Part 30 (1/2)
And the Blessed One said: ”Which are the Abhinnas?” 29
The disciple replied: ”There are six Abhinnas: (1) The celestial eye; (2) the celestial ear; (3) the body at will or the power of transformation; (4) the knowledge of the destiny of former dwellings, so as to know former states of existence; (5) the faculty of reading the thoughts of others; and (6) the knowledge of comprehending the finality of the stream of life.” 30
And the Blessed One replied: ”These are wondrous things; but verily, every man can attain them. Consider the abilities of thine own mind; thou wert born about two hundred leagues from here and canst thou not in thy thought, in an instant travel to thy native place and remember the details of thy father's home?
Seest thou not with thy mind's eye the roots of the tree which is shaken by the wind without being overthrown? Does not the collector of herbs see in his mental vision, whenever he pleases, any plant with its roots, its stem, its fruits, leaves, and even the uses to which it can be applied? Cannot the man who understands languages recall to his mind any word whenever he pleases, knowing its exact meaning and import? How much more does the Tathagata understand the nature of things; he looks into the hearts of men and reads their thoughts. He knows the evolution of beings and foresees their ends.” 31
Said the disciple: ”Then the Tathagata teaches that man can attain through the Jhanas the bliss of Abhinna.” 32
And the Blessed One asked in reply: ”Which are the Jhanas through which man reaches Abhinna?” 33
The disciple replied: ”There are four Jhanas. The first Jhana is seclusion in which one must free his mind from sensuality; the second Jhana is a tranquillity of mind full of joy and gladness; the third Jhana is a taking delight in things spiritual; the fourth Jhana is a state of perfect purity and peace in which the mind is above all gladness and grief.” 34
”Good, my son,” enjoined the Blessed One. ”Be sober and abandon wrong practices which serve only to stultify the mind.” 35
Said the disciple: ”Forbear with me, O Blessed One, for I have faith without understanding and I am seeking the truth. O Blessed One, O Tathagata, my Lord and Master, teach me the Iddhipada.” 36
The Blessed One said: ”There are four means by which Iddhi is acquired; (1) Prevent bad qualities from arising. (2) Put away bad qualities which have arisen. (3) Produce goodness that does not yet exist. (4) Increase goodness which already exists.--Search with sincerity, and persevere in the search. In the end thou wilt find the truth.” 37
LXI.
THE TEACHER UNKNOWN.
And the Blessed One said to Ananda: 1
”There are various kinds of a.s.semblies, O Ananda; a.s.semblies of n.o.bles, of Brahmans, of householders, of bhikkhus, and of other beings. When I used to enter an a.s.sembly, I always became, before I seated myself, in color like unto the color of my audience, and in voice like unto their voice. I spoke to them in their language and then with religious discourse, I instructed, quickened, and gladdened them. 2
”My doctrine is like the ocean, having the same eight wonderful qualities. 3
”Both the ocean and my doctrine become gradually deeper. Both preserve their ident.i.ty under all changes. Both cast out dead bodies upon the dry land. As the great rivers, when falling into the main, lose their names and are thenceforth reckoned as the great ocean, so all the castes, having renounced their lineage and entered the Sangha, become brethren and are reckoned the sons of Sakyamuni. The ocean is the goal of all streams and of the rain from the clouds, yet is it never overflowing and never emptied: so the Dharma is embraced by many millions of people, yet it neither increases nor decreases. As the great ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt, so my doctrine has only one flavor, the flavor of emanc.i.p.ation. Both the ocean and the Dharma are full of gems and pearls and jewels, and both afford a dwelling-place for mighty beings. 4
”These are the eight wonderful qualities in which my doctrine resembles the ocean. 5
”My doctrine is pure and it makes no discrimination between n.o.ble and ign.o.ble, rich and poor. 6
”My doctrine is like unto water which cleanses all without distinction. 7
”My doctrine is like unto fire which consumes all things that exist between heaven and earth, great and small. 8
”My doctrine is like unto the heavens, for there is room in it, ample room for the reception of all, for men and women, boys and girls, the powerful and the lowly. 9
”But when I spoke, they knew me not and would say, 'Who may this be who thus speaks, a man or a G.o.d?' Then having instructed, quickened, and gladdened them with religious discourse, I would vanish away. But they knew me not, even when I vanished away.” 10