AN 6.70

Samādhisutta

“‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na santena samādhinā na paṇītena na paṭippassaddhiladdhena na ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissati—ekopi hutvā bahudhā bhavissati, bahudhāpi hutvā eko bhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissati—dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati— sarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe… vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Immersion

“Mendicants, it is quite impossible that a mendicant without immersion that is peaceful, refined, tranquil, and unified will wield the many kinds of psychic power: 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. They control the body as far as the realm of divinity. It’s impossible that with clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they’ll hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far. It’s impossible that they’ll understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having encompassed them with their own mind, understanding mind with greed as ‘mind with greed’ … and freed mind as ‘freed mind’. It’s impossible that they’ll recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details. It’s impossible that with clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, they’ll understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. It’s impossible that they’ll realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.

‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santena samādhinā paṇītena paṭippassaddhiladdhena ekodibhāvādhigatena anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhavissati …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattessatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇissati—dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānissati— sarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajānissati …pe… vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.

But it’s quite possible that a mendicant who has immersion that is peaceful, refined, tranquil, and unified will wield the many kinds of psychic power … It’s possible that with clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they’ll hear both kinds of sounds … It’s possible that they’ll understand the minds of other beings … It’s possible that they’ll recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details. It’s possible that with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they’ll understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. It’s possible that they’ll realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.”