇā pācīna·pabbhārā).

The enumeration of each of these balas is sometimes punctuated by four different formulas. The first one is found for example at SN 50.1 and is in fact mainly used with the bojjhaṅgas, and occasionally with (spiritual) indriyas: ‘based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release’ (viveka·nissita virāga·nissita nirodha·nissita vossagga·pariṇāmi).

The second formula can be found at SN 50.13 and says: ‘which has the removal of avidity as its final goal, the removal of hatred as its final goal, the removal of delusion as its final goal’ (rāga·vinaya·pariyosāna dosa·vinaya·pariyosāna moha·vinaya·pariyosāna).

The third one is also found for example at 50.13, and it says: ‘which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal’ (amat·ogadha amata·parāyana amata·pariyosāna).

The fourth is also found at 50.13, and it says: ‘which slants towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna‘ (nibbāna·ninna nibbāna·poṇa nibbāna·pabbhāra).

These five balas are said to be produced on the basis of other phenomena, among which sīla:

Appamāda is also said to be a basis for the development of these balas:

Between SN 50.35 and SN 50.54, these five balas are said to lead to the direct knowledge (abhiññā), full understanding (pariññā), complete destruction (parikkhaya), and abandoning (pahāna) of various phenomena: the three discriminations (vidhā), i.e. ‘I am superior’ (‘seyyo·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am equal’ (‘sadiso·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am inferior’ (hīno·ham·asmī’ti); the three searches (esanā), i.e. the search for sensuality (kām·esanā), the search for [a good] existence (bhav·esanā), the search for the brahmic life (brahmacariy·esanā); the three āsavā; the three bhavā; the three sufferings (dukkhatā), i.e. the suffering from pain (dukkha·dukkhatā), the suffering from Constructions (saṅkhāra·dukkhatā), the suffering from change (vipariṇāma·dukkhatā); the three akusalamulā; the three types of vedanā; kāma, diṭṭhi and avijjā; the four upādānā; abhijjhā, byāpāda, sīla·bbata parāmāsa and adherence to [the view] ‘This [alone] is the truth’ (idaṃ·sacc·ābhinivesa); the seven anusayā; the five kāma·guṇā; the five nīvaraṇā; the five upādāna·kkhandhas; the ten saṃyojanā.

These five balas represent a tool to remove akusalā dhammā. A number of similes illustrating this point are given in the Magga Saṃyutta: at SN 50.27, akusalā dhammā are given up by the mind like a pot turned upside down ‘gives up’ its water; at SN 50.30, they are disintegrated like a cloud providing rain disintegrates a dust storm; at SN 50.31, they are dispersed like a strong wind disperses a great cloud giving rain; at SN 50.32, they are like the ropes on a ship that rot under inclement weather. At SN 50.34, people, powerful or not, wishing to convince a bhikkhu cultivating these five balas to abandon monkhood by offering him wealth will be no more successful than people wishing to change the direction of the Ganges, because his mind is inclined to seclusion.

These five balas seem to be identical with the five spiritual indriyas, being just a different way to explain the same thing, as is explained in the Sāketa Sutta:

In this set of five balas, paññā is declared at AN 5.16 to be the ‘foremost’ (aggaṃ), the ‘one that maintains all in place’ (saṅgāhikaṃ), the ‘one that unifies them’ (saṅghātaniyaṃ).

Sometimes, as is the case at AN 4.152, this set of five is presented as a set of four, not including paññā. At AN 4.261, it is instead saddhā that is left out.

♦ There is another set of five balas: the trainee powers (sekha·bala), which are described and defined in the Vitthata Sutta:

Each item is defined in the Vitthata Sutta (they are identical with those given at AN 5.14 as quoted above, except for the following):

These same five balas are also said to be the Tathagata’s powers (tathāgata·bala) in the Ananussuta Sutta:

As was the case with the other set of five balas, paññā is declared at AN 5.12 to be the ‘foremost’ (aggaṃ), the ‘one that maintains all in place’ (saṅgāhikaṃ), the ‘one that unifies them’ (saṅghātaniyaṃ).

♦ We find sometimes these two sets of five balas mashed up in one set of seven, which is described for example in the Vitthata Sutta:

The definitions that follow are identical to those we have seen above in the two sets of five.

♦ Several variant sets of four balas are given in the Book of Fours of the Aṅguttara Nikāya:

AN 4.154 lists sati, samādhi, anavajja and congeniality (saṅgaha).

AN 4.155 lists reflection (paṭisaṅkhāna), bhāvanā, anavajja and congeniality (saṅgaha).

The Bala Sutta defines another set of four balas:

♦ There are also sets of two balas. The most prominent is that of reflection (paṭisaṅkhāna) and bhāvanā:

The bhāvanā·bala is then defined as the seven bojjhaṅgas, each punctuated with the formula: viveka·nissitaṃ virāga·nissitaṃ nirodha–nissitaṃ vossagga·pariṇāmiṃ (based on detachment/ seclusion, based on desirelessness, based on cessation, resulting in release).

At AN 2.13, the bhāvanā·bala is defined as the four jhānas.

AN 2.52 mentions the power of persuasion (saññatti·bala) and the power of favorable disposition (nijjhatti·bala), in the context of an assembly of monks discussing a disciplinary issue (adhikaraṇa). AN 2.171 mentions sati·bala and samādhi·bala.

♦ Two suttas mention the powers of an arahant. The most complete, AN 10.90, mentions:

– Having seen all saṅkhāras as they actually are with proper discernment as impermanent (aniccato sabbe saṅkhārā yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā honti).

– Having seen kāma as they actually are with proper discernment as smilar to a pit of glowing embers (aṅgārakāsūpamā kāmā yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā honti).

– Being naturally inclined to seclusion, delighting in renunciation, and being completely finished with all states that are a basis for mental impurities (vivekaninnaṃ cittaṃ hoti … vivekaṭṭhaṃ nekkhammābhirataṃ byantībhūtaṃ sabbaso āsavaṭṭhāniyehi dhammehi).

– The remaining seven items cover the 37 bodhi·pakkhiya·dhammās.

♦ The powers of the Tathāgata are sometimes enumerated as six, but in their fullest exposition, there are ten of them:

♦ Several discourses, list five powers of a woman (mātugāmassa bala):

♦ The Bala Sutta proposes a list of eight miscellaneous powers:

These powers all have in common that they allow one who possesses them to solve their most recurrent problems, but their nature vary widely, from annoyance to threat, to inner good qualities.