"Bases Of Psychic Power" Study & Practice: Hindrances (2/7)
I studied & practiced with the "Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power" for about four months of daily practice. These Roads To Power are desire, persistence, intent and discernment. Most of this 7-part podcast series are my considerations, questions, experiences, explorations, suggestions, interpretations & practices from working with this sutta. Part 2: hindrances: sluggishness/laziness; restlessness; sloth & torpor; 5 strands of sensuality & another translation reading
Transcript
This is part two of a seven-part series on studying and practicing with the Idipada,
The Vibhanga Sutta,
An analysis of the bases of power,
Unpacking hindrances,
And another translation reading.
So this is the section on the hindrances.
I'll read and unpack them a little bit.
This section,
I'll read two extended translations of it.
And how is desire overly active?
And how is desire inwardly constricted?
Conjoined with sloth and drowsiness,
That is called inwardly restricted desire.
And how is desire outwardly scattered?
Whatever desire is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality,
Outwardly dispersed and dissipated,
That is called outwardly scattered desire.
And how is persistence overly sluggish?
Whatever persistence is accompanied by laziness,
Conjoined with laziness,
That is called overly sluggish persistence.
And how is persistence overly active?
Whatever persistence is accompanied by restlessness,
Conjoined with restlessness,
That is called overly active persistence.
And how is persistence inwardly constricted?
Whatever persistence is accompanied by sloth and drowsiness,
Conjoined with sloth and drowsiness,
That is called inwardly restricted persistence.
And how is persistence outwardly scattered?
Whatever persistence is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality,
Outwardly dispersed and dissipated,
That is called outwardly scattered persistence.
And how is intent overly sluggish?
Whatever intent is accompanied by laziness,
Conjoined with laziness,
That is called overly sluggish intent.
And how is intent overly active?
Whatever intent is accompanied by restlessness,
Conjoined with restlessness,
That is called overly active intent.
And how is intent inwardly constricted?
Whatever intent is accompanied by sloth and drowsiness,
Conjoined with sloth and drowsiness,
That is called inwardly restricted intent.
And how is intent outwardly scattered?
Whatever intent is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality,
Outwardly dispersed and dissipated,
That is called outwardly scattered intent.
And how is discrimination overly sluggish?
Whatever discrimination is accompanied by laziness,
Conjoined with laziness,
That is called overly sluggish discrimination.
And how is discrimination overly active?
Whatever discrimination is accompanied by restlessness,
Conjoined with restlessness,
That is called overly active discrimination.
How is discrimination inwardly constricted?
Whatever discrimination is accompanied by sloth and drowsiness,
Conjoined with sloth and drowsiness that is called inwardly restricted discrimination.
And how is discrimination outwardly scattered?
Whatever discrimination is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality,
Outwardly dispersed and dissipated.
That is called outwardly scattered discrimination.
I believe that is the Ajahn Jephth or Thanassara Bhikkhu translation of that portion of the sutta.
The next one,
I'm pretty sure,
Is Bhante Sujato's translation.
And what is enthusiasm that's too lax?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with laziness.
This is called lax enthusiasm.
And what is enthusiasm that's too tense?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense enthusiasm.
And what is enthusiasm that's constricted internally?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called enthusiasm constricted internally.
And what is enthusiasm that's distracted externally?
It's when enthusiasm is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called enthusiasm distracted externally.
And what is energy that's too lax?
It's when energy is combined with laziness.
This is called lax energy.
And what is energy that's too tense?
It's when energy is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense energy.
And what is energy that's constricted internally?
It's when energy is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called energy constricted internally.
And what is energy that's distracted externally?
It's when energy is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called energy distracted externally.
And what is mental development that's too lax?
It's when mental development is combined with laziness.
This is called lax mental development.
And what is mental development that's too tense?
It's when mental development is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense mental development.
And what is mental development that's constricted internally?
It's when mental development is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called mental development constricted internally.
