The Factors Leading to Enlightenment - Five balas

When the five faculties have been developed they become powerful and unshakable. They do not vacillate with regard to their task of considering whatever object appears. Then they can become “powers” (balas). These five balas (powers) are the following:
1. The power of confidence  (saddha) which cannot be shaken by lack of confidence.
2. The power of energy  (viriya) which cannot be shaken by discouragement.
3. The power of mindfulness  (sati) which cannot be shaken by forgetfulness of the realities that appear.
4. The power of concentration  (samadhi) which cannot be shaken by distraction with regard to the object that appears.
5. The power of wisdom  (panna) which cannot be shaken by ignorance. Saddha, viriya, sati and samadhi can become strong when panna has become a power. When panna thoroughly understands the characteristics of nama and rupa, it has become unshakable; it does not vacillate. When seeing appears panna can realise its characteristic as nama, the reality, the element that experiences. It is the same with regard to hearing, smelling, tasting, the experience of tangible object and thinking; these can be realised as nama.