Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
51. Iddhipāda Saṁyutta

Kindred Sayings on the Bases of Psychic Power¹

Chapter I: Cāpāla²

Sutta 1

Aparā Suttaṁ

Neither Shore³

 

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[225]

THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:

'Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

Monks, these four bases of psychic power,⁴
if cultivated and made much of,
conduce to going neither to the hither
nor to the further shore.

What are the four?

Herein a monk cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
desire,⁵
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.

He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
energy,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.⁶

He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the features are
thought,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.

He cultivates that basis of psychic power
of which the [226] features are
investigation,
together with the co-factors
of concentration
and struggle.

These four bases of psychic power, monks,
if cultivated and made much of,
conduce to going neither to the hither
nor to the further shore.

 

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¹ (Chanda-viriya-citta-vīmaṁsa) each + samādhi-padhāna (as sañkhāra).

² This chapter is so called after the Cā pā la Shrine of § x below, q.v.

³ Text wrongly aparāpāraṁ ('to and fro going,' exactly the opposite of the intended meaning) for a-pārāparaṁ (a-pāra-apāra), 'no more of this or that shore,' the state of Arahant, Nibbāna. Cf. supra, text, 24, 81, 180 n.

⁴ Comy. [iddhi-pāda = iddhiyā-pādaṁ or iddhi-bhūtaṁ pādaṁ] refers to Vibh. 216; Vibh.A. 303; and VM. Cf. Dialogue. ii, 110 n., ui, 214; S. i, 116, iii, 96. At D. iii, 221, citta-s. follows chanda-s.

⁵ Chando as 'will' or 'desire to do' (def. at Vibh. loc. cit., chandī-katā kattu-kamyatā kusalo dhamma-chando). The word 'desire-to-do,' a notable reaching out after such a fit word as our 'will' had not emerged in the Nikāyas.

⁶ Padhāna. Cf. Dhs. 158 n., § 1366; Buddh. Psych. Eth., p. 358, called 'spiritual wrestlings,' or 'efforts' (as in Bk. V).