And what is mental development that's distracted externally?
It's when mental development is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called mental development distracted externally.
And what is inquiry that's too lax?
It's when inquiry is combined with laziness.
This is called lax inquiry.
And what is inquiry that's too tense?
It's when inquiry is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense inquiry.
And what is inquiry that's constricted internally?
It's when inquiry is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called inquiry constricted internally.
And what is inquiry that's distracted externally?
It's when inquiry is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called inquiry distracted externally.
Just while I was reading them,
Those translations,
I mean,
Part of the mind was going to what I had left on my notes that I wanted to say,
Not as focused on the words as much or the meaning of the words,
Really drilling home.
So maybe that's what hindrance would that be?
That would probably be restlessness,
Right?
These two translations,
Both the pros and cons,
Probably take me too long to mix and match what I like from them and disregard what I don't like.
Basically on likes,
Right?
I mean,
I could argue that it's some are helpful than others or some resonate with me more than others.
Both have kind of a cadence and rhythm and just beautiful,
Like refrain qualities,
This song like nature of,
I guess it's first chorus verse kind of thing.
Lots of repetition,
Easier for memorization,
Especially when it was supposed to be an oral tradition and not written down.
And so a lot of these times when they're written down now,
A lot of this redundancy will be just omitted and with a dot dot dot or whatnot,
I forget all the exact scholarly terminology for the abbreviation part of it.
But I just went ahead and expanded it here,
Read it out just to kind of get a sing song feel and read of it.
So diving in here,
Of course,
We've got the various translations on what those not only hindrances are slightly translated differently,
But also idipada themselves,
The four bases of psychic power,
Four bases of power and different on each translation.
Then you've got the other keywords here,
Accompanied by,
Conjoined with,
Accompanied means to come along with and conjoined means to join or combine.
Does this mean a redundancy?
Because if something's joining or combining,
Well,
Then doesn't it obviously have to be accompanied by two?
Or maybe it means one or the other.
It's interesting to note what is restlessness to.
Are we talking about restlessness of the heart?
Restlessness of the mind?
Restlessness of volition,
The will?
What about sensing restlessness in one's environment?
Does this go along with the three poisons,
The three unwholesome roots of greed,
Hatred,
Delusion?
And then this translation of dispersed and dissipated.
This has to do with energy,
It seems like.
If one's attention or energy is dispersed,
It's kind of scattered out.
It's not unified,
Combined,
Concentrated,
Gathered,
Focused,
And dissipated.
It's kind of worn out.
It's kind of petered out,
Tapered off.
And then noting this for each of the idipada,
How might one's desire be affected by each of these hindrances,
As well as persistence,
Intent,
And discrimination?
Is there one that sticks out for someone,
For a practitioner,
That's easily noticeable?
Has there been a significant difference in the past in one's practice,
For one over the other?
What similarities do there seem to be among these?
Do any of them run in tandem?
What are some of the solutions for these?
For this second translation,
First thing here,
Enthusiasm combined with laziness.
It almost seems like,
I don't know how one could give a lazy enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm by its very nature doesn't really seem possible if one's being lazy about it.
It doesn't seem very enthusiastic.
So I don't know,
I wonder about that translation there.
But then again,
Can desire,
With the other translation,
Be lazy?
Actually,
I guess what that could also just mean is lacking desire.
So it's kind of blowing off the importance of a wholesome desire.
This language of constricted internally,
It's not really that common of a thing to come across in daily life that I know of,
That someone without meditation training probably wouldn't know much about what internal constriction means.
I don't know if you'd take that literally,
It would be kind of like a tightening up of the guts or internal body.
If we take this kind of figuratively or mentally,
Somebody might just say they're,
I don't know,
Have a headache or something?
I'm trying to put my feet in their shoes here.
If you said to someone,
Oh,
You're constricted internally,
I mean,
How would they take that?
What would they think that meant?
