Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.21 3.

Maggasutta

Ayoguḷavagga Maggasutta Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Originating from Sāvatthi.

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘ko nu kho maggo, kā paṭipadā iddhipādabhāvanāyā’ti?

Before my enlightenment when I was still an unenlightened Bodhisatta, it occurred to me: What is the path, what is the way for the development of the bases of psychic power?

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘idha bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti— iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati.

Then it occurred to me:

Here, a disciple develops the base of psychic power that is concentration due to desire: thus my desire will not be too lax, nor too tense, not constricted internally, nor scattered externally.

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati— yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.

He dwells perceiving after and before: as before so after, as after so before; as below so above, as above so below;

as by day so by night, as by night so by day.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Thus with an open and unenveloped heart, he develops a bright mind.

Vīriyasamādhi …pe…

Concentration due to energy …

cittasamādhi …

concentration due to mind …

vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti— iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati.

He develops the base of psychic power that is concentration due to investigation: thus my investigation will not be too lax, nor too tense, not constricted internally, nor scattered externally.

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati— yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā’— iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

He dwells perceiving after and before:

as before so after, as after so before;

as below so above, as above so below;

as by day so by night, as by night so by day: Thus with an open and unenveloped heart, he develops a bright mind.

Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti …pe…

When a disciple has thus developed and frequently practiced these four bases of psychic power, he experiences manifold supranormal powers: becoming one, he becomes many; becoming many, he becomes one ...

yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.

even up to the Brahma worlds he exercises mastery over his body.

Evaṁ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catūsu iddhipādesu evaṁ bahulīkatesu, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti. Paṭhamaṁ. (Chapi abhiññāyo vitthāretabbā.)

When a disciple has thus developed and frequently practiced these four bases of psychic power, he realizes with his own insight the destruction of the taints, the mind's release, and wisdom's release in this very life, and lives having realized it with his own insight due to the destruction of the taints.