1

Introduction To The Kevaddha Sutta

In this Sutta we have the position taken up by the early Buddhists, and no doubt by Gotama himself, as to the practice of the wonders or miracles, in which there was then universal belief. They were not, however, miracles in some Western sense. There was no interference by an outside power with the laws of nature. It was supposed that certain people, by reason of special (but uite natural! powers, could accomplish certain special acts beyond the power of ordinary men. These acts are ei"ht in number# and as set forth in detail remind us of some (not of all! the powers now attributed to mediums. The belief is not Buddhist. It is pre$Buddhistic, and common to all schools of thou"ht in India. %s usual the Buddha is represented as not takin" the trouble to doubt or dispute the fact of the e&istence of such powers. 'e simply says that he loathes the practice of them and that a "reater and better wonder than any or all of them( is education in the system of self$trainin" which culminates in %rahatship. There is no evidence of a similarly reasonable view of this uestion of wonders havin" been put forward by any Indian teacher before the Buddha. It is very stran"e that )hilders should have stated that *Iddh+ is the peculiar attribute of the %rahats.* 'e "ives no authority for the statement. ,evadatta, who was the very reverse of an %rahat, was noted for his power of Iddh+. %nd of the many %rahats mentioned in the books, only one or two, notably -o""all.na, were famed for this ac uirement. They could have it, of course( /ust as they could have any craft or skill of the unconverted. But the ei"ht powers referred to above are called the pothu//anik.$or puthu//anik.$+ddh+* or .mis.$iddh+( that is, precisely not an attribute of the %rahats, or even of men in the lower sta"es of the 0ath, but of the worldly, the unconverted, a practice carried out for worldly "ain. We have the Iddh+, the ma/estic movement, of animals the Iddh+, the "lory and ma/esty and potency, of a kin" $the Iddh+, the prosperity and splendor, of a rich youn" man$the Iddh+, the craft and power, of a hunter$the Iddh+, in the technical sense /ust e&plained, of the unconverted wonder$worker. The Iddh+ of the %rahats, as such *, was the ma/esty and potency of their victory, of their emancipation.

2 In illustration of his position Gotama is represented to have told a wonderful le"end$how a Bhikshu, seekin" the answer to a deep problem in reli"ion and philosophy, "oes up and up, by the power of his Iddh+, from world to world, appealin" to the "ods. In each heaven, as he mounts ever hi"her, the "ods confess their i"norance, and send him on to the "ods above, more potent and more "lorious than they. %nd so he comes at last to the "reat "od of "ods, the -aha Brahma himself, only to be taken discreetly aside, and told in confidence, so that the "ods may not hear it, that he too, the -aha Brahma, does not know the answer1 %ll the details of the story are worked out with persistent humor, characteristic of such le"ends in the Buddhist books, in order to brin" out the two lessons$in the first place how, in all such matters, to trust to the "ods is to lean on a broken reed( and secondly, how perfectly useless is the power of such Iddh+, which, even at its best, can "ive no better help than that to one in earnest about hi"her thin"s. The problem put is of "reat interest( and "oes to the very core of the Buddhist Welt$anscha2n", of Buddhist philosophy. The world, as we know it, is within each of us. *3erily, I declare to you, my friend, that within this very body, mortal as it is and only a fathom hi"h, but conscious and endowed with mind, is, the world, and the wa&in" thereof, and the wanin" thereof, and the way that leads to the passin" away thereof1 4n this ,r. 5arl, 6eumann, whose illustrations of Buddhist te&ts from passa"es in Western literature, old and new, are so happy, appropriately compares Schopenhauer*s sayin",*4ne can also say that 5ant*s teachin" leads to the view that the be"innin" and end of the world are not to be sou"ht without, but within, us.* The problem, as put by the Bhikshu to the "ods, is# *Where do the elements pass away7* The Buddha, in "ivin" his solution, first says that that is not the ri"ht way to put the uestion. It ou"ht to be# *Where do the elements find no foothold ( where does that union of ualities that make a person (n.ma and r2pa! pass away7* The alteration is su""estive. The person should be introduced( a thinkin" bein". We only know of the elements and their derivatives, as reflected in, constructed by, human intelli"ence. To the uestion, as thus altered, the answer is# *They find no foothold in the mind of the %rahat, and when intellection (with special reference to the representative faculty! ceases, then they, and the person with them, cease.*

