To: K-list
Recieved: 2004/04/15 23:56
Subject: [K-list] The Buddha's Discourses on the Supranormal Powers
From: Jeffrey Brooks
On 2004/04/15 23:56, Jeffrey Brooks posted thus to the K-list:
The Buddha's Discourses on the Supranormal Powers
(lokuttara balani), such as the Astral Body and
Out-of-Body (OOB) experiences, the Divine ear, Mind
Reading, and Recollection of Past Lives.
Hello everyone, I am so glad that my little biography
spurred so much thought and discussion among the
members of Yahoo groups like this one.
Some people say OOBs are a distraction, which I know
anything can be if there is an attachment to it, but I
have found OOBs are a great inspiration, and at times
they were all I had. But, I also know they can be a
natural manifestation in some people's journey to
nibbana.
I know those who say OOBs are dream-like have never
had one, because in my experience the OOB was more
vivid and immediate than the waking state in the
physical world. In fact for me the defining quality
of the OOB is its lucidity. In fact I have found they
are most often far more lucid than the waking state.
This is in part why one who has OOBs will often
question the validity of all perceptual phenomena.
The reason for this is the yogi who has given rise to
OOBs knows one can not depend on the seamlessness of
one's perceived reality.
My contemplative practice is grounded upon reading the
Sutta Pitaka, or discourse of the Buddha as they are
translated into English. They are of course the
foundational literature of Buddhism. And, as many of
you probably know the Sutta Pitaka is the earliest
know document that claims to be the spoken word of the
Buddha.
While reading the Digha Nikaya (Long Discourse) and
the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle Length Discourse) I have
found references to the Pali term 'manomaya' which is
typically translated as the "mind-made body." In the
Buddha's description of the mind-made body it is clear
to me he was talking about the astral body. The
Buddha even instructed his students in its formation
in the Mahasakuludayi Sutta, MN 77
Mahasakuludayi Sutta, MN 77.30
translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi, Wisdom
Publishing
"Again, Udayin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the
way to create from this body another body having form,
mind-made (manomaya) ...And, thereby many disciples of
mine abide having reached to consummation and
perfection of direct knowledge."
Lohicca Sutta DN 12
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/digha/dn12.html
The Mind-made Body (manomaya, Pali)
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs &
inclines it to creating a mind-made body (manomaya).
>From this body he creates another body, endowed with
form, made of the mind, complete in all its parts, not
inferior in its faculties. Just as if a man were to
draw a reed from its sheath. The thought would occur
to him: 'This is the sheath, this is the reed. The
sheath is one thing, the reed another, but the reed
has been drawn out from the sheath.' Or as if a man
were to draw a sword from its scabbard. The thought
would occur to him: 'This is the sword, this is the
scabbard. The sword is one thing, the scabbard
another, but the sword has been drawn out from the
scabbard.' Or as if a man were to pull a snake out
from its slough. The thought would occur to him: 'This
is the snake, this is the slough. The snake is one
thing, the slough another, but the snake has been
pulled out from the slough.' In the same way -- with
his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, the monk
directs & inclines it to creating a mind-made body.
>From this body he creates another body, endowed with
form, made of the mind, complete in all its parts, not
inferior in its faculties. When a disciple of a
teacher attains this sort of grand distinction,
Lohicca, that is a teacher not worthy of criticism in
the world, and if anyone were to criticize this sort
of teacher, the criticism would be false, unfactual,
unrighteous, & blameworthy."
In the Agganna Sutta DN 27.10 the Buddha goes onto
describe the domain of the Mind-made Body (manomaya).
It is this description that is so much like the
reports of those who experience this domain.
Agganna Sutta DN 27.10
translated by M. Walshe, Wisdom Publishing
"At a time of contraction, beings are mostly born in
the Abhassara Brahma world. And there they dwell,
mind made (manomaya), feeding on delight,
self-luminous, moving through the air (space),
glorious -- and they stay like that for a very long
time."
In the Lohicca Sutta, DN 2, the Buddha spoke of other
supranormal powers as well. It is clear from this
sutta and others in the Pali canon that the historic
Buddha taught his students these powers. What is not
necessarily obvious in the canon, but perhaps it is
implied, that the supranormal powers are simply a
natural consequence of a dedicated and rigorous
contemplative practice. The reason why I say this is
many contemplatives that I have met who have reported
these "powers," did not go looking for them. These
"powers" just emerged naturally from their
contemplative practice regimen, as they did in my
case.
Please note also that Kundalini is the contemporary
term often used to encompass these "powers" and their
manifestation. The Pali term 'jhana' has its nearest
relative in the Sanskrit term 'kundalini' as it is
used in contemporary usage.
