{"collection":"Digha Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_dn11/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_dn11","id":"suttacentral_dn11","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/dn11/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Digha Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 in P\u0101v\u0101rika\u2019s Mango Grove. Then the householder Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cSir, this N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people. Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 will become even more devoted to the Buddha!\u201d When he said this, the Buddha said, \u201cKeva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, I do not teach Dhamma to the mendicants like this: \u2018Come now, mendicants, perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for the white-clothed laypeople.\u2019\u201d For a second time, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha made the same request, \u201cSir, I am not teaching you the Dhamma, but nonetheless I say: \u2018Sir, this N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people. Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 will become even more devoted to the Buddha!\u2019\u201d But for a second time, the Buddha gave the same answer. For a third time, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha made the same request, at which the Buddha said the following. 1. The Demonstration of Psychic Power \u201cKeva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, there are three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. What three? The demonstration of psychic power, the demonstration of revealing, and the demonstration of instruction. And what is the demonstration of psychic power? It\u2019s a mendicant who wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity. Someone with faith and confidence sees that mendicant performing those superhuman feats. They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: \u2018Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, performing all these superhuman feats!\u2019 But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: \u2018There\u2019s a spell named Gandh\u0101r\u012b. Using that a mendicant can perform such superhuman feats.\u2019 What do you think, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha? Wouldn\u2019t someone lacking faith speak like that?\u201d \u201cThey would, sir.\u201d \u201cSeeing this drawback in psychic power, I\u2019m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of psychic power. 2. The Demonstration of Revealing And what is the demonstration of revealing? It\u2019s when a mendicant reveals the mind, mentality, thoughts, and reflections of other beings and individuals: \u2018This is what you\u2019re thinking, such is your thought, and thus is your state of mind.\u2019 Someone with faith and confidence sees that mendicant revealing another individual\u2019s thoughts. They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: \u2018Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, revealing the thoughts of another individual!\u2019 But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: \u2018There\u2019s a spell named M\u0101\u1e47ik\u0101. Using that a mendicant can reveal another individual\u2019s thoughts.\u2019 What do you think, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha? Wouldn\u2019t someone lacking faith speak like that?\u201d \u201cThey would, sir.\u201d \u201cSeeing this drawback in revealing, I\u2019m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of revealing. 3. The Demonstration of Instruction And what is the demonstration of instruction? It\u2019s when a mendicant instructs others like this: \u2018Think like this, not like that. Focus your mind like this, not like that. Give up this, and live having achieved that.\u2019 This is called the demonstration of instruction. Furthermore, a Realized One arises in the world \u2026 That\u2019s how a mendicant is accomplished in ethics. \u2026 They enter and remain in the first absorption \u2026 This is called the demonstration of instruction. They enter and remain in the second absorption \u2026 third absorption \u2026 fourth absorption. This too is called the demonstration of instruction. They project and extend the mind toward knowledge and vision \u2026 This too is called the demonstration of instruction. They understand: \u2018\u2026 there is nothing further for this place.\u2019 This too is called the demonstration of instruction. These, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, are the three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. 4. On the Mendicant in Search of the Cessation of Being Once upon a time, Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, a mendicant in this very Sa\u1e45gha had the following thought, \u2018Where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u2019 Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to the gods appeared. Then he approached the gods of the four great kings and said, \u2018Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u2019 When he said this, those gods said to him, \u2018Mendicant, we too do not know this. But the four great kings are our superiors. They might know.\u2019 Then he approached the four great kings and asked the same question. But they also said to him, \u2018Mendicant, we too do not know this. But the gods of the thirty-three \u2026 Sakka, lord of gods \u2026 the gods of Yama \u2026 the godling named Suy\u0101ma \u2026 the Joyful gods \u2026 the godling named Santussita \u2026 the gods who love to create \u2026 the godling named Sunimmita \u2026 the gods who control the creation of others \u2026 the godling named Vasavatt\u012b \u2026 the gods of the Divinity\u2019s host are our superiors. They might know.\u2019 Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to divinity appeared. Then he approached the gods of the Divinity\u2019s host and said, \u2018Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u2019 But they also said to him, \u2018Mendicant, we too do not know this. But there is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. He is our superior. He might know.\u2019 \u2018But respectable sirs, where is that divinity now?\u2019 \u2018We also don\u2019t know where he is or what way he lies. But by the signs that are seen\u2014light arising and radiance appearing\u2014we know that divinity will appear. For this is the harbinger for the appearance of the Divinity, namely light arising and radiance appearing.\u2019 Not long afterwards, the Great Divinity appeared. Then that mendicant approached the Great Divinity and said to him, \u2018Respectable sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u2019 The Great Divinity said to him, \u2018I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.\u2019 For a second time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, \u2018Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.\u2019 For a second time, the Great Divinity said to him, \u2018I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.\u2019 For a third time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, \u2018Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.\u2019 Then the Great Divinity took that mendicant by the arm, led him off to one side, and said to him, \u2018Mendicant, these gods think that there is nothing at all that I don\u2019t know and see and understand and realize. That\u2019s why I didn\u2019t answer in front of them. But I too do not know where these four principal states cease with no residue left behind. Therefore, mendicant, the misdeed is yours alone, the mistake is yours alone, in that you passed over the Buddha and searched elsewhere for an answer to this question. Mendicant, go to the Buddha and ask him this question. You should remember it in line with his answer.\u2019 Then that mendicant, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of me. Then he bowed, sat down to one side, and said to me, \u2018Sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u2019 4.1. The Simile of the Land-Spotting Bird When he said this, I said to him: \u2018Once upon a time, mendicant, some sea-merchants set sail for the ocean deeps, taking with them a land-spotting bird. When their ship was out of sight of land, they released the bird. It flew right away to the east, the west, the north, the south, upwards, and in-between. If it saw land on any side, it went there and stayed. But if it saw no land on any side it returned to the ship. In the same way, after failing to get an answer to this question even after searching as far as the realm of divinity, you\u2019ve returned to me. Mendicant, this is not how the question should be asked: \u201cSir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?\u201d This is how the question should be asked: \u201cWhere do water and earth, fire and air have no footing; where long and short, tiny and huge, beautiful and ugly? Where do name and form cease no residue left behind?\u201d And the answer to that is: \u201c\u2018Consciousness where no form appears, infinite, radiant all-round.\u2019 Here water and earth, fire and air have no footing; here long and short, tiny and huge, beautiful and ugly. Here name and form cease with no residue left behind\u2014 with the cessation of consciousness, here they cease.\u201d\u2019\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the householder Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha approved what the Buddha said.","title":"With Keva\u1e0d\u1e0dha","tradition":"Digha Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1809}