English
By cultivating and frequently practicing which phenomena, Venerable Anuruddha, have you attained great supernormal power? Indeed, friend, by cultivating and frequently practicing the four foundations of mindfulness, I have attained great supernormal power. Which four? Here, friend, I dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world; I dwell contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world; I dwell contemplating the mind in the mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world; I dwell contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world – Indeed, friend, by cultivating and frequently practicing these four foundations of mindfulness, I have attained great supernormal power. And furthermore, friend, by cultivating and frequently practicing these four foundations of mindfulness, I recollect a thousand aeons. The First. 2. The Discourse on Supernormal Power 910. And furthermore, friend, by cultivating these four Because of the development and cultivation of the foundations of mindfulness, I experience various kinds of psychic power: being one, I become many… even up to the Brahma world, I exercise mastery with my body. The Second. 3. Discourse on the Divine Ear 911. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, with the purified divine ear element, surpassing that of humans, I hear both kinds of sounds, divine and human, those far and those near. The Third. 4. Discourse on Penetrating Minds 912. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I comprehend with my mind the minds of other beings, other persons, having encompassed them with my mind: I discern a mind with lust as ‘a mind with lust’… I discern an unliberated mind as ‘an unliberated mind’. The Fourth. 5. Discourse on Possibilities 913. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I discern as it really is the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible. The Fifth. 6. Discourse on the Acquisition of Kamma 914. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I discern as it really is the result of past, future, and present kamma-acquisitions, with their reasons and causes. The Sixth. 7. Discourse on the Path Leading Everywhere 915. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I discern as it really is the path leading to all destinations. The Seventh. 8. Discourse on Various Elements 916. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I discern as it really is the world with its many and various elements. The Eighth. 9. Discourse on Various Dispositions 917. And friends, because of the development and cultivation of these four foundations of mindfulness, I discern as it really is the various dispositions of beings. The Ninth. 10. Discourse on the Superiority and Inferiority of Faculties 918. And because of these And I, friends, having developed and repeatedly practiced the four foundations of mindfulness, the disposition of the faculties of other beings, other persons, I know as it truly is. The Tenth. 11. Discourse on Jhānas, etc. And I, friends, having developed and repeatedly practiced these four foundations of mindfulness, the jhānas, liberations, concentrations, and attainments— their defilement, their purification, their emergence— I know as it truly is. The Eleventh. 12. Discourse on Previous Dwellings And I, friends, having developed and repeatedly practiced these four foundations of mindfulness, I recollect my manifold past lives, that is to say: one birth, two births... and so on... thus I recollect my manifold past lives, with their aspects and their details. The Twelfth. 13. Discourse on the Divine Eye And I, friends, having developed and repeatedly practiced these four foundations of mindfulness, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, I see beings passing away and reappearing... and so on... thus with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, I know beings as they fare according to their kamma. The Thirteenth. 14. Discourse on the Destruction of the Taints And I, friends, having developed and repeatedly practiced these four foundations of mindfulness, through the destruction of the taints, having realized for myself, with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having attained and abided therein. The Fourteenth. The Second Chapter. Its Summary – Great Direct Knowledge, Divine Power, Knowledge of Minds, Basis of Kamma; Liberation from All Elements, Faculties, Jhānas, the Three Knowledges. The Eighth, Connected Discourses with Anuruddha.