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SN 51.19PTS SN 5.2761 min read

A Teaching on Psychic Power, Etc.

Iddhādidesanāsutta

The Buddha distinguishes between psychic powers, the basis for psychic power, and the development of the bases for psychic power.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.19Linked Discourses 51.19
  • 0.22. Pāsādakampanavagga2. Shaking the Stilt Longhouse

0.3IddhādidesanāsuttaA Teaching on Psychic Power, Etc.

1.1“Iddhiṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi iddhipādañca iddhipādabhāvanañca iddhipādabhāvanāgāminiñca paṭipadaṁ.“Mendicants, I will teach you psychic power, the bases of psychic power, the development of the bases of psychic power, and the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power.11.2Taṁ suṇātha.Listen …

2.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, iddhi?And what is psychic power?2.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti—It’s when 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.2.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, iddhi.This is called psychic power.

3.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, iddhipādo?And what is the basis of psychic power?3.2Yo so, bhikkhave, maggo yā paṭipadā iddhilābhāya iddhipaṭilābhāya saṁvattati—The path and practice that leads to gaining psychic power.3.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, iddhipādo.This is called the basis of psychic power.

4.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, iddhipādabhāvanā?And what is the development of the bases of psychic power?4.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti,It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm …4.3vīriyasamādhi …pe…energy …4.4cittasamādhi …mental development …4.5vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—inquiry, and active effort.4.6ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, iddhipādabhāvanā.This is called the development of the bases of psychic power.

5.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, iddhipādabhāvanāgāminī paṭipadā?And what is the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power?5.2Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:5.3sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhi—right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.5.4ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, iddhipādabhāvanāgāminī paṭipadā”ti.This is called the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power.”

5.5Navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This approach is like a version of the four noble truths, reformulated to suit the context. Compared to the four noble truths, the first and fourth items are similar, but the middle two are different.

    ↩ sn51.19:1.1