Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘ko nu kho hetu, ko paccayo iddhipādabhāvanāyā’ti? Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti’.
“Bhikkhus, before my full awakening, while I was still a |bodhisatta::Buddha before his awakening, aspirant Buddha [bodhisatta]|, this thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the condition for the development of the bases of psychic powers?’ Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘Here, a bhikkhu develops the basis of psychic power that is endowed with |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]| arising from |aspiration::a goal, an interest, an objective, i.e. a wholesome motivation [chanda]| and accompanied by intentional effort — my aspiration will not be too slack, nor too tense, and it will not be inwardly inhibited nor outwardly scattered. He dwells continuously aware — as before, so after; as after, so before; as below, so above; as above, so below; as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. In this way, with an open and unenveloped mind, he develops a mind that is radiant.’
Vīriyasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me vīriyaṁ na ca atilīnaṁ bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitaṁ bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
Similarly, a bhikkhu develops the basis of psychic power that is endowed with collectedness arising from |determination::will power, energy [vīriya]| and accompanied by intentional effort — my energy will not be too slack, nor too tense, and it will not be inwardly inhibited nor outwardly scattered. He dwells continuously aware — as before, so after; as after, so before; as below, so above; as above, so below; as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. In this way, with an open and unenveloped mind, he develops a mind that is radiant.
Cittasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me cittaṁ na ca atilīnaṁ bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitaṁ bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
Similarly, a bhikkhu develops the basis of psychic power that is endowed with collectedness arising from |[purification of] mind::purification of heart [citta]| and accompanied by intentional effort — my mind will not be too slack, nor too tense, and it will not be inwardly inhibited nor outwardly scattered. He dwells continuously aware — as before, so after; as after, so before; as below, so above; as above, so below; as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. In this way, with an open and unenveloped mind, he develops a mind that is radiant.
Vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
Similarly, a bhikkhu develops the basis of psychic power that is endowed with collectedness arising from |investigation::consideration, reflection, and examination [vīmaṃsā]| and accompanied by intentional effort—my investigation will not be too slack, nor too tense, and it will not be inwardly inhibited nor outwardly scattered. He dwells continuously aware — as before, so after; as after, so before; as below, so above; as above, so below; as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. In this way, with an open and unenveloped mind, he develops a mind that is radiant.
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti; āvibhāvaṁ, tirobhāvaṁ; tirokuṭṭaṁ tiropākāraṁ tiropabbataṁ asajjamāno gacchati, seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṁ karoti, seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gacchati, seyyathāpi pathaviyaṁ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kamati, seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve pāṇinā parimasati parimajjati; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, one experiences various kinds of psychic powers: being one, one becomes many; being many, one becomes one; one appears and disappears; one passes through walls, enclosures, and mountains as though through space; one dives in and out of the earth as though it were water; one walks on water free from sinking as though on solid ground; one flies through the air cross-legged like a bird with wings; one touches and strokes with one’s hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; and one wields mastery with the body even as far as the |Brahmā::God, the first deity to be born at the beginning of a new cosmic cycle and whose lifespan lasts for the entire cycle [brahmā]| world.
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇāti—dibbe ca mānuse ca, dūre santike cāti.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, with the purified divine ear surpassing the human, one hears both kinds of sounds: divine and human, far and near.
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti. Sarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘sarāgaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vītarāgaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; sadosaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘sadosaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītadosaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vītadosaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; samohaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘samohaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītamohaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vītamohaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; saṅkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘saṅkhittaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; vikkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vikkhittaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; mahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ ‘mahaggataṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; amahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ ‘amahaggataṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; sauttaraṁ vā cittaṁ ‘sauttaraṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; anuttaraṁ vā cittaṁ ‘anuttaraṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; samāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘samāhitaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; asamāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘asamāhitaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vimuttaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; avimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘avimuttaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, one understands the minds of other beings, other persons, having encompassed them with one’s own mind. One knows a mind with lust as ‘with lust,’ and a mind free from lust as ‘free from lust’; a mind with hate as ‘with hate,’ and a mind free from hate as ‘free from hate’; a mind with delusion as ‘with delusion,’ and a mind free from delusion as ‘free from delusion’; a contracted mind as ‘contracted,’ and a distracted mind as ‘distracted’; a developed mind as ‘developed,’ and an undeveloped mind as ‘undeveloped’; a surpassable mind as ‘surpassable,’ and an unsurpassable mind as ‘unsurpassable’; a collected mind as ‘collected,’ and an uncollected mind as ‘uncollected’; a liberated mind as ‘liberated,’ and an unliberated mind as ‘unliberated.’
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, one recollects their manifold past lives: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many cycles of [universal] contraction, many cycles of [universal] expansion, many cycles of [universal] contraction and expansion: ‘There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my life span; and passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my life span; and passing away from there, I was reborn here.’ Thus with their aspects and particulars, one recollects their manifold past lives.
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata, bhonto, sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā. Ime vā pana, bhonto, sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte, suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, with the purified |divine eye::the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range [dibbacakkhu]| surpassing the human vision, one sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and one understands beings according to their actions: ‘These beings, who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. But these beings, who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the Noble Ones, who held right view and undertook actions under the influence of right view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in a good destination, in a heavenly world.’ Thus with the purified divine eye surpassing the human vision, one sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understands beings according to their actions.
Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.
When these four bases of psychic powers have been developed and frequently practiced in this way, through the wearing away of the mental defilements, one realizes for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it.”