3 So in the B.hiya story (8d. I, 9:! we are told# *There, where earth, water, fire, and wind no footin" find, There are the ni"hts not bri"ht, nor suns resplendent, 6o moon shines there, there is no darkness seen. %nd then, when he, the %rahat hath, in his wisdom, seen( ;rom well and ill, from form and formless, is he freed1* This is a strikin", and in all probability intentional, contrast to the 8panishad passa"es where the same kind of lan"ua"e is used of the Great Soul, the corollary of the human soul. It is one of many instances (as has been pointed out by ;ather ,ahlmann! where the same e&pressions, used in the 0i<akas of the %rahat, are used in the older or later priestly speculation of "od. We have another reference to the view that the ;our =lements find no foothold in the %rahat at Sa>yutta I, 9? %nd we see what is meant by this from verse 9999 in the Sutta 6ip.ta# *To him who harbors no deli"ht in feelin"s that arise, either from within or without, co"nition tends to wane.* That is, of course, not that his mental activity "rows less$the mental alertness of the %rahat is laid stress upon throu"hout the books. The picture drawn of the %rahat par e&cellence, the Buddha himself, is a standin" e&ample of what the early Buddhists considered a man to be in whom i"norance had waned. Whatever else it is, it is the very reverse of a man intellectually asleep, unconscious of what is said to him dull to ideas. But it is the picture of a man to whom the ;our =lements, and all that follows from them, material thin"s, and the ways in which they affect him, have ceased to have the paramount importance they have to the thou"htless.

Kevaddha Sutta
The Three Wonders And The Gods
Thus have I heard. The =&alted 4ne was once stayin" at 6.land. in the 0.v.rika*s man"o "rove. 6ow 5evaddha, a youn" householder, came where the =&alted 4ne was, and bowed down in salutation to him, and took a seat on one side. %nd, so seated, he said to the =&alted 4ne #

4 *This 6.land., of ours, Sir, is influential and prosperous, full of folk, crowded with people devoted to the =&alted 4ne. It were well if the =&alted 4ne were to "ive command to some brother to perform, by power surpassin" that of ordinary men, a mystic wonder. Thus would this 6.land. of ours become even so much the more devoted to the =&alted 4ne.* 4n his speakin" thus the =&alted 4ne said to him# *But, 5evaddha, it is not thus that I am wont to "ive instruction to the brethren# @ )ome now, my brethren( perform ye a mystic wonder, by power surpassin" that of ordinary men, for the lay folk clad in their "arments of white1 %nd a second time 5evaddha made the same re uest to the =&alted 4ne, and received a second <ime the same reply. %nd a third time 5evaddha, the youn" householder, addressed the =&alted 4ne, and said# *I would fain do no in/ury to the =&alted 4ne. I only say that this 6.land., of ours is influential and prosperous, full of folk, crowded with people devoted to the =&alted 4ne. It were well if the =&alted 4ne were to "ive command to some brother to perform, by power surpassin" that of ordinary men, a mystic wonder. Thus would this 6.land. of ours become even so much the more devoted to the =&alted 4ne.* *There are three sorts of wonders, 5evaddha, which I, havin" myself understood and realiAed them, have made known to others. %nd what are the three7 The mystic wonder, the wonder of manifestation, and the wonder of education *%nd what, 5evaddha, is the mystic wonder7 * In this case, 5evaddha, suppose that a brother en/oys the possession, in various ways, of mystic power$from bein" one he becomes multiform, from bein" multiform he becomes one# from bein" visible he becomes invisible# he passes without hindrance to the further side of a wall or a battlement or a mountain, as if throu"h air# he penetrates up and down throu"h solid "round, as if throu"h water# he walks on water without dividin" it, as if on solid "round# he travels cross$le""ed throu"h the sky, like the birds on win"# he touches and feels with the hand even the -oon and the Sun, bein"s of mystic power and potency thou"h they be# he reaches, even in the body, up to the heaven of

