sutta » sn » sn51 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.21

Maggasutta

The Path

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:

‘ko nu kho maggo, kā paṭipadā iddhipādabhāvanāyā’ti?
‘What’s the path and practice for developing the bases of psychic power?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me:

‘idha bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—
‘It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort.

iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati.
They think: “My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.”

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—
And they meditate perceiving before and behind:

yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure;
as before, so behind; as behind, so before;

yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho;
as below, so above; as above, so below;

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.
as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance.

Vīriyasamādhi …pe…
They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy …

cittasamādhi …
mental development …

vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—
inquiry, and active effort.

iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati.
They think: “My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.”

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—
And they meditate perceiving before and behind:

yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure;
as before, so behind; as behind, so before;

yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho;
as below, so above; as above, so below;

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā’—
as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.

iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance.’

Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.
When the four bases of psychic power have been developed and cultivated in this way, a mendicant wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.

Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.
When the four bases of psychic power have been developed and cultivated in this way, they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

(Chapi abhiññāyo vitthāretabbā.)
(The six direct knowledges should be told in full.)