Friends:

What is Characteristic of the 5 Mental Abilities?

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are these five mental abilities (indriya). What five?

The ability of Faith (saddhā)
The ability of Energy (viriya)
The ability of Awareness (sati)
The ability of Concentration (samādhi)
The ability of Understanding (pañña)

And what, Bhikkhus, is the Faith ability?
It is when the Noble Disciple is convinced by the fact of reality
of the unexcelled enlightenment of the Tathagata thus:
The Blessed One is an Arahat, perfectly enlightened, consummated
in knowledge and behaviour, well transcended, knower of all worlds,
unsurpassed trainer of those who can be tamed, teacher and guide
of devas and humans, the Enlightened Buddha, the all Blessed One...
This is called the Faith ability...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the Energy ability?
It is when the Noble Disciple lives while enthusiastically eliminating
any detrimental mental state & while gradually getting advantageous
mental states. In this he is strong, determined, not shirking any good
opportunity to cultivate advantageous mental states. This is called
the Energy ability...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the Awareness ability?
It is when the Noble Disciple is aware, possessing supreme awareness
and discretion, one who remembers and recollects what was done and
said long ago. This is called the ability of Awareness...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the concentration ability?
It is when the Noble Disciple gains Concentration, gains absorption into
the object, having made release the object. This is indeed called the
Concentration ability...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the Understanding ability?
It is when the Noble Disciple is clever by possessing understanding of
the continual arising & passing away, which is Noble & cutting through,
leading to the complete destruction of Suffering. This is called the
Understanding ability... These five qualities, Bhikkhus & Friends, are
the 5 mental abilities!

Source of reference (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V: 197] 48 The Mental Abilities (Indriya): 9 Analysis..

On The Five Mental Abilities (indriya) see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Final_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Origin_of_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Finding_the_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fruits_of_the_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Analysis_of_the_Abilities.htm