SN 51.14

Moggallānasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū heṭṭhāmigāramātupāsāde viharanti uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā bhantacittā pākatindriyā.

With Moggallāna

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Now at that time several mendicants were staying beneath the longhouse. They were haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, loose-tongued, unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ āmantesi: “ete kho, moggallāna, sabrahmacārino heṭṭhāmigāramātupāsāde viharanti uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā bhantacittā pākatindriyā. Gaccha, moggallāna, te bhikkhū saṁvejehī”ti.

Then the Buddha addressed Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, “These spiritual companions of yours staying beneath the longhouse are haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, loose-tongued, unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties. Go, Moggallāna, and strike awe in those mendicants!”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato paṭissutvā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāresi yathā pādaṅguṭṭhakena migāramātupāsādaṁ saṅkampesi sampakampesi sampacālesi. Atha kho te bhikkhū saṁviggā lomahaṭṭhajātā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu: “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Nivātañca vata ayañca migāramātupāsādo gambhīranemo sunikhāto acalo asampakampī, atha ca pana saṅkampito sampakampito sampacālito”ti.

“Yes, sir,” replied Mahāmoggallāna. Then he used his psychic power to make the longhouse shake and rock and tremble with his big toe. Then those mendicants stood to one side, shocked and awestruck. “Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! There’s no wind at all; and this stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother has deep foundations. It’s firmly embedded, imperturbable and unshakable. And yet it shakes and rocks and quivers!”

Atha kho bhagavā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū bhagavā etadavoca: “kiṁ nu tumhe, bhikkhave, saṁviggā lomahaṭṭhajātā ekamantaṁ ṭhitā”ti? “Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ bhante. Nivātañca vata ayañca migāramātupāsādo gambhīranemo sunikhāto acalo asampakampī, atha ca pana saṅkampito sampakampito sampacālito”ti. “Tumheva kho, bhikkhave, saṁvejetukāmena moggallānena bhikkhunā pādaṅguṭṭhakena migāramātupāsādo, saṅkampito sampakampito sampacālito. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā moggallāno bhikkhu evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti? “Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

Then the Buddha went up to those mendicants and said: “Why do you, mendicants, stand to one side, shocked and awestruck?” “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! There’s no wind at all; and this stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother has deep foundations. It’s firmly embedded, imperturbable and unshakable. And yet it shakes and rocks and quivers!” “Wanting to strike awe in you, the mendicant Moggallāna made the longhouse shake and rock and quiver with his big toe. What do you think, mendicants? What things has the mendicant Moggallāna developed and cultivated so as to have such power and might?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha. Catunnaṁ kho, bhikkhave, iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā moggallāno bhikkhu evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, moggallāno bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ 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. Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā moggallāno bhikkhu evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo. Imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā moggallāno bhikkhu anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti …pe… imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā moggallāno bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

“Well then, mendicants, listen. The mendicant Moggallāna has become so powerful and mighty by developing and cultivating the four bases of psychic power. What four? Moggallāna develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. He thinks: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ And he meditates perceiving before and behind: as before, so behind; as behind, 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, he develops a mind that’s full of radiance. The mendicant Moggallāna has become so powerful and mighty by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power. And by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power, the mendicant Moggallāna wields the many kinds of psychic power … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity. … And by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power, the mendicant Moggallāna realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And he lives having realized it with his own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.”