Indriya - 22 Phenomenological Faculties

22 Phenomenological Faculties

In the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the notion of indriya is expanded to the twenty-two "phenomenological faculties" or "controlling powers" (Pali: bāvīsati indriyāni) which are:

• six sensory faculties

1. eye/vision faculty (cakkh-undriya)
2. ear/hearing faculty (sot-indriya)
3. nose/smell faculty (ghān-indriya)
4. tongue/taste faculty (jivh-indriya)
5. body/sensibility faculty (kāy-indriya)
6. mind faculty (man-indriya)

• three physical faculties

1. femininity (itth-indriya)
2. masculinity (puris-indriya)
3. life or vitality (jīvit-indriya)

• five feeling faculties

1. physical pleasure (sukh-indriya)
2. physical pain (dukkh-indriya)
3. mental joy (somanasa-indriya)
4. mental grief (domanass-indriya)
5. equanimity (upekhha-indriya)

• five spiritual faculties

1. faith (saddh-indriya)
2. energy (viriy-indriya)
3. mindfulness (sat-indriya)
4. concentration (samādhi-indriya)
5. wisdom (paññ-indriya)

• three final-knowledge faculties

1. thinking "I shall know the unknown" (anaññāta-ñassāmīt-indriya)
2. gnosis (aññ-indriya)
3. one who knows (aññātā-vindriya)

According to the post-canonical Visuddhimagga, the 22 faculties along with such constructs as the aggregates, sense bases, Four Noble Truths and Dependent Origination are the "soil" of wisdom (paññā).