But then,
Of course,
We're applying it to the four-eighty pata,
Just this example here,
Enthusiasm.
Think about dullness and drowsiness combined with enthusiasm.
Again,
This doesn't seem to add up too much on the surface anyway.
I really don't know how someone would act or feel or think if they're enthusiastic,
But it's combined with dullness and drowsiness.
It seems like two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Or maybe it just means that there might have been some enthusiasm or a little enthusiasm,
But then it becomes combined with dullness and drowsiness.
And so that kind of clouds it over.
As we're distracted externally,
I think that's one that most people would be better able to understand,
Especially since much of the modern world is focused on the external.
Pretty much everybody can resonate with what it's like to be distracted.
Distracted and diffused externally on account of the five strands of sensual stimulation.
So those are the kind of big sticking points,
I guess,
With the differences in language on the two translations.
So a real brief note here on the five strands of sensuality,
If anyone else was wondering what those are.
Here's a short selection from,
And I'm going to probably butcher the name of this sutta,
Samahadukkha Khanda Sutta.
Now what,
Monks,
Is the allure of sensuality?
These five strings of sensuality.
Which five?
Forms cognizable via the eye.
Agreeable,
Pleasing,
Charming,
Endearing,
Fostering desire,
Enticing.
Sounds cognizable by the ear.
Aromas cognizable via the nose.
Lavers cognizable via the tongue.
Tactile sensations cognizable via the body.
Agreeable,
Pleasing,
Charming,
Endearing,
Fostering desire,
Enticing.
Now,
Whatever pleasure or joy arises in dependence on these five strands of sensuality,
That is the allure of sensuality.
So in the show notes,
Give the Pali version line by line from sutta central for anyone who wants to dig in on that.
So the main part of this section I'll get to now,
Just jumping into my notes here.
One of the first things I notice about this is there are only like four different types of paired hedrances here,
Compared to the traditional five hedrances.
So we've got sluggishness and laziness,
Then overly active restlessness,
We've got inward constriction,
Sloth and torpor,
We've got outwardly scattered in the five strands of sensuality.
And then this is compared of course to the five traditional hedrances of sensory desire,
Ill will,
Restlessness and worry,
Sloth and torpor,
And doubt,
Kind of a special kind of doubt,
Or a more specific kind of doubt.
I won't get into much here.
If I had to guess why ill will and doubt are left out,
It's because these don't seem like they would come into play much for practitioners at this level,
Working on such development as laid out in the sutta.
So I guess,
For example,
If one's still struggling with ill will,
It's going to be kind of hard to focus on something kind of as nuanced and subtle as this.
It's not really anyone to particularly,
Or anything really,
To particularly have ill will towards,
If working on the sutta,
I guess.
And then also with doubt,
It seems to be lots of faith and wisdom involved in the sutta,
So kind of anyone,
I guess,
Actively working on it.
It's kind of a full-fledged devotee to what's mentioned there,
At least in one way or another.
And then looking at this on an energetic level,
These hindrances seem to be paired in two ways.
First as excessive energy with a lack of energy,
And then also delineated internally and externally.
I guess this is one simplified,
Boiled-down way to look at it,
Perhaps in a different light or a similar light.
Energy levels on a spectrum,
Too much,
Too little,
And then we're looking internally and externally.
So you can have too much energy internally,
Too much energy externally,
Too little energy internally,
Too little energy externally.
And I guess you could have it both,
Right?
Too much energy internally and externally,
Too little energy internally and externally.
And so I was wondering about this,
Treating these hindrances with the opposite hindrance.
So this is kind of like balancing out one with the other.
So instead of using the antidote or something wholesome to address each hindrance,
What if there was like accessing the other and using it,
So giving more energy to the opposite hindrance to balance it out?
Now,
Would this just create twice as many hindrances?
Or would they actually cancel out a little bit?
Or maybe you could use the opposite hindrance to just help make a U-turn initially from a predominating hindrance,
Maybe like a last resort.
