The Four Bases of Power: Read the Concentration Terms

The four bases of power appear among Buddhist teachings on concentration. Their names can be difficult to read when one translation uses “desire” and another uses “determination.” Start by identifying the source, then read what it says the quality does.

Four bases in SN 51:20

Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu’s translation of SN 51:20 names concentration founded on desire, persistence, intent, and discrimination, each accompanied by the activities of exertion. Addressing monks, the discourse says these qualities should avoid sluggishness, overactivity, inward constriction, and outward scattering. Its explanations connect these difficulties with laziness, restlessness, drowsiness, and dispersion toward sense pleasures.^[1]

Keep those distinctions visible when reading. “I was distracted” leaves much unspecified. Did you lose interest, keep chasing another thought, or struggle to stay awake? An account of what happened provides a better starting point for asking about an instruction.

Read the cautions alongside the names

The discourse does not stop at naming the four. It also discusses bodily contemplation, perception of light, and consistency of practice by day and night. Its concluding account includes supranormal abilities and liberation.^[1] That is the scope of the religious text. A short introductory article cannot turn it into a test of attainments or a promise about what a particular reader will experience.

Suppose you attend an evening teaching and later write, “I need more persistence.” Before choosing an answer, add what you observed. Perhaps you spent the first part of the session rehearsing tomorrow's conversation, then repeatedly lost the thread of the explanation. Those are two observations worth distinguishing.

Take the account to the teacher and ask which instruction applies. A broad label may help you find a passage. It should still leave room to describe the circumstances accurately.

Patrul Rinpoche’s path context

In A Brief Guide to the Stages and Paths of the Bodhisattvas, Patrul Rinpoche places the four supports of miraculous ability on the greater stage of the path of accumulation. The translation names determination, exertion, attention, and discernment.^[2]

• Determination: enthusiasm and aspiration toward concentration.
• Exertion: diligence in removing obstacles and developing needed qualities.
• Attention: undivided, one-pointed attention.
• Discernment: sustaining concentration in daily activity.

Patrul explains these as supports for concentration from which miraculous attainments can arise. His account belongs within bodhisattva training and the gathering of merit and wisdom.^[2]

Record that location in the text. If you copy only the four names into a notebook, you can lose the explanation of where they appear and what the author is describing. A page reference and section heading preserve information you may need later.

Make a small translation note

When comparing these sources, write the two lists beside each other with their author or translator attached. Leave a separate space for questions. Do not assume that two English words carry every distinction of the underlying terms, or that a shared four-part list makes the surrounding instructions interchangeable.

A useful note might read: “SN 51:20: concentration founded on intent. Patrul: support of attention. Question: how does my teacher explain this term in the text we are studying?” This is an editorial example of a reading note, rather than a proposed formal meditation sequence.

You can add the answer after the teaching, including the recommended passage or edition. If you remain uncertain, mark the question as open. An unfinished note is more useful than a confident paraphrase you cannot explain.

Choose the next passage deliberately

Read the complete SN 51:20 before extracting a personal practice rule from its opening lines. In Patrul's guide, read the greater stage with the preceding sections so you can follow the arrangement. Our introductions to the four right efforts and the five faculties and strengths discuss neighboring groups of teachings.

Sources and further reading

1. An Analysis of the Bases of Power (SN 51:20). Translated from Pāli by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
2. A Brief Guide to the Stages and Paths of the Bodhisattvas. Patrul Rinpoche; Adam Pearcey, 2007, edited by Phillippa Sison. Version 1.5, March 18, 2024.

Sources checked November 1, 2026. Written with AI assistance and checked against the linked texts. The examples and brief review are supplied by this site; they do not replace instruction from a qualified teacher.