Six Spiritual Powers

1) spiritual power of the heavenly eye, 2) spiritual power of the heavenly ear, 3) spiritual power of knowledge of past lives, 4) spiritual power of knowledge of the minds of others, 5) powers derived from a spiritual basis, 6) spiritual power of the elimination of outflows.

A. IN GENERAL

All the gods of the Three Worlds have the first five spiritual powers to some degree. Ghosts and spirits also have some small degree of spiritual power. Those of non-Buddhist religions who cultivate can at the very most only attain the first five. Only one whose enlightenment is certified achieves the sixth, the extinction of outflows.

On the level of the Arhat, the powers are still small. If an Arhat wishes to use one of them, he must first make a point of making himself still, sitting quietly for a while. Only then can he find out what he wishes to know. Bodhisattvas, however, without wishing, without acting, naturally and at every instant have great spiritual power without measure or limit. This is the inconceivably wonderful fruit of the Mahayana.

B. INDIVIDUALLY

1) spiritual power of the heavenly eye

"With the heavenly eye one can see the gods and observe all their activities." (AS 5)

"A power that enables one to see an entire world system of a billion worlds as clearly as an apple held in the palm. The Buddha's disciple, the Venerable Aniruddha, was foremost in this power." (SPV 26)

"With it you can see what is inside your own body, all the living beings within you that you must vow to save. Although scientists cannot count the number of living beings inside the human body, if you have the heavenly eye you can see them, count them, and take them across... You can even count up the grains of rice you eat. You can see how your meal is being digested in your stomach..." (DFS IV 808-809)

2) spiritual power of the heavenly ear

"With the heavenly ear one can hear the speech and sound of the gods." (AS 5)

"A power by means of which one can hear all the sounds in a world system of a billion worlds, not merely the sounds in the heavens." (SPV 27)

"With the heavenly ear, not only can you hear what the gods are saying, but you can hear all of the little 'bugs' inside of you calling out. You can hear the germs talking, the flowers talking, and the trees talking. Some people say that when you go pick a flower it is afraid and lets out a scream? That's right. 'Oh no! This is it! It's all over. I'm going to die!!!' When you start hearing all these sounds, though, you shouldn't dislike it. You can choose not to listen to them, too. It's up to you. The heavenly eye sees more clearly than an x-ray machine, and the heavenly ear hears more clearly than sonar equipment." (DFS IV 809)

3) spiritual power of the knowledge of past lives

"A power that enables one to know past events, both good and bad." (SPV 27)

A Shramana asked: "What are the causes and conditions by which one comes to know past lives and by which one's understanding enables one to attain the Way?"

The Buddha said: "By purifying the mind and guarding the will, your understanding can enable you to attain the Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you eliminate desire and do not seek (for anything), you can then know past lives." (S42 35)

4) spiritual power of the knowledge of the minds of others

"A power through which others' thoughts are known before they are even spoken." (SPV 27)

5) The powers derived from a spiritual basis

This "refers to all kinds of powers of magical transformation. You can be sitting in one place and at the same time go off to New York to play. You can go take a look at things in L.A. It won't take you one second to make your return trip either..." (DFS VII 1296)

A Bodhisattva who has this power:

can move the great earth. He can make one body into

many bodies, and many bodies into one body. He can

either disappear or appear. He goes through stone

walls and solid mountains as if they were space. In

empty space he travels in full lotus, just like a bird

in flight. He enters earth as if into water, and

treads upon water as if it were earth. His body puts

forth smoke and flames like an immense heap of fire.

He further sends down rain just like a mighty cloud. The sun and moon in space have tremendous, awesome

might, yet he can touch and rub them with his hand. His body is free and at ease, even up to the world of

Brahma. . . . (FAS Ch26(2) 116)

6) The spiritual power from the elimination of outflows

Outflows refer to all our faults, especially ignorance and desire, which cause us to expend energy outward as we seek pleasure in external sense-objects.

"To be without outflows is to have no thoughts of greed, hate, stupidity, or sexual desire. In general, once one gets rid of all one's bad habits and faults, one has no outflows. Outflows are like water running out of a leaky bottle; at the stage of no outflows the leaks have been stopped up." (AS 6)

Consider a "teacup. Does it have any holes in it,

any outflows? It has no outflows, of course, and so it can hold the tea... Would you say that our bodies have outflows or not? Hah! Our bodies are bottomless pits. You fill your body up today and tomorrow it all runs out... Obviously one's excrement and urine are outflows. They flow out, and we have practically no control over it. Our bodies have nine orifices which constantly secrete impure substances... But, these are very common, ordinary outflows and aren't that important. The greatest outflows are the ones you aren't even aware of: greed, hatred, stupidity, pride, and doubt... In general, outflows are none other than our afflictions..." (DFS VII 1281-1285)

"What are outflows? Do you like to eat? That is an outflow. Do you like to drink coffee? That is an outflow. Women like men; that is an outflow. Men like women; that is an outflow.

"'What can you do that isn't an outflow?' you ask.

"Cultivate! That's simply all there is to it. First and foremost, you have to cultivate. If you cultivate, you can be without outflows. If you do not cultivate, you cannot be without outflows. There's simply no way around it.

"'I'd rather have outflows than cultivate,' you say.

"If that's what you'd like, if it suits you to have outflows, then go ahead and 'flow out'. Let's see where you 'flow out' to. You could flow out and turn into a pig, or a horse, or an ox, or flow out into the hells, into the path of animals, or hungry ghosts. You pick your own path..." (DFS IV 808)

(Source: Epstein, 2003: pp. 185 - 187)

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1) Chinese Mandarin: liu shen tung , 2) Sanskrit: abhijna, sad-abhijnah, 3) Pali: abhinna, chalabhinna, 4) Alternate Translations: spiritual penetrations, psychic powers, superknowledges; higher or supernatural knowledge, intuition; apperceptions, clarities.

See also: enlightenment, five eyes , no outflows.

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: SPV 26-27; DFS IV 808-815; DFS VII 1292-1297; (outflows) DFS VII 1283-86; S42 35-36 (knowledge of past lives); HS 18; AS 5-6; FAS Ch26(2) 116-118.
 

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)