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a man might pull a sword from its scabbard; he would think thus – ‘This is the sword, this is the scabbard; the sword is one thing, the scabbard is another; but the sword has been pulled from the scabbard.’ Or again, Udāyi, a man might pull a snake from a basket; he would think thus – ‘This is the snake, this is the basket; the snake is one thing, the basket is another; but the snake has been pulled from the basket.’ Even so, Udāyi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which my disciples create another body from this body, material, mind-made, complete with all limbs and parts, not deficient in faculties. And there, many of my disciples dwell having attained the perfection of supernormal knowledge. 254. Furthermore, Udāyi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which my disciples experience various kinds of supernormal power – being one, they become many; being many, they become one; they appear, manifestation; disappearance; they go unhindered through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space; they dive in and out of the earth, as if in water; they walk on water without sinking, as if on earth; they travel through the air cross-legged, as if they were a winged bird; they touch and stroke these sun and moon, so mighty, so powerful, with their hand; they exercise power with their body even up to the Brahma world. Just as, Udāyi, a skilled potter or a potter’s apprentice, with well-prepared clay, would make and produce whatever kind of vessel he wished; or just as, Udāyi, a skilled ivory carver or an ivory carver’s apprentice, with well-prepared ivory, would make and produce whatever kind of ivory object he wished; or just as, Udāyi, a skilled goldsmith or a goldsmith’s apprentice, with well-prepared gold, would make and produce whatever kind of gold object he wished. Even so, Udāyi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which path my disciples experience various kinds of psychic power – being one, they become many; being many, they become one; manifestation, disappearance; they go unhindered through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space; they dive in and out of the earth, as if in water; they walk on water without sinking, as if on earth; they travel through the air cross-legged, as if they were a winged bird; they touch and stroke these sun and moon, so mighty, so powerful, with their hand; they exercise power with their body even up to the Brahma world. And among them, many of my disciples dwell having attained the perfection of the ultimate goal of higher knowledge. 255. “Furthermore, Udāyi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which path my disci with the divine ear element, purified, surpassing human, they hear both sounds – divine and human, those far and near. Just as, Udayi, a strong conch-blower would easily make himself known in the four directions; even so, Udayi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which path my disciples, with the divine ear element, purified, surpassing human, hear both sounds – divine and human, those far and near. And there, many of my disciples dwell, having attained the culmination and perfection of supernormal knowledge. 256. Furthermore, Udayi, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, by following which path my disciples understand the minds of other beings, other persons, encompassing them with their own mind – a mind with lust, they understand as ‘a mind with lust’, or a mind without lust, they understand as ‘a mind without lust’; a mind with hate, they understand as ‘a mind with hate’, or a mind without hate, they understand as ‘a mind without hate’; a mind with delusion, they understand as ‘a mind with delusion’, or a mind without delusion, they understand as ‘a mind without delusion’; a constricted mind, they understand as ‘a constricted mind’, or a scattered mind, they understand as ‘a scattered mind’; an elevated mind, they understand as ‘an elevated mind’, or an unelevated mind, they understand as ‘an unelevated mind’; a surpassable mind, they understand as ‘a surpassable mind’, or an unsurpassable mind, they understand as ‘an unsurpassable mind’; a concentrated mind, they understand as ‘a concentrated mind’, or an unconcentrated mind, they understand as ‘an unconcentrated mind’; a liberated mind, they understand as ‘a liberated mind’, or an unliberated mind, they understand as ‘an unliberated mind’. Just as, Udayi, a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of adornment, looking at their own facial reflection in a clean, pure mirror or in a clear bowl of water, if it has a blemish, they know ‘it has a blemish’... he would know it as a 'blemished limb', or he would know an unblemished limb as 'unblemished'. Even so, Udayin, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, and by following that path, my disciples discern with their minds the minds of other beings, other persons: they discern a mind with passion as 'a mind with passion', or a mind without passion... or a mind with hatred... or a mind without hatred... or a mind with delusion... or a mind without delusion... or a constricted mind... or a scattered mind... or an exalted mind... or an unexalted mind... or a surpassable mind... or an unsurpassable mind... or a concentrated mind... or an unconcentrated mind... or a liberated mind... or an unliberated mind as 'an unliberated mind'. And among them, my disciples dwell having attained the highest perfection in many supernormal powers. 257. Again, Udayin, the path has been taught by me to my disciples, and by following that path, my disciples recollect their manifold past lives, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction and expansion. 'There I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, having experienced such pleasure and pain, having such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose yonder. There too I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, having experienced such pleasure and pain, having such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose here.' Thus, with its aspects and details, they recollect their manifold past lives. Just as, Udayin, a man might go from his own village to another village, and from that village to yet another village; and from that village he might return to his own village. he might think thus: ‘I went from my own village to another village. There I stood thus, I sat thus, I spoke thus, I was silent thus. From that village too, I went to that village. There too I stood thus, I sat thus, I spoke thus, I was silent thus. Now I have returned from that village to my own village.’ Just so, Udāyi, the practice has been declared by me to my disciples. Having practiced thus, my disciples recollect their manifold past lives, that is, one birth… …thus they recollect their manifold past lives with their features and details. And among them, my disciples dwell having attained the highest perfection in many supernormal powers. 258. Furthermore, Udāyi, the practice has been declared by me to my disciples. Having practiced thus, my disciples, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate. They understand beings according to their deeds: ‘Indeed, these venerable beings were endowed with misconduct of body, misconduct of speech, misconduct of mind. They were revilers of the noble ones, held wrong views, and undertook actions based on wrong views. Due to the breaking up of the body, after death, they have reappeared in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Or again, these venerable beings were endowed with good conduct of body, good conduct of speech, good conduct of mind. They were not revilers of the noble ones, held right views, and undertook actions based on right views. Due to the breaking up of the body, after death, they have reappeared in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, they see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate. They understand beings according to their deeds. Just as, Udāyi, there are two houses with doors. A man with sight, standing in the middle, might see people entering the house, leaving it, walking about, and moving about. and also; Just so, Udāyi, the practice has been taught by me to my disciples, by practicing which my disciples, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, they understand beings according to their kamma… …and among them, many of my disciples dwell having attained the perfection of the ultimate knowledge. 259. “Furthermore, Udāyi, the practice has been taught by me to my disciples, by practicing which my disciples, by the destruction of the taints, having realized for themselves with direct knowledge in this very life the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, abide therein. Just as, Udāyi, in a mountain ravine, there is a pool of water, clear, limpid, undisturbed, and a man with good sight, standing on the bank, might see oysters and shells, and gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish, moving about or staying still. He would think: ‘This pool of water is clear, limpid, undisturbed, and in it are these oysters and shells, and gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish, moving about or staying still.’ Just so, Udāyi, the practice has been taught by me to my disciples, by practicing which my disciples,