Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
51. Iddhi-Pāda Saṃyutta
2. Pāsāda-Kampana Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
51. Kindred Sayings on the Bases of Psychic Power
2. The Shaking of the Terraced House
Sutta 17
Dutiya Samaṇa-Brāhmaṇā or Vidhā or Iddhi-Vidhā Suttaṃ
Recluses and Brahmins (b)
or
Manifold Forms
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins have
in time past
enjoyed in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
four bases of psychic power.
■
Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins
in future times
shall enjoy in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
four bases of psychic power.
■
Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins
do now
enjoy in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
four bases of psychic power.
§
What four?
Herein a monk cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
desire,
together with the co-factors
of [247]concentration
and struggle.
He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
energy,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.
He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
thought,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.
He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
investigation,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.
§
Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins have
in time past
enjoyed in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
these four bases of psychic power.
■
Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins
in future times
shall enjoy in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
these four bases of psychic power.
■
Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins
do now
enjoy in divers ways
manifold forms of psychic power,
thus:
From being one, they were many:
from being many,
they were one:
manifest or invisible
they went unhindered through a wall,
through a rampart,
through a mountain,
as if it were through the air:
they plunged into the earth
and shot up again
as if in water:
they walked upon the water
without parting it,
as if on solid ground:
they travelled sitting cross-legged through the air,
like a bird upon the wing:
even this moon and sun,
though of such mighty magic power and majesty,
they handled and stroked with the hand:
even as far as the Brahma World
they had power with this body: -
all of these did so
by the fact of cultivating
and making much of
these four bases of psychic power."
