"Just as monks, all the foot-characteristics of all jungle creatures[1] are combined in the elephant's and the elephant's foot is reckoned chief of them in size, so too, monks, of all the elements[2] that conduce to enlightenment the faculty of wisdom[3] is reckoned their chief as regards the attainment of enlightenment.

"And which, are those elements that conduce to enlightenment? The faculty of faith, monks, conduces to enlightenment, the faculties of energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom conduce to enlightenment.

"Just as, monks, all the foot-characteristics of all jungle creatures are combined in the elephant's foot and the elephant's foot is reckoned chief of them in size, so too, monks, of all the elements that conduce to enlightenment the faculty of wisdom is reckoned chief as regards the attainment of enlightenment."

Notes

1.

Reverting to jangalaana.m in Feer's text, as opposed to Woodward's "creatures as roam about" based on a dubious jangaman.am (for cankamana.m) of some MSS.

2.

Padaani lit. "feet" is an untranslatable pun. Pada.m "foot" has even more metaphorical meanings in Pali than the English word: see Pali-English Dictionary (PTS).

3.

Paññindriya. The fifth of the five "spiritual faculties": 1. Faith (saddhaa), 2. Energy (viriya), 3. Mindfulness (sati), 4. Concentration (samaadhi), 5. Wisdom (paññaa). See Buddhist Dictionary (2nd ed., by Ven. Nyaa.natiloka, Ven. Nyaa.naponika, ed., Colombo 1972) s.v. Indriya and also Indriya-samatta. It will be noticed that these five partly overlap with the seven bojjhangas (SN 46.53, n. 1).

Translated from the Pali by Maurice O'Connell Walshe. From Access to Insight (BCBS Edition). Licensed under free distribution only (see source for the specific license) — for free distribution only. Never sold.