Passages from the Pali Canon
§ 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.
-- S.LI.2
§ 64. Ananda: What, lord, 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, Ananda, 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 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. {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 is the sound of small drums, that is the sound of conchs,
that is the sound of cymbals, & that is 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 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 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 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. {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
release of awareness & release of discernment, having known & made them
manifest for himself right 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 actually present, 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.
-- S.LI.26 {+ D.2}
§ 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.
-- S.LI.13
§ 66. Analysis. 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. Night is the same as day, day is
the same as 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...
concentration founded on intent... 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 strands 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-tuned
('penetrated') 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. [§30]
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 modes
(permutations) & 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. [§147]
(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... 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 recollects his manifold past
lives... He sees -- by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the
human -- beings passing away and re-appearing... Through the ending of the mental
effluents -- remains in the effluent-free release of awareness & release
of discernment, having known & made them manifest for himself right in the
present.
This is how these four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of
great fruit & great benefit.
-- S.LI.20
§ 67. 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 down to one side. As he was sitting there, he said
to Ven. Ananda: What is the aim of this holy life lived under the contemplative
Gotama?
Ananda: The holy life is lived under the Blessed One with the aim of abandoning
desire.
Unnabha: Is there a path, is there a practice, for the abandoning of that desire?
Ananda: Yes, there is...
Unnabha: What is the path, the practice, for the abandoning of that desire?
Ananda: 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.
Unnabha: If that's so, 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.
Ananda: Well then, Brahman, let me question you on this matter. Answer as you
see fit... 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?
Unnabha: Yes, sir.
Ananda: 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?
Unnabha: Yes, sir.
Ananda: 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?
Unnabha: Yes, sir.
Ananda: 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?
Unnabha: Yes, sir.
Ananda: 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?
Unnabha: You're right, sir. This is a path with an end, and not an endless one...
-- S.LI.15
§ 68. Ananda: Venerable sir, does the Blessed One have direct experience
of going to the Brahma world by means of supranormal power with a mind-made
body?
The Buddha: Yes, Ananda...
Ananda: But does the Blessed One also have direct experience of going to the
Brahma world by means of supranormal power with this very physical body, composed
of the four great elements?
The Buddha: Yes...
Ananda: It's awesome & marvelous that the Blessed One should have direct
experience of going to the Brahma world by means of supranormal power with a
mind-made body, and of going to the Brahma world by means of supranormal power
with this very physical body, composed of the four great elements.
The Buddha: Tathagatas are both awesome, Ananda, and endowed with awesome qualities.
They are both marvelous and endowed with marvelous qualities. Whenever the Tathagata
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 Tathagata 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 Tathagata 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 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.
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 Tathagata 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 Brahma worlds.
-- S.LI.22