Sampasadaniyasutta 18.1-17

Sampasādanīyasutta 18.1-17

Language: Pāli

18.1

Aparaṃ pana, bhante, etadānuttariyaṃ, yathā bhagavā dhammaṃ deseti iddhividhāsu.

And moreover, sir, how the Buddha teaches psychic power is unsurpassable.
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18.2

Dvemā, bhante, iddhividhāyo—

There are these two kinds of psychic power.
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18.3

atthi, bhante, iddhi sāsavā saupadhikā, ‘no ariyā’ti vuccati.

There are psychic powers that are accompanied by defilements and attachments, and are said to be ignoble.
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18.4

Atthi, bhante, iddhi anāsavā anupadhikā ‘ariyā’ti vuccati.

And there are psychic powers that are free of defilements and attachments, and are said to be noble.
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18.5

Katamā ca, bhante, iddhi sāsavā saupadhikā, ‘no ariyā’ti vuccati?

What are the psychic powers that are accompanied by defilements and attachments, and are said to be ignoble?
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18.6

idha, bhante, ekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya …pe… tathārūpaṃ cetosamādhiṃ phusati, yathāsamāhite citte anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhoti—

It’s when some ascetic or brahmin—by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind—experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that they wield the many kinds of psychic power:
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ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti; āvibhāvaṃ tirobhāvaṃ tirokuṭṭaṃ tiropākāraṃ tiropabbataṃ asajjamāno gacchati seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṃ karoti seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gacchati seyyathāpi pathaviyaṃ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kamati seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṃmahiddhike evaṃmahānubhāve pāṇinā parāmasati parimajjati; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vatteti.

multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.
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18.8

Ayaṃ, bhante, iddhi sāsavā saupadhikā, ‘no ariyā’ti vuccati.

These are the psychic powers that are accompanied by defilements and attachments, and are said to be ignoble.
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18.9

Katamā pana, bhante, iddhi anāsavā anupadhikā, ‘ariyā’ti vuccati?

But what are the psychic powers that are free of defilements and attachments, and are said to be noble?
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18.10

Idha, bhante, bhikkhu sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

It’s when, if a mendicant wishes: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.
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18.11

Sace ākaṅkhati: ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.
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18.12

Sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.
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18.13

Sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.
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18.14

Sace ākaṅkhati: ‘paṭikūlañca appaṭikūlañca tadubhayaṃ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṃ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.
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18.15

Ayaṃ, bhante, iddhi anāsavā anupadhikā ‘ariyā’ti vuccati.

These are the psychic powers that are free of defilements and attachments, and are said to be noble.
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18.16

Etadānuttariyaṃ, bhante, iddhividhāsu.

This is unsurpassable when it comes to psychic powers.
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18.17

Taṃ bhagavā asesamabhijānāti, taṃ bhagavato asesamabhijānato uttari abhiññeyyaṃ natthi, yadabhijānaṃ añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā bhiyyobhiññataro assa yadidaṃ iddhividhāsu.

The Buddha understands this without exception. There is nothing to be understood beyond this whereby another ascetic or brahmin might be superior in direct knowledge to the Buddha when it comes to psychic powers.
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