Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” (SN 51:20): Introduction; The Sutta’s Key Encapsulation Paragraph & A Translation Reading (1 of 7)


Iddhipāda (PaliSktddhipāda) is a compound term composed of “power” or “potency” (iddhiddhi) and “base,” “basis” or “constituent” (pāda).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iddhipada

One reason this blog post and podcast series came about could likely be due to my meditation practice becoming stale and now provides an outlet for a somewhat more advanced level where details are dived into. If and when exploring this sutta on your own, it’s recommended to drop the intricate, sometimes tedious language I go into here to the fullest extent possible. It’s important to remember my intent here of placing plenty under a spiritual microscope to merely visit modes of deconstruction and analysis for study and (formal) practice possibilities, not as a general normalized mode of living. And while I go into minute details pertaining to this sutta please keep in mind it’s likely more helpful not to keep considering this sutta in isolation but within the broader context of the Buddha’s (other) teachings.

While I reference some non-Buddhist material most everything in this blog post and podcast episodes are solely my effort to relate considerations, questions, experiences, explorations, suggestions, interpretations and practices involved and associated with this sutta. They are not entirely the same thing as the actual experiences and phenomena that inspired them, only my interpretation of them in language. In other words, our interpretation of experience is not the same thing as experience itself.



A significant portion of this sutta mentions so called “psychic powers” which in today’s postmodern world I observe a polarity of either garnering dismissal, jokes, and relegation to comic book movies in the “scientific” Western world. Or, on the other end, looked upon with fear and trepidation (by detractors), or obsessed about by the power hungry. As long as precepts and ethics are involved it is OK to empower ourselves this way just as the Buddha taught in this sutta, especially since he says, “This is how these four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of great fruit & great benefit.” Ethics are required before preceding as this material gives zero allowance for (its) ill-use.

For background, I’ve been exposed to some (esoteric) teachings about “psychic powers” but no formal training from a book or teacher. Perhaps a well known reference point in spiritual circles are the Siddhis, which is used interchangeably with the Pali iddhi or rddhi in Sanskrit. These are “material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation and yoga” mentioned in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.



For well over four months I worked with, studied and practiced with this sutta with formal practice consisting of about 80 minutes a day including allotting a/the full 80 minutes to each of the 32 parts within this sutta. Perhaps this could be the equivalent to a month-long retreat or a two week intensive retreat. 


Doodle with the four symbols/icons on top representing sun/light; day & night; a space for situational awareness; and a “layered” meditator for the 32 parts of the body

Some of the more esoteric insights, correlations and comparisons came upon the first read, but the nitty gritty details came piecemeal day after day, session after session. I even did a doodle to encapsulate some of the practice approaches and wrote down one translation of the entire sutta long hand, expanding it out by adding the redundant standard textual omissions in the text(s) included here.



I’ll present this series via seven categories/blog posts/podcasts:

  1. This introduction; the key encapsulation/encoding/summary paragraph of the whole sutta which includes and weaves in the four powers; and a reading of one of two translations for the sutta
  2. Unpacking of the hindrances and the other of two translations for the sutta
  3. (Type of) situational awareness
  4. 32 parts of the body
  5. Perceptions of night, daytime and light
  6. “Psychic Powers,” practice combinations and miscellany
  7. Summary, findings, observations and comparisons 

Given a current innerstanding one can basically approach this sutta as training, development, cultivation and use of the four Iddhipāda — desire, persistence, intent and discernment — primarily via:

  1. the 32 parts of the body (including substances/parts/sections/regions/etc)
  2. (inhabiting) a type of situational awareness
  3. (variations of/on) (inverse) perceptions of night and day/light separately and woven together

In more detail, the four Iddhipāda — sometimes translated as bases of psychic power, basis of psychic power, bases of power, base of spiritual power, wings to success, accomplishments, or roads to power — are:

  1. chanda: desire; enthusiasm; purpose; wish
  2. viriya: persistence; energy; effort; will
  3. citta: intent; consciousness; knowing mind; mental development; devoting mind to; heart-mind
  4. vīmaṃsā: investigation; inquiry; discernment; discrimination; reason; interest; intelligent curiosity; [(perhaps a new contribution, or for chanda:) balanced and helpful enthrallment, fascination]; feedback and fine tuning, adjustment; learn from doing


After daily meditation for a few years the power and origin of. manifested phenomena seemingly sourcing from intent became apparent for me so I use intent as an entry point into the Iddhipāda for certain types of meditation. Sometimes I hold in awareness an intent, sometimes multilayered, without importance placed on what will or won’t happen other than fixing attention and awareness on it. Since there is already a seeing and knowing of the power and importance of intent, and with conviction of the (fabrication of the) importance of the selected intent, desire is (then) allowed to fuel this conviction, importance, power, seeing and knowing. At the same time if there’s any kind of obsessive, compulsive, and addictive energy it can be transformed into the wholesome desire to persist in staying with the chosen intention (as meditation object). Discernment comes in to quickly and sharply see then drop each and every arising other than the aforementioned. At least ideally anyway.



However one approaches the Iddhipādas I suggest exploring and developing all four — especially building concentration with them — before diving into this sutta.

In the recording I mention scientific studies of past lives and inquire into why this is not more common place.

Audio recordings for some sections contain two recordings: the first one more spontaneous without referring to notes; the second one consults notes so there may be some overlap and redundancies ideally important ones worth the repetition. Also, oops on any thumping due to sensitive mic too close to trackpad


Audio: Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: Introduction; The Sutta’s Key Encapsulation Paragraph & A Translation Reading (1 of 7)


So here’s the key encapsulation/encoding/summary paragraph of the whole sutta which includes and weaves in the four powers:

“There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion, thinking, ‘This desire of mine will be neither overly sluggish nor overly active, neither inwardly constricted nor outwardly scattered.’ He keeps perceiving what is in front & behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, what is behind is the same as what is in front. What is below is the same as what is above, what is above is the same as what is below. (He dwells) by night as by day, and by day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, he develops a brightened mind.”

Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu

Or the Bhante Sujato translation:

“Mendicants, when the four bases of psychic power are developed and cultivated they’re very fruitful and beneficial.

How so? It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort. They think: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ And they meditate perceiving continuity: as before, so after; as after, so before; as below, so above; as above, so below; as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance.”

I address my take on the significance of what’s encapsulated within this key paragraph in Part 7: Summary, findings, observations and comparisons



Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu translation of “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” (SN 51:20) followed by the original Pali:

“These four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of great fruit & great benefit. And how are the four bases of power developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit & great benefit?

“There is the case where a monk develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion, thinking, ‘This desire of mine will be neither overly sluggish nor overly active, neither inwardly constricted nor outwardly scattered.’ He keeps perceiving what is in front & behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, what is behind is the same as what is in front. What is below is the same as what is above, what is above is the same as what is below. (He dwells) by night as by day, and by day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, he develops a brightened mind.

“He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on persistence…

“He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on intent…

“He develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on discrimination & the fabrications of exertion, thinking, ‘This discrimination of mine will be neither overly sluggish nor overly active, neither inwardly constricted nor outwardly scattered.’ He keeps perceiving what is in front & behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, what is behind is the same as what is in front. What is below is the same as what is above, what is above is the same as what is below. (He dwells) by night as by day, and by day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, he develops a brightened mind.

“And how is desire overly sluggish? Whatever desire is accompanied by laziness, conjoined with laziness, that is called overly sluggish desire.

“And how is desire overly active? Whatever desire is accompanied by restlessness, conjoined with restlessness, that is called overly active desire.

“And how is desire inwardly constricted? Whatever desire is accompanied by sloth & drowsiness, conjoined with sloth & drowsiness, that is called inwardly restricted desire.