And then once you get it turned around just a little bit,
Then maybe drop both of them.
So,
For example,
If something's overly sluggish,
Could you turn it around to being overly active,
At least temporarily?
Would they balance out?
Would it just create both of them somehow?
Would it fluctuate between the two kind of more erratically?
And I don't really have an answer for any of these questions.
And yeah,
I'm going to leave it like that,
Leave it for you to decide if this should even be considered or not.
I really didn't put this much into play when I was practicing with this.
So definitely take it with a huge grain of salt,
Especially if I haven't even practiced a possibility that I came up with.
So I really can't ask anyone else to do the same.
But there it is for consideration,
If one wants to consider it.
Another point I thought of is these hittipatas are bases of power.
It's said that they're endowed with concentration founded on desire,
Persistence,
Intent,
And discernment in the fabrications of exertion.
Now,
Would one want to continue developing these to the point of jhana or concentrative absorption?
Because some say one's ability to act externally is limited by jhana.
So if that's the case,
Could actually developing these hittipatas to the point of jhanas be kind of a detriment that would not allow the psychic abilities mentioned here within?
So this is a quandary a little bit for me because some people say that,
Well,
If you do develop jhanas,
Then with those come certain psychic abilities or some people don't call them psychic abilities,
They call them supranormal.
They're not normal just because I guess one way to look at it is everything's been kind of dumbed down and hindered.
So that's the baseline for normal now.
But once those are cleared in the right way,
Then they seem to be a different kind of normal,
I guess,
According to some.
That's one way to look at it.
But back to this jhana thing,
Once one is in jhana,
It's said,
At least as far as my knowledge,
That not much else can be done.
It's this kind of absorption state,
Although I have no idea really.
But let's say one is developing concentration founded on desire and exertion,
Concentration founded on persistence and exertion,
Concentration founded on intent and exertion,
Concentration founded on discernment and exertion.
But if they're developed to the point where you go into the absorption states,
Then doesn't just first,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
On up to eighth jhana just take precedence over however the concentration is founded?
Or does it just show a level of mastery that if concentration can be founded on each of the yeti pada and then gone into jhana,
Well then those foundations have been mastered since it can be taken to that level?
So I don't know any of these answers to any of these questions.
It's just curiosity.
So if fabrications of exertion is in one translation,
If fabrications of exertion exist,
Then are the mentioned hindrances also fabrications?
I mean if exertion is really a fabrication made up,
Then wouldn't the hindrances also be fabrications?
Or who would fabricate the hindrances?
Or how are they fabricated?
If one can fabricate exertion,
Then it seems like the hindrances too,
Right?
Well then if so,
Why and how do they become fabricated?
And how do they become unfabricated to the point of non-existence rather than unfabricated into a reality?
So by that I mean,
If you unfabricate something,
You could either interpret that as meaning it's now become reality because it was once made up,
Fabricated,
And now if you stop making it up,
But it's still in existence,
Then it becomes a reality,
Right?
One way to look at it.
However,
If you're basing the definition of something fabricated being made into this physical reality construct,
Then all of a sudden you unfabricate it,
Take it apart,
Well then would it be non-existent?
And could the hindrances come to be allowed because of exertions due to the law of polarity?
So by this I mean the law of polarity basically meaning my limited understanding of it is if there can be a possible opposite of something,
There will be.
Nothing kind of really exists in a vacuum.
With light there's going to be darkness,
At least in a relative reality level with polarity.
Not considering non-dual teachings,
Setting that aside for now.
So what I'm getting at here is if there's a desire or an exertion to overcome something,
Does that very act of will allow for the polar opposite of something to stop that?
It's kind of a chicken or egg question,
I guess.
Because if the hindrance came first,
Then maybe that would give an allowance for the opposite of exertion to overcome the hindrance.
But what if there was an effort to keep obstructions at bay,
Would that actually allow for the polarity of obstructions?
