The Long Āgama Sūtra 18.28

18.28

「如來說法復有上者，謂神足證。神足證者，諸沙門、婆羅門以種種方便，入定意三昧，隨三昧心，作無數神力，能變一身為無數身，以無數身合為一身，石壁無礙，於虛空中結加趺坐。猶如飛鳥，出入於地；猶如在水，履水如地；身出烟火，如火積燃；以手捫日月，立至梵天。若沙門、婆羅門稱是神足者，當報彼言：『有此神足，非為不有。此神足者，卑賤下劣，凡夫所行，非是賢聖之所修習。若比丘於諸世間愛色不染，捨離此已，如所應行，斯乃名為賢聖神足。於無喜色，亦不憎惡，捨離此已，如所應行，斯乃名曰賢聖神足。於諸世間愛色、不愛色，二俱捨已，修平等護，專念不忘，斯乃名曰賢聖神足。猶如世尊精進勇猛，有大智慧，有知、有覺，得第一覺，故名等覺。世尊今亦不樂於欲，不樂卑賤凡夫所習，亦不勞勤受諸苦惱。世尊若欲除弊惡法，有覺、有觀，離生喜、樂，遊於初禪，如是便能除弊惡法，有覺、有觀，離生喜、樂，遊於初禪；二禪、三禪、四禪，亦復如是。精進勇猛，有大智慧，有知、有覺，得第一覺，故名等覺。』」

“The Dharma that the Tathāgata teaches has another superiority, which is the realization of his miraculous abilities. The realization of miraculous abilities refers to this: Ascetics and priests use various methods to enter a fixed samādhi of mind. Following that samādhi of mind, they perform innumerable miraculous powers. They can make one body become innumerable bodies and combine innumerable bodies into one body. Stone walls are no obstacle to them, and they can sit cross-legged in the sky like a bird flying. They enter and exit the earth as though it were water and walk on water as though it were land. Their bodies produce smoke and fire like flames burning timber. They touch the sun and moon with their hand and stand as high as the Brahma Heaven.

“If ascetics and priests declare these miraculous abilities, the response to them should be: ‘There are these miraculous abilities; it’s not that they don’t exist. These miraculous abilities are crude and inferior, something practiced by ordinary men. They aren’t cultivated by noble people.

“If a monk isn’t defiled by forms that are craved by the world, then he would practice in this fashion after secluding himself from them. This is what’s called the noble person’s miraculous ability. Without delighting in forms or being disgusted by them, he then would practice in this fashion after secluding himself from them. This is what’s called a noble person’s miraculous ability. Giving up both the forms that the world craves and that it doesn’t crave, he cultivates complete equanimity, focusing his attention and not losing it. This is what’s called the noble person’s miraculous ability.

“He’s like the Bhagavān who strived courageously, possesses great wisdom, knowledge, and awareness, and attained the supreme awakening. Therefore, he’s called the Completely Awakened One.

“The Bhagavān isn’t pleased by desires, either. He isn’t pleased by the practices of crude and ordinary men, nor does he toil in mortifications. If he wishes to eliminate bad qualities, then the Bhagavān’s seclusion gives rise to joy and happiness with perception and examination, and he traverses the first dhyāna. The second, third, and fourth dhyānas are likewise. He strived courageously, possesses great wisdom, knowledge, awareness, and attained the supreme awakening. Therefore, he’s called the Completely Awakened One.”