SN 51.22

Ayoguḷasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhijānāti nu kho, bhante, bhagavā iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti? “Abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, ānanda, iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti. “Abhijānāti pana, bhante, bhagavā iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti? “Abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, ānanda, iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti.

The Iron Ball

At Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, do you have personal experience of having gone to the realm of divinity by psychic power with a mind-made body?” “I do, Ānanda.” “But do you have personal experience of having gone to the realm of divinity by psychic power with this body made up of the four principal states?” “I do, Ānanda.”

“Yañca kho omāti, bhante, bhagavā iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamituṁ, yañca kho abhijānāti, bhante, bhagavā iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā, tayidaṁ, bhante, bhagavato acchariyañceva abbhutañcā”ti. “Acchariyā ceva, ānanda, tathāgatā acchariyadhammasamannāgatā ca, abbhutā ceva, ānanda, tathāgatā abbhutadhammasamannāgatā ca.

“It’s incredible and amazing that the Buddha is at least able to go to the realm of divinity by psychic power with a mind-made body! And that he has personal experience of going to the realm of divinity by psychic power with this body made up of the four principal states!” “Ānanda, the Realized Ones are incredible and have incredible qualities. They’re amazing and have amazing qualities.

Yasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati; tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca.

Sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body. At that time his body becomes lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, ayoguḷo divasaṁ santatto lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca; evameva kho, ānanda, yasmiṁ samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati; tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca.

Suppose there was an iron ball that had been heated all day. It’d become lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant. In the same way, sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body. At that time his body becomes lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant.

Yasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati; tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati, so anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.

Sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body. At that time his body easily rises up from the ground into the air. He wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, tūlapicu vā kappāsapicu vā lahuko vātūpādāno appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati; evameva kho, ānanda, yasmiṁ samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati; tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati, so anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattetī”ti.

Suppose there was a light tuft of cotton-wool or kapok. Taken up by the wind, it would easily rise up from the ground into the air. In the same way, sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body. At that time his body easily rises up from the ground into the air. He wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.”