I don't know.
And if this is a law like some esoteric systems claim,
The law of polarity or whatnot,
Did it differ at all in the time of the Buddha?
And if so,
How?
And that's the section on the hindrances in the sutta.
And now for the Bhante Sujato recording.
It also includes my best guesses at expanding,
Extending,
Filling in the emitted redundant text indicated by the dot dot dot.
So this is the linked discourses on the basis of psychic power,
Shaking the stilt longhouse,
SN 5120.
Or the Vivanga Sutta,
The linked discourses 51 to shaking the stilt longhouse,
Number 20 analysis.
Mindicants,
When the four bases of psychic power are developed and cultivated,
They're very fruitful and beneficial.
How so?
It's when the mindicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm and active effort.
They think my enthusiasm won't be too lax or too tense,
And it will be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.
And they meditate perceiving continuity 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.
And so with an open and unenveloped heart,
They develop a mind that's full of radiance.
They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy and active effort.
They think my energy won't be too lax or too tense,
And it will be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.
And they meditate perceiving continuity 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.
And so with an open and unenveloped heart,
They develop a mind that's full of radiance.
They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to mental development and active effort.
They think my mental development won't be too lax or too tense,
And it will be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.
And they meditate perceiving continuity 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.
And so with an open and unenveloped heart,
They develop a mind that's full of radiance.
They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry and active effort.
They think my inquiry won't be too lax or too tense,
And it will be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.
They meditate perceiving continuity 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.
And so with an open and unenveloped heart,
They develop a mind that's full of radiance.
And what is enthusiasm that's too lax?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with laziness.
This is called lax enthusiasm.
And what is enthusiasm that's too tense?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense enthusiasm.
And what is enthusiasm that's constricted internally?
It's when enthusiasm is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called enthusiasm constricted internally.
And what is enthusiasm that's distracted externally?
It's when enthusiasm is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of central stimulation.
This is called enthusiasm distracted externally.
And how does a mendicant meditate perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before?
It's when the perception of continuity is properly grasped,
Attended,
Born in mind,
And comprehended with wisdom by a mendicant.
That's how a mendicant meditates perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before.
And how does a mendicant meditate as below,
So above,
As above,
So below?
It's when a mendicant examines their own body up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs,
Wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth.
In this body there is head hair,
Body hair,
Nails,
Teeth,
Skin,
Flesh,
Sinews,
Bones,
Bone marrow,
Kidneys,
Heart,
Liver,
Diaphragm,
Spleen,
Lungs,
Intestines,
Machinery,
Undigested food,
Feces,
Bile,
Phlegm,
Pus,
Blood,
Sweat,
Fat,
Tears,
Grease,
Saliva,
Snot,
Synovial fluid,
Urine.
That's how a mendicant meditates as below,
So above,
As above,
So below.
And how does a mendicant meditate as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day?
It's when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm and active effort,
With the same features,
Attributes,
And signs by day,
As by night.
And they develop it with the same features,
Attributes,
And signs by night,
As by day.
That's how a mendicant meditates as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day.
And how with an open and unenveloped heart does a mendicant develop a mind that's full of radiance?
It's when a mendicant has properly grasped the perception of light,
And has properly grasped the perception of day.
That's how with an open and unenveloped heart,
A mendicant develops a mind that's full of radiance.
And what is energy that's too lax?
It's when energy is combined with laziness.
This is called lax energy.
And what is energy that's too tense?
It's when energy is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense energy.
And what is energy that's constricted internally?
It's when energy is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called energy constricted internally.
And what is energy that's distracted externally?
It's when energy is frequently distracted and diffused externally,
On account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called energy distracted externally.
And how does a mendicant meditate perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before?
It's when the perception of continuity is properly grasped,
Attended,
Born in mind,
And comprehended with wisdom by a mendicant.
That's how a mendicant meditates perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before.