5 Brahma. %nd some believer, of trustin" heart, should behold him doin" so. *Then that believer should announce the fact to an unbeliever, sayin"# @ Wonderful, Sir, and marvelous is the mystic power and potency of that recluse. ;or verily I saw him indul"in" himself, in various ways, in mystic power#$from bein" one becomin" multiform (Bc., as before, down to! reachin", even in the body, up to the heaven of Brahma1@* *Then that unbeliever should say to him# @Well, Sir1 there is a certain charm called the Gandh.ra )harm. It is by the efficacy thereof that he performs all this.@* *6ow what think you, 5evaddha 7 -i"ht not the unbeliever so say 7* *Ces, Sir( he mi"ht.* *Well, 5evaddha1 It is because I perceive dan"er in the practice of mystic wonders, that I loathe, and abhor, and am ashamed thereof. *%nd what, 5evaddha, is the wonder of manifestation 7 *Suppose, in this case, 5evaddha, that a brother can make manifest the heart and the feelin"s, the reasonin"Ds and the thou"hts, of other bein"s, of other individuals, sayin"# @ So and so is in your mind. Cou are thinkin" of such and such a matter. Thus and thus are your emotions.@ %nd some believer, of trustin" heart, should see him doin" so *Then that believer should announce the fact to an unbeliever, sayin"# @ Wonderful, Sir, and marvelous is the mystic power and potency of that recluse. ;or verily I saw him makin" manifest the heart and the feelin"s, the reasonin"*s and the thou"hts, of other bein"s, of other individuals, sayin"# @ So and so is in your mind. Cou are thinkin" of such and such a matter. Thus and thus are your emotions.@ *Then that unbeliever should say to him# @ Well, Sir1 there is a charm called the Eewel )harm. It is by the efficacy thereof that he performs all this.@ *6ow what think you, 5evaddha 7 -i"ht not the unbeliever so say7 * Ces, Sir( he mi"ht.* * Well, 5evaddha1 It is because I perceive dan"er in the practice* of the wonder of manifestation, that I loathe, and abhor, and am ashamed thereof.

6 *%nd what, 5evaddha, is the wonder of education7 * Suppose, 5evaddha, that a brother teaches thus # @Feason in this way, do not reason in that way. )onsider thus, and not thus. Get rid of this disposition, train yourself, and remain, in that.@ This, 5evaddha, is what is called @The wonder of education.@ *%nd further, 5evaddha, suppose that a Tath."ata is born into the world, and etc.* that is to say# 9. The preachin" of the Buddha. G. The awakenin" of a hearer, and his renunciation of the world. H. 'is self$trainin" in act, word, and speech. I. The minor details of mere morality (summarised above at 0. ?J! which he observes. ?. The absence of fear, confidence of heart thence arisin". K. The way in which he learns to "uard the doors of his senses. L. The constant self$possession he thus "ains. J. The power of bein" content with little, of simplicity of life. M. The emancipation of the heart from the ;ive 'indrances$ covetousness, ill$temper, sloth of body and mind, e&citement and worry, and perple&ity. 9:. The resultin" /oy and peace that he "ains. 99. The trainin" in the ;our Faptures. 9G. The insi"ht arisin" from the knowled"e of the nature of the body, and its impermanence, and of the fact that consciousness is bound up with it. 9H, The realiAation of the ;our Truths, the destruction of the Into&icants, and the final assurance of the emancipation of %rahatship. The refrain throu"hout is# *This, 5evaddha, is what is called the wonder of education.*N

7 So these, 5evaddha, are the three wonders I have understood and realiAed myself, and made known to others. 4nce upon a time, 5evaddha, there occurred to a certain brother in this very company of the brethren, a doubt on the followin" point# @ Where now do these four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind$ pass away, leavin" no trace behind7@ So that brother, 5evaddha, worked himself up into such a state of ecstasy that the way leadin". to the world of the Gods became clear to his ecstatic vision. Then that brother, 5evaddha, went up to the realm of the ;our Great 5in"s( and said to the "ods thereof#@ Where, any friends, do the four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind$cease, leavin" no trace behind7 *%nd when he had thus spoken the "ods in the heaven of the ;our Great 5in"s said to him# @We, brother, do not know that. But there are the ;our Great 5in"s, more potent and more "lorious than we. They will know it.@ *Then that brother, 5evaddha, went to the ;our Great 5in"s, Oand put the same uestion, and was sent on, by a similar reply, to the Thirty$ three, who sent him on to their kin", Sakka( who sent him on to the C.ma "ods, who sent him on to their kin", Suy.ma( who sent him on to the Tusita "ods, who sent him on to their kin", Santusita( who sent him on to the 6imm.na$rati "ods, who sent him on to their kin", Sunimmita( who sent him on to the 0ara$nimmita 3asavatti "ods, who sent him on to their kin", 3asavatti( who sent him on to the "ods of the Brahma$world.N *Then that brother, 5evaddha, became so absorbed by self$ concentration that the way to the Brahma$world became clear to his mind thus pacified. %nd he drew near to the "ods of the retinue of Brahma, and said# @Where, my friends, do the four "reat elements$ earth, water, fire, and wind$cease, leavin" no trace behind 7 @ *%nd when he had thus spoken the "ods of the retinue of Brahma replied# @We, brother, do not know that. But there is Brahma, the Great Brahma, the Supreme 4ne, the -i"hty 4ne, the %ll$seein" 4ne, the Fuler, the Pord of all, the )ontroller, the )reator, the )hief of all, appointin" to each his place, the %ncient of days, the ;ather of all that are and are to beOG:N 'e is more potent and more "lorious than we. 'e will know it.@ Where then is that Great Brahma now7

