Samyutta Nikaya - Iddhipada Samyutta

Samyutta Nikaya - Iddhipada Samyutta

SN 51.15
Brahmana Sutta
To Unnabha the Brahman
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: S v 271
CDB ii 1732



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
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I have heard that on one occasion Ven. Ananda was staying in Kosambi, at
Ghosita's Park. Then the Brahman Unnabha went to where Ven. Ananda was staying
and on arrival greeted him courteously. After an exchange of friendly greetings
& courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven.
Ananda: "Master Ananda, what is the aim of this holy life lived under the
contemplative Gotama?"
"Brahman, the holy life is lived under the Blessed One with the aim of
abandoning desire."
"Is there a path, is there a practice, for the abandoning of that desire?"
"Yes, there is a path, there is a practice, for the abandoning of that desire."
"What is the path, the practice, for the abandoning of that desire?"
"Brahman, there is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with
concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion. He develops the
base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence... concentration
founded on intent... concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications
of exertion. This, Brahman, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning
of that desire."
"If that's so, Master Ananda, then it's an endless path, and not one with an
end, for it's impossible that one could abandon desire by means of desire."
"In that case, brahman, let me question you on this matter. Answer as you see
fit. What do you think: Didn't you first have desire, thinking, 'I'll go to the
park,' and then when you reached the park, wasn't that particular desire
allayed?"
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you first have persistence, thinking, 'I'll go to the park,' and then
when you reached the park, wasn't that particular persistence allayed?"
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you first have the intent, thinking, 'I'll go to the park,' and then
when you reached the park, wasn't that particular intent allayed?"
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you first have [an act of] discrimination, thinking, 'I'll go to the
park,' and then when you reached the park, wasn't that particular act of
discrimination allayed?"
"Yes, sir."
"So it is with an arahant whose mental effluents are ended, who has reached
fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal,
totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who is released through right
gnosis. Whatever desire he first had for the attainment of arahantship, on
attaining arahantship that particular desire is allayed. Whatever persistence he
first had for the attainment of arahantship, on attaining arahantship that
particular persistence is allayed. Whatever intent he first had for the
attainment of arahantship, on attaining arahantship that particular intent is
allayed. Whatever discrimination he first had for the attainment of arahantship,
on attaining arahantship that particular discrimination is allayed. So what do
you think, brahman? Is this an endless path, or one with an end?"
"You're right, Master Ananda. This is a path with an end, and not an endless
one. Magnificent, Master Ananda! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place
upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one
who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see
forms, in the same way has Master Ananda — through many lines of reasoning —
made the Dhamma clear. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to
the Sangha of monks. May Master Ananda remember me as a lay follower who has
gone for refuge, from this day forward, for life."