And how does a mendicant meditate as below,
So above,
As above,
So below?
It's when a mendicant examines their own body,
Up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs,
Wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth.
In this body there's head hair,
Body hair,
Nails to your skin,
Flesh,
Sinews,
Bones,
Bone marrow,
Kidneys,
Heart,
Liver,
Diaphragm,
Spleen,
Lungs,
Intestines,
Machinery,
Undigested food,
Feces,
Bile,
Phlegm,
Pus,
Blood,
Sweat,
Fat,
Tears,
Grease,
Saliva,
Snot,
Synovial fluid,
Urine.
That's how a mendicant meditates as below,
So above,
As above,
So below.
And how does a mendicant meditate as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day?
It's when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy and active effort,
With the same features,
Attributes,
And signs by day as by night.
And they develop it with the same features,
Attributes,
And signs by night as by day.
That's how a mendicant meditates as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day.
And how with an open and undeveloped heart does a mendicant develop a mind that's full of radiance?
It's when a mendicant has properly grasped the perception of light,
And has properly grasped the perception of day.
That's how,
With an open and enveloped heart,
A mendicant develops a mind is full radiance.
And what is mental development that's too lax?
It's when mental development is combined with laziness,
This is called lax mental development.
And what is mental development that's too tense?
It's when mental development is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense,
Mental,
And development.
And what is mental development that's constricted internally?
It's when mental development is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called mental development constricted internally.
And what is mental development that's distracted externally?
It's when mental development is frequently distracted and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called mental development distracted externally.
And how does a medicate meditate perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before?
It's when the perception of continuity is properly grasped,
Attended,
Born in mind,
And comprehended with wisdom by a medicate.
That's how a medicate meditates perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before.
And how does a medicate meditate as below,
So above,
As above,
So below?
It's when a medicate examines her own body,
Up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hair,
Wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth.
In this body there's head hair,
Body hair,
Nails,
Teeth,
Skin,
Flesh,
Sinews,
Bones,
Bone marrow,
Kidneys,
Heart,
Liver,
Diaphragm,
Spleen,
Lungs,
Intestines,
Machinery,
Undigested food,
Feces,
Bile,
Phlegm,
Pus,
Blood,
Sweat,
Fat,
Tears,
Grease,
Saliva,
Snot,
Synovial fluid,
Urine.
That's how a medicate meditates as below,
So above,
As above,
So below.
And how does a medicate meditate as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day?
It's when a medicate develops the basis of psychic power,
That has immersion due to mental development and active effort,
With the same features,
Attributes,
And signs,
By day,
As by night.
And they develop it with the same features,
Attributes,
And signs,
By night,
As by day.
That's how a medicate meditates as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day.
And how with an open and unenveloped heart does a medicate develop a mind that's full of radiance?
So when a medicate has properly grasped perception of light,
Has properly grasped perception of day,
That's how with an open and unenveloped heart,
A medicate develops a mind that's full of radiance.
And what is inquiry that's too lax?
It's when inquiry is combined with laziness.
This is called lax inquiry.
And what is inquiry that's too tense?
It's when inquiry is combined with restlessness.
This is called tense inquiry.
And what is inquiry that's constricted internally?
It's when inquiry is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
This is called inquiry constricted internally.
And what is inquiry that's distracted externally?
It's when inquiry is frequently distracted and diffused externally,
On account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
This is called inquiry distracted externally.
And how does a medicate meditate perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before?
It's when the perception of continuity is properly grasped,
Attended,
Born in mind,
And comprehended with wisdom by a medicate.
That's how a medicate meditates perceiving continuity as before,
So after,
As after,
So before.
And how does a medicate meditate as below,
So above,
As above,
So below?
It's when a medicate examines their own body,
Up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs,
Wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth.
