1"Suppose, bhikkhus, that when the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, a great crowd of people would come along bringing a shovel and a basket, thinking: ‘We will make this river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west.’[n.43] The simile and its application here parallel SN35.244 (IV 191, 1–24). What do you think, bhikkhus, would that great crowd of people be able to make the river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west?"

"No, venerable sir. For what reason? Because the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, and it is not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline towards the west. That great crowd of people would only reap fatigue and vexation."

"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the five spiritual faculties, kings or royal ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen, might invite him to accept wealth, saying: ‘Come, good man, why let these saffron robes weigh you down? Why roam around with a shaven head and a begging bowl? Come, having returned to the lower life, enjoy wealth and do meritorious deeds.’

Indeed, bhikkhus, when that bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the five spiritual faculties, it is impossible that he will give up the training and return to the lower life. For what reason? Because for a long time his mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined towards seclusion. Thus it is impossible that he will return to the lower life.

"And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu develop and cultivate the five spiritual faculties?

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the faculty of faith,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

He develops the faculty of energy,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

He develops the faculty of mindfulness,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

He develops the faculty of concentration,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

He develops the faculty of wisdom,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

"It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the five spiritual faculties."

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante. Taṁ kissa hetu? Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. Yāvadeva pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, …

Dvādasamaṁ.

Balakaraṇīyavaggo chaṭṭho.
(Yadapi balakaraṇīyaṁ, tadapi vitthāretabbaṁ.)