“And how is desire outwardly scattered? Whatever desire is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality, outwardly dispersed & dissipated, that is called outwardly scattered desire.

“And how does a monk dwell perceiving what is in front & behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, and what is behind is the same as what is in front? There is the case where a monk’s perception of what is in front & behind is well in hand, well-attended to, well-considered, well-tuned [‘penetrated’] by means of discernment. This is how a monk keeps perceiving what is in front and behind so that what is in front is the same as what is behind, and what is behind is the same as what is in front.

“And how does a monk dwell so that what is below is the same as what is above, and what is above is the same as what is below? There is the case where a monk reflects on this very body, from the soles of the feet on up, from the crown of the head on down, surrounded by skin, & full of various kinds of unclean things: ‘In this body there are head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints, urine.’ This is how a monk dwells so that what is below is the same as what is above, and what is above is the same as what is below.

“And how does a monk dwell by night as by day, and by day as by night? There is the case where a monk at night develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion by means of the same modes [permutations] & signs & themes that he uses by day, and by day he develops the base of power endowed with concentration founded on desire & the fabrications of exertion by means of the same modes & signs & themes that he uses by night. This is how a monk dwells by night as by day, and by day as by night.

“And how does a monk—by means of an awareness open & unhampered—develop a brightened mind? There is the case where a monk has the perception of light, the perception of daytime [at any hour of the day] well in hand & well-established. This is how a monk—by means of an awareness open & unhampered—develops a brightened mind.

[The above discussion is then repeated for persistence, intent, & discrimination.]

“When a monk has thus developed & pursued the four bases of power, he experiences manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through space. He dives in & out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches & strokes even the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahmā worlds.

“He hears—by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human—both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far.

“He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as ‘a mind with passion,’ and a mind without passion as ‘a mind without passion.’ He discerns a mind with aversion as ‘a mind with aversion,’ and a mind without aversion as ‘a mind without aversion.’ He discerns a mind with delusion as ‘a mind with delusion,’ and a mind without delusion as ‘a mind without delusion.’ He discerns a restricted mind as ‘a restricted mind,’ and a scattered mind as ‘a scattered mind.’ He discerns an enlarged mind1 as ‘an enlarged mind,’ and an unenlarged mind as ‘an unenlarged mind.’ He discerns a surpassed mind [one that is not at the most excellent level] as ‘a surpassed mind,’ and an unsurpassed mind as ‘an unsurpassed mind.’ He discerns a concentrated mind as ‘a concentrated mind,’ and an unconcentrated mind as ‘an unconcentrated mind.’ He discerns a released mind2 as ‘a released mind,’ and an unreleased mind as ‘an unreleased mind.’

“He recollects his manifold past lives [lit: previous homes], i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion, (recollecting,) ‘There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.’ Thus he remembers his manifold past lives in their modes & details.

“He sees—by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human—beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: ‘These beings—who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views—with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. But these beings—who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views—with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ Thus—by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human—he sees beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma.

“Through the ending of the effluents, he enters & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here & now.

“This is how these four bases of power, when developed & pursued, are of great fruit & great benefit.”

Notes

1. Mahaggataṁ. This term is used, together with “immeasurable / unlimited,” in the standard description of the awareness generated in the practice of the brahmavihāras (SN 42:8). According to Ven. Anuruddha in MN 127, however, an enlarged mind is not immeasurable. Its range of awareness is larger than the body but still measurable, ranging in distance from the shade of a tree to the earth bounded by the ocean.

2. On the various levels of release, see DN 15MN 43, and AN 9:43–45.

An Analysis of the Bases of Power
Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta  (SN 51:20) https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN51_20.html



[The original Pali via https://suttacentral.net/sn51.20/pli/ms]:

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā honti mahānisaṁsā”.