In this body there's head hair,
Body hair,
Nails,
Teeth,
Skin,
Flesh,
Sinews,
Bones,
Bone marrow,
Kidneys,
Heart,
Liver,
Diaphragm,
Spleen,
Lungs,
Intestines,
Machinery,
Undigested food,
Feces,
Bile,
Phlegm,
Pus,
Blood,
Sweat,
Fat,
Tears,
Grease,
Saliva,
Snot,
Synovial fluid,
Urine.
That's how a medicate meditates as below,
So above,
As above,
So below.
And how does a medicate meditate as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day?
It's when a medicate develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry and active effort with the same features,
Attributes,
Signs,
By day,
As by night,
And they develop it with the same features,
Attributes,
And signs,
By night,
As by day.
That's how a medicate meditates as by day,
So by night,
As by night,
So by day.
And how,
With an open and unenveloped heart,
Does a medicate develop a mind that's full of radiance?
It's when a medicate has properly grasped perception of light,
And has properly grasped perception of day.
That's how,
With an open and unenveloped heart,
A medicate develops a mind that's full of radiance.
When the four bases of psychic power have been developed and cultivated in this way,
They're very fruitful and beneficial.
When the four bases of psychic power have been developed and cultivated in this way,
They wield the many kinds of psychic power,
Multiplying themselves and becoming one again,
Appearing and disappearing,
Going unimpeded 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 the moon,
So mighty and powerful,
Controlling the body as far as the Brahma realm.
With clairaudience,
That is purified and superhuman,
They hear both kinds of sounds,
Human and divine,
Whether near or far.
They understand the minds of other beings and individuals,
Having comprehended them with their own mind.
They understand mind with greed as mind with greed.
They understand mind without greed as mind without greed.
They understand mind with hate as mind with hate,
And a mind without hate as mind without hate.
They understand mind with delusion as mind with delusion,
And mind without delusion as mind without delusion.
They understand constricted mind as constricted mind,
And scattered mind as scattered mind.
They understand expansive mind as expansive mind,
And unexpectedly as unexpansive mind.
They understand mind that is not supreme,
As mind that is not supreme.
Mind that is supreme,
As mind that is supreme.
They understand mind immersed in samadhi,
As mind immersed in samadhi.
And mind not immersed in samadhi,
As mind not immersed in samadhi.
They understand freed mind,
As freed mind,
And they understand unfreed mind,
Unfreed mind.
They recollect many kinds of past lives,
That is,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Ten,
Twenty,
Thirty,
Forty,
Fifty,
A hundred,
A thousand,
A hundred thousand rebirths.
Many eons of the world contracting,
Many eons of the world expanding,
Many eons of the world contracting and expanding.
They remember,
There I was named this,
My clan was that.
I looked like this,
And that was my food.
This was how I felt pleasure and pain.
And that was how my life ended.
When I passed away from that place,
I was reborn somewhere else.
There,
Too,
I was named this,
My clan was that.
I looked like this,
And that was my food.
This was how I felt pleasure and pain,
And that was how my life ended.
When I passed away away from that place,
I was reborn here.
" And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives with features and details.
With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman,
They see sentient beings passing away and being reborn,
Inferior and superior,
Beautiful and ugly,
In a good place or a bad place.
They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.
These dear beings did bad things by way of body,
Speech,
And mind.
They spoke ill of the noble ones.
They had wrong view,
And they acted out of that wrong view.
When their body breaks up after death,
They're reborn in a place of loss,
A bad place,
The underworld,
Hell.
These dear beings,
However,
Did good things by way of body,
Speech,
And mind.
They never spoke ill of the noble ones.
They had right view,
And they acted out of that right view.
When their body breaks up after death,
They're reborn in a good place,
The heavenly realm.
And so with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman,
They see sentient beings passing away and being reborn,
Inferior and superior,
Beautiful and ugly,
In a good place or a bad place.
They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.
And this is the end of that portion,
Perhaps,
Left out of this translation.
When the four bases of psychic power have been developed and cultivated in this way,
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life.
And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