Lohicca Sutta DN 2.83, n.130
Supranormal Powers (lokuttara balani)
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs &
inclines it to the modes of supranormal powers. He
wields 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 Brahma worlds. Just
as a skilled potter or his assistant could craft from
well-prepared clay whatever kind of pottery vessel he
likes, or as a skilled ivory-carver or his assistant
could craft from well-prepared ivory any kind of
ivory-work he likes, or as a skilled goldsmith or his
assistant could craft from well-prepared gold any kind
of gold article he likes; in the same way -- with his
mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability -- the monk
directs & inclines it to the modes of supranormal
powers... He exercises influence with his body even as
far as the Brahma worlds. When a disciple of a teacher
attains this sort of grand distinction, Lohicca, that
is a teacher not worthy of criticism in the world, and
if anyone were to criticize this sort of teacher, the
criticism would be false, unfactual, unrighteous, &
blameworthy."
(Clairaudience) Divine ear, Dibba-sota (Pali)
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs &
inclines it to the divine ear-element. He hears -- by
means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing
the human -- both kinds of sounds: divine & human,
whether near or far. Just as if a man traveling along
a highway were to hear the sounds of kettledrums,
small drums, conchs, cymbals, & tom-toms. He would
know, 'That is the sound of kettledrums, that is the
sound of small drums, that is the sound of conchs,
that is the sound of cymbals, and that is the sound of
tom-toms.' In the same way -- with his mind thus
concentrated, purified, & bright, unblemished, free
from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability -- the monk directs & inclines it to
the divine ear-element. He hears -- by means of the
divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human --
both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or
far. When a disciple of a teacher attains this sort of
grand distinction, Lohicca, that is a teacher not
worthy of criticism in the world, and if anyone were
to criticize this sort of teacher, the criticism would
be false, unfactual, unrighteous, & blameworthy."
(Mind Reading)
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs &
inclines it to knowledge of the awareness of other
beings. 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 mind
as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an
unenlarged mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one
that is not at the most excellent level] as an
excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled
mind. He discerns a concentrated mind as a
concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an
unconcentrated mind. He discerns a released mind as a
released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased
mind. Just as if a young woman -- or man -- fond of
ornaments, examining the reflection of her own face in
a bright mirror or a bowl of clear water would know
'blemished' if it were blemished, or 'unblemished' if
it were not. In the same way -- with his mind thus
concentrated, purified, & bright, unblemished, free
from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability -- the monk directs & inclines it to
knowledge of the awareness of other beings. 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... a released mind as a released mind, and an
unreleased mind as an unreleased mind. When a disciple
of a teacher attains this sort of grand distinction,
Lohicca, that is a teacher not worthy of criticism in
the world, and if anyone were to criticize this sort
of teacher, the criticism would be false, unfactual,
unrighteous, & blameworthy."
(Recollection of Past Lives)
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, & bright,
unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs &
inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of past
lives (lit: previous homes). He recollects his
manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births,
three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty,
fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred
thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons
of cosmic expansion, many aeons 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 recollects his manifold past
lives in their modes & details. Just as if a man were
to go from his home village to another village, and
then from that village to yet another village, and
then from that village back to his home village. The
thought would occur to him, 'I went from my home
village to that village over there. There I stood in
such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way,
and remained silent in such a way. From that village I
went to that village over there, and there I stood in
such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way,
and remained silent in such a way. From that village I
came back home.' In the same way -- with his mind thus
concentrated, purified, & bright, unblemished, free
from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability -- the monk directs & inclines it to
knowledge of the recollection of past lives. He
recollects his manifold past lives... in their modes &
details. When a disciple of a teacher attains this
sort of grand distinction, Lohicca, that is a teacher
not worthy of criticism in the world, and if anyone
were to criticize this sort of teacher, the criticism
would be false, unfactual, unrighteous, &
blameworthy."
Glossary
Astral Body, "mind-made body," 'manomaya' (Pali).
Digha Nikaya: DN 1.2.2, n.49, 1.3.12, n76, 24.2.15,
27.10
Majjhima Nikaya MN 77.30
Divine eye, Dibba-cakkhu (Pali). DN 2.95, n.253,8.3,
14.1.36, 16.1.27, 17.1.16, 23.11, 25.19, 28.17,
33.1.10(46)
Divine ear, Dibba-sota (Pali). DN 2.83, n.130
Extra-sensory perception DN 33
jhanas, Absorptions, DN 42, 1.3.21f., n.79, n.50,
n.57, n.76f., 2.75ff., 4.33, n.168, 9.10ff., 16.6.8f.,
17.2.3, n.583, n.611, 26.28, 29.24, 33.3.3(6), n.1118,
n.1127, n.1143
Powers, balani, 16.3.51, n.413, 33.2.3(9), 34.1.8(10),
n.1150
Psychic power, miracle of, DN 11.3ff, n.231
Psychic powers, iddhi, DN 2.87, n.128, 11.5, n.231,
17.1.18, n.481, 28.18
Telepathy, DN 33.11.3, n.232, n.660, n.671, n.1059,
n.1140
Lohicca Sutta DN 12
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/digha/dn12.html
Mahasakuludayi Sutta, MN 77.30
translated by Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi, Wisdom
Publishing
May you all achieve enlightenment (Nibbana) in this
very lifetime.
Blessings to you,
Jeff Brooks
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