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, cattāro iddhipādā kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā honti mahānisaṁsā? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Vīriyasamādhi …pe… cittasamādhi … vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, atilīno chando? Yo, bhikkhave, chando kosajjasahagato kosajjasampayutto—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atilīno chando.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, atippaggahito chando? Yo, bhikkhave, chando uddhaccasahagato uddhaccasampayutto—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atippaggahito chando.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto chando? Yo, bhikkhave, chando thinamiddhasahagato thinamiddhasampayutto—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto chando.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhitto chando? Yo, bhikkhave, chando bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhitto anuvisaṭo—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhitto chando.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pacchāpuresaññā suggahitā hoti sumanasikatā sūpadhāritā suppaṭividdhā paññāya. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati—yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho viharati? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṁ uddhaṁ pādatalā adho kesamatthakā tacapariyantaṁ pūraṁ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati: ‘atthi imasmiṁ kāye kesā lomā nakhā dantā taco maṁsaṁ nhāru aṭṭhi aṭṭhimiñjaṁ vakkaṁ hadayaṁ yakanaṁ kilomakaṁ pihakaṁ papphāsaṁ antaṁ antaguṇaṁ udariyaṁ karīsaṁ pittaṁ semhaṁ pubbo lohitaṁ sedo medo assu vasā kheḷo siṅghāṇikā lasikā muttan’ti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho viharati.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā viharati? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yehi ākārehi yehi liṅgehi yehi nimittehi divā chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti, so tehi ākārehi tehi liṅgehi tehi nimittehi rattiṁ chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti; yehi vā pana ākārehi yehi liṅgehi yehi nimittehi rattiṁ chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti, so tehi ākārehi tehi liṅgehi tehi nimittehi divā chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā viharati.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ālokasaññā suggahitā hoti divāsaññā svādhiṭṭhitā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, atilīnaṁ vīriyaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ kosajjasahagataṁ kosajjasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atilīnaṁ vīriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, atippaggahitaṁ vīriyaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ uddhaccasahagataṁ uddhaccasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atippaggahitaṁ vīriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ vīriyaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ thinamiddhasahagataṁ thinamiddhasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ vīriyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ vīriyaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhittaṁ anuvisaṭaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ vīriyaṁ …pe….

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ālokasaññā suggahitā hoti divāsaññā svādhiṭṭhitā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, atilīnaṁ cittaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ kosajjasahagataṁ kosajjasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atilīnaṁ cittaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, atippaggahitaṁ cittaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ uddhaccasahagataṁ uddhaccasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atippaggahitaṁ cittaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ cittaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ thinamiddhasahagataṁ thinamiddhasampayuttaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittaṁ cittaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ cittaṁ? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhittaṁ anuvisaṭaṁ—idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittaṁ cittaṁ …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, atilīnā vīmaṁsā? Yā, bhikkhave, vīmaṁsā kosajjasahagatā kosajjasampayuttā—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atilīnā vīmaṁsā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, atippaggahitā vīmaṁsā? Yā, bhikkhave, vīmaṁsā uddhaccasahagatā uddhaccasampayuttā—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, atippaggahitā vīmaṁsā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā vīmaṁsā? Yā, bhikkhave, vīmaṁsā thinamiddhasahagatā thinamiddhasampayuttā—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā vīmaṁsā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittā vīmaṁsā? Yā, bhikkhave, vīmaṁsā bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhittā anuvisaṭā—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittā vīmaṁsā …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti. Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, cattāro iddhipādā evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā honti mahānisaṁsā.

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. Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Pāsādakampanavaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Pubbaṁ mahapphalaṁ chandaṁ,Moggallānañca uṇṇābhaṁ;Dve samaṇabrāhmaṇā bhikkhu, Desanā vibhaṅgena cāti.

Saṁyutta Nikāya 51
2. Pāsādakampanavagga
20. Vibhaṅgasutta

Published by josh dippold

IntegratingPresence.com

13 thoughts on “Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” (SN 51:20): Introduction; The Sutta’s Key Encapsulation Paragraph & A Translation Reading (1 of 7)

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