SN 51.20
Iddhipada-vibhanga Sutta
Analysis of the Bases of Power

"These four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of great fruit & great
benefit. And how are the four bases of power developed & pursued so as to be of
great fruit & great benefit?
"There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with
concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion, thinking, 'This
desire of mine will be neither overly sluggish nor overly active, neither
inwardly restricted nor outwardly scattered.' He keeps perceiving what is in
front & behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, what is
behind is the same as what is in front. What is below is the same as what is
above, what is above is the same as what is below. [He dwells] by night as by
day, and by day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, he
develops a brightened mind.
"He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on
persistence...
"He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on intent...
"He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on
discrimination & the fabrications of exertion, thinking, 'This discrimination of
mine will be neither overly sluggish nor overly active, neither inwardly
restricted nor outwardly scattered.' He keeps perceiving what is in front &
behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, what is behind is
the same as what is in front. What is below is the same as what is above, what
is above is the same as what is below. [He dwells] by night as by day, and by
day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, he develops a
brightened mind.
"And how is desire overly sluggish? Whatever desire is accompanied by laziness,
conjoined with laziness, that is called overly sluggish desire.
"And how is desire overly active? Whatever desire is accompanied by
restlessness, conjoined with restlessness, that is called overly active desire.
"And how is desire inwardly restricted? Whatever desire is accompanied by sloth
& drowsiness, conjoined with sloth & drowsiness, that is called inwardly
restricted desire.
"And how is desire outwardly scattered? Whatever desire is stirred up by the
five strings of sensuality, outwardly dispersed & dissipated, that is called
outwardly scattered desire.
"And how does a monk dwell perceiving what is in front & behind so that what is
in front is the same as what is behind, and what is behind is the same as what
is in front? There is the case where a monk's perception of what is in front &
behind is well in hand, well-attended to, well-considered, well-tuned1 by means
of discernment. This is how a monk keeps perceiving what is in front and behind
so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, and what is behind is
the same as what is in front.
"And how does a monk dwell so that what is below is the same as what is above,
and what is above is the same as what is below? There is the case where a monk
reflects on this very body, from the soles of the feet on up, from the crown of
the head on down, surrounded by skin, & full of various kinds of unclean things:
'In this body there are head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh,
tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large
intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat,
fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints, urine.' This is how a
monk dwells so that what is below is the same as what is above, and what is
above is the same as what is below.
"And how does a monk dwell by night as by day, and by day as by night? There is
the case where a monk at night develops the base of power endowed with
concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion by means of the
same modes2 & signs & themes that he uses by day, and by day he develops the
base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of
exertion by means of the same modes & signs & themes that he uses by night. This
is how a monk dwells by night as by day, and by day as by night.
"And how does a monk — by means of an awareness open & unhampered — develop a
brightened mind? There is the case where a monk has the perception of light, the
perception of daytime [at any hour of the day] well in hand & well-established.
This is how a monk — by means of an awareness open & unhampered — develops a
brightened mind.
(The above discussion is then repeated for persistence, intent, &
discrimination.)
"When a monk has thus developed & pursued the four bases of power, he
experiences manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having
been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through
walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through space. He dives in & out of the earth
as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land.
Sitting crosslegged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand
he touches & strokes even the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful. He exercises
influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds.
"He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human
— both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far.
"He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed
it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as a mind with
passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without passion. He discerns a
mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a
mind without aversion. He discerns a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion,
and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion. He discerns a restricted
mind as a restricted mind, and a scattered mind as a scattered mind. He discerns
an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged
mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one that is not at the most excellent level]
as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. He discerns a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an
unconcentrated mind. He discerns a released mind as a released mind, and an
unreleased mind as an unreleased mind.
"He recollects his manifold past lives,3 i.e., one birth, two births, three
births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one
thousand, one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of
cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction & expansion, [recollecting],
'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such
was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life.
Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name,
belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my
experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that
state, I re-arose here.' Thus he remembers his manifold past lives in their
modes & details.
"He sees — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — beings
passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior,
beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These
beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who reviled
the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of
wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in
the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. But
these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who
did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under
the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.' Thus — by means of
the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — he sees beings passing away
and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful &
ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma.
"Through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free
awareness-release & discernment-release, knowing & realizing it for himself in
the here & now.
"This is how these four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of great
fruit & great benefit."



Notes
1. Or: "penetrated."
2. Or: "permutations."
3. Lit.: "previous homes."


SN 51.2

§ 63. Monks, whoever neglects these four bases of power neglects the noble path going to the right ending of stress. Whoever undertakes these four bases of power undertakes the noble path going to the right ending of stress. Which four?

There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion. He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence... concentration founded on intent... concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion.

Whoever neglects these four bases of power neglects the noble path going to the right ending of stress. Whoever undertakes these four bases of power undertakes the noble path going to the right ending of stress.


SN 51.26

§ 64. Ven. Ānanda: What, venerable sir, is power? What is the base of power? What is the development of the base of power? And what is the path of practice leading to the development of the base of power?

The Buddha: There is the case, Ānanda, where a monk [1] wields manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through space. He dives in & out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches & strokes even the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahmā worlds. {Just as a skilled potter or his assistant could craft from well-prepared clay whatever kind of pottery vessel he likes, or as a skilled ivory-carver or his assistant could craft from well-prepared ivory any kind of ivory-work he likes, or as a skilled goldsmith or his assistant could craft from well-prepared gold any kind of gold article he likes; in the same way, the monk wields manifold supranormal powers...}

[2] He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far. {Just as if a man traveling along a highway were to hear the sounds of kettledrums, small drums, conchs, cymbals, & tom-toms. He would know, 'That is the sound of kettledrums, that the sound of small drums, that the sound of conchs, that the sound of cymbals, & that the sound of tom-toms.' In the same way... the monk hears... both kinds of sounds: divine & human...}

[3] He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without passion. He discerns a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion. He discerns a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion. He discerns a constricted mind as a constricted mind, and a scattered mind as a scattered mind. He discerns an enlarged mind [in jhāna] as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one not on the most excellent level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. He discerns a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind. He discerns a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased mind. {Just as if a young woman — or man — fond of ornaments, examining the reflection of her own face in a bright mirror or a bowl of clear water would know 'blemished' if it were blemished, or 'unblemished' if it were not. In the same way... the monk knows the awareness of other beings...}