8 We, brother, know not where Brahma is, nor why Brahma is, nor whence. But, brother, when the si"ns of his comin" appear, when the li"ht ariseth, and the "lory shineth, then will 'e be manifest. ;or that is the portent of the manifestation of Brahma when the li"ht ariseth, and the "lory shineth.@ *%nd it was not lon", 5evaddha, before that Great Brahma became manifest. %nd that brother drew near to him, and said# @Where, my friend, do the four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind$cease, leavin" no trace behind7@* %nd when he had thus spoken that Great Brahma said to him# @I, brother, am *the Great Brahma, the Supreme, the -i"hty, the %ll$ seein", the Fuler, the Pord of all, the )ontroller, the )reator, the )hief of all, appointin" to each his place, the %ncient of days, the ;ather of all that are and are to be 1 @ *Then that brother answered Brahma, and said# I did not ask you, friend, as to whether you were indeed all that you now say. But I ask you where the four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind cease, leavin" no trace behind 7 @ *Then a"ain, 5evaddha, Brahma "ave the same reply. %nd that brother, yet a third time, put to Brahma his uestion as before. *Then, 5evaddha, the Great Brahma took that brother by the arm and led him aside, and said# @* These "ods, the retinue of Brahma, hold me, brother, to be such that there is nothin" I cannot see, nothin" I have not understood, nothin" I have not realiAed. Therefore I "ave no answer in their presence. I do not know, brother, where those four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind$cease, leavin" no trace behind. Therefore you, brother, have done wron", have acted ill, in that, i"norin" the =&alted 4ne, you have undertaken this lon" search, amon" others, for an answer to this uestion. Go you now, return to the =&alted 4ne, ask him the uestion, and accept the answer accordin" as he shall make reply.@ *Then, 5evaddha, that Bhikkhu, as uickly as one could stretch forth his bended arm, or draw it in when stretched forth, vanished from the Brahma world, and appeared before me. %nd he bowed in salutation to me, and took his seat on one side ( and, so seated, he said to me# @Where is it, Sir, that these four "reat elements$earth, water, fire, and wind$cease, leavin" no trace behind 7 @

9 *%nd when he had thus spoken, 5evaddha, I answered him thus Pon", lon" a"o, brother, sea$farin" traders were wont, when they were settin" sail on an ocean voya"e, to take with them a land$si"htin" bird. %nd when the ship "ot out of si"ht of the shore they would let the land$ si"htin" bird free. Such a bird would fly to the =ast, and to the South and to the West, and to the 6orth, to the Aenith, and to the intermediate points of the compass. %nd if anywhere on the horiAon it cau"ht si"ht of land, thither would it fly. But if no land, all around about, were visible, it would come back even to the ship. Eust so, brother, do you, havin" sou"ht an answer to this uestion, and sou"ht it in vain, even up to the Brahma$world, come back therefore to me. 6ow the uestion, brother, should not be put as you have put it. Instead of askin" where the four "reat elements, cease, leavin" no trace behind, you should have asked# Where do earth, water, fire, and wind, %nd lon" and short, and fine and coarse, 0ure and impure, no footin" find7 Where is it that both name and form ,ie out, leavin" no trace behind7@ *4n that the answer is # *The intellect of %rahatship, the invisible, the endless, accessible from every side *Where is it that earth, water, fire, and wind, %nd lon" and short, and fine and coarse, 0ure and impure, no footin" find. Where is it that both name and form ,ie out, leavin", no trace behind. When intellection ceases they all also cease.* Thus spake the =&alted 4ne. %nd 5evaddha, the youn" householder, pleased at heart, re/oiced at the spoken word. 'ere ends the 5evaddha Suttanta.

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