Viyahapannatti 17.2.702

17.2.702

"Venerable Sir! Is a deva of great power, up to of great majesty, having formerly had form, able to transform [himself] into formless and remain [so]?"
"This matter is not tenable."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'A deva of great power, up to of great majesty, having formerly had form, is not able to transform [himself] into formless and remain [so]'?"
"Gautama! I know this, I see this, I comprehend this, I fully realize this; by me this has been known, by me this has been seen, by me this has been comprehended, by me this has been fully realized: that in the case of such a jīva having form, with karma, with passion, with gender, with delusion, with lesyā, with body, and not separated from that body, such is perceived, namely: blackness or up to whiteness, fragrant odor or foul odor, bitterness or up to sweetness, hardness or up to dryness. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'A deva of great power, up to of great majesty, having formerly had form, is not able to transform [himself] into formless and remain [so].'"
"Venerable Sir! Is that very same jīva, having formerly been formless, able to transform [itself] into possessing form and remain [so]?"
"This matter is not tenable."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'That very same jīva, having formerly been formless, is not able to transform [itself] into possessing form and remain [so]'?"
"Gautama! I know this, I see this, I comprehend this, I fully realize this; by me this has been known, by me this has been seen, by me this has been comprehended, by me this has been fully realized: that in the case of such a jīva being formless, without karma, without passion, without gender, without delusion, without lesyā, without body, and separated from that body, such is not perceived, namely: blackness or up to whiteness, fragrant odor or foul odor, bitterness or up to sweetness, hardness or up to dryness. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'That very same jīva, having formerly been formless, is not able to transform [itself] into possessing form and remain [so].'"
"So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!"