Supernormal Powers

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta received the going forth under the Blessed One, and he received the full admission. Not long after his full admission, a half-month after his full admission, the venerable Vacchagotta went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and told the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, I have attained whatever can be attained by the knowledge of a disciple in higher training, by the true knowledge of a disciple in higher training. Let the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma further."

“In that case, Vaccha, develop further two things: serenity and insight. When these two things—serenity and insight—are developed further, they will lead to the penetration of many elements.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I wield the various kinds of supernormal power: having been one, may I become many; having been many, may I become one; may I appear and vanish; may I go unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, through a mountain, as though through space; may I dive in and out of the earth as though it were water; may I walk on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, may I travel in space like a bird; with my hand may I touch and stroke the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; may I wield bodily mastery even as far as the Brahma-world’ -- you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human; hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human, those that are far as well as near’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I understand the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind. May I understand a mind affected by lust as affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust; may I understand a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; may I understand a mind affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by delusion as unaffected by delusion; may I understand a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; may I understand an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; may I understand a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed; may I understand a concentrated mind as concentrated and an unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; may I understand a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I recollect my manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births...Thus with their aspects and particulars may I recollect my manifold past lives’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate... and may I understand how beings pass on according to their actions’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.

“To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I, by realising for myself with direct knowledge, here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.”

Then the venerable Vacchagotta, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he departed.

Before long, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, the venerable Vacchagotta, by realising for himself with direct knowledge, here and now entered upon and abided in that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which clans­men rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness. He directly knew: “Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.” And the venerable Vacchagotta became one of the arahants.

Now on that occasion a number of bhikkhus were going to see the Blessed One. The venerable Vacchagotta saw them coming in the distance. Seeing them, he went to them and asked them: “Where are the venerable ones going?” “We are going to see the Blessed One, friend.”

“In that case, may the venerable ones pay homage in my name with their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, saying: ‘Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vacchagotta pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’ Then say: ‘The Blessed One has been worshipped by me, the Sublime One has been worshipped by me.'"

“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied. Then they went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and told the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, the venerable Vacchagotta pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet, and he says: ‘The Blessed One has been worshipped by me, the Sublime One has been worshipped by me.’”

“Bhikkhus, having encompassed his mind with my own mind, I already knew of the bhikkhu Vacchagotta: ‘The bhikkhu Vacchagotta has attained the threefold true knowledge and has great supernormal power and might.’ And deities also told me this: ‘The bhikkhu Vacchagotta has attained the threefold true knowledge and has great supernormal power and might.’”

That is what the Blessed One said. Those bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

The source for the above material:
MN 73 Mahavacchagotta Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Vacchagotta. Copyright © Bhikkhu Bodhi 1995, 2001. Reprinted from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. With permission from Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 U.S.A.