[4] He recollects his manifold past lives [lit: previous homes], i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction & expansion, (recollecting,) 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus he remembers his manifold past lives in their modes & details. {Just as if a man were to go from his home village to another village, and then from that village to yet another village, and then from that village back to his home village. The thought would occur to him, 'I went from my home village to that village over there. There I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, & remained silent in such a way. From that village I went to that village over there, and there I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, & remained silent in such a way. From that village I came back home.' In the same way... the monk recollects his manifold past lives...}

[5] He sees — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — with the breakup of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — with the breakup of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.' Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — he sees beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma. {Just as if there were a tall building in the central square (of a town), and a man with good eyesight standing on top of it were to see people entering a house, leaving it, walking along the street, & sitting in the central square. The thought would occur to him, 'These people are entering a house, leaving it, walking along the streets, & sitting in the central square.' In the same way... the monk sees — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — beings passing away and re-appearing...}

[6] Through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, knowing & realizing it for himself in the here & now. {Just as if there were a pool of water in a mountain glen — clear, limpid, & unsullied — where a man with good eyesight standing on the bank could see shells, gravel, & pebbles, and also shoals of fish swimming about & resting, and it would occur to him, 'This pool of water is clear, limpid, & unsullied. Here are these shells, gravel, & pebbles, and also these shoals of fish swimming about & resting.' In the same way, the monk discerns, as it is has come to be, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of stress... These are effluents... This is the origination of effluents... This is the cessation of effluents... This is the way leading to the cessation of effluents.' His heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the effluent of sensuality, released from the effluent of becoming, released from the effluent of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'}

This is called power.

And what is the base of power? Whatever path, whatever practice, leads to the attainment of power, the winning of power: That is called the base of power.

And what is the development of the base of power? There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion. He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence... concentration founded on intent... concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion. This is called the development of the base of power.

And what is the path of practice leading to the development of the base of power? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is called the path of practice leading to the development of the base of power.


SN 51.13

§ 65. If a monk attains concentration, attains singleness of mind founded on desire, that is called concentration founded on desire. He generates desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen... for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen... for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen... (and) for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. These are called the fabrications of exertion. This is desire, this is concentration founded on desire, these are the fabrications of exertion. This is called the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion.

If a monk attains concentration, attains singleness of mind founded on persistence, that is called concentration founded on persistence...

If a monk attains concentration, attains singleness of mind founded on intent, that is called concentration founded on intent...

If a monk attains concentration, attains singleness of mind founded on discrimination, that is called concentration founded on discrimination. He generates desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen... for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen... for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen... (and) for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. These are called the fabrications of exertion. This is discrimination, this is concentration founded on discrimination, these are the fabrications of exertion. This is called the base of power endowed with concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion.


SN 51.22

§ 68. Ven. Ānanda: Venerable sir, does the Blessed One have direct experience of going to the Brahmā world by means of supranormal power with a mind-made body?

The Buddha: Yes, Ānanda...

Ven. Ānanda: But does the Blessed One also have direct experience of going to the Brahmā world by means of supranormal power with this very physical body, composed of the four great elements?

The Buddha: Yes...

Ven. Ānanda: It's amazing & astounding that the Blessed One should have direct experience of going to the Brahmā world by means of supranormal power with a mind-made body, and of going to the Brahmā world by means of supranormal power with this very physical body, composed of the four great elements.

The Buddha: Tathāgatas are both amazing, Ānanda, and endowed with amazing qualities. They are both astounding and endowed with astounding qualities. Whenever the Tathāgata merges his body with his mind and his mind with his body, and remains having alighted on the perception of ease and buoyancy with regard to the body, then his body becomes lighter, more pliant, more malleable, & more radiant.

Just as when an iron ball heated all day becomes lighter, more pliant, more malleable, & more radiant; in the same way, whenever the Tathāgata merges his body with his mind and his mind with his body, and remains having alighted on the perception of ease and buoyancy with regard to the body, then his body becomes lighter, more pliant, more malleable, & more radiant.

Now, whenever the Tathāgata merges his body with his mind and his mind with his body, and remains having alighted on the perception of ease and buoyancy with regard to the body, then his body rises effortlessly from the earth up into the sky. He then experiences manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through space. He dives in & out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches & strokes even the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahmā worlds.

Just as a tuft of cotton seed or a ball of thistle down, lightly wafted by the wind, rises effortlessly from the earth up into the sky, in the same way, whenever the Tathāgata concentrates his body in his mind & his mind in his body, and remains having alighted on the perception of ease and buoyancy, then his body rises effortlessly from the earth up into the sky. He then experiences manifold supranormal powers... even as far as the Brahmā worlds.