The Buddha teaches on the four bases of psychic power—immersion due to enthusiasm, energy, mental development, and inquiry, each with active effort—showing how they are developed and cultivated regarding the realized one.

SN 51.32 The Realized One

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti?

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“catunnaṁ kho, bhikkhave, iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo.

Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Vīriyasamādhi …pe… cittasamādhivīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atipaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo.

Imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhotiekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.

Imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

Dvādasamaṁ.

(Chapi abhiññāyo vitthāretabbā.)

Ayoguḷavaggo tatiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Maggo ayoguḷo bhikkhu,
suddhikañcāpi dve phalā;
Dve cānandā duve bhikkhū,
moggallāno tathāgatoti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,

“What do you think, mendicants?

katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti?

What things has the Realized One developed and cultivated so as to have such power and might?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

“catunnaṁ kho, bhikkhave, iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo.

“The Realized One has become so powerful and mighty by developing and cultivating the four bases of psychic power.

Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ?

What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti

It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort.

iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati.

He thinks: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati

And he meditates perceiving before and behind:

yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure;

as before, so behind; as behind, so before;

yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho;

as below, so above; as above, so below;

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.

as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, he develops a mind that’s full of radiance.

Vīriyasamādhi …pe…

He develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy …

cittasamādhi

mental development …

vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti

inquiry, and active effort.

iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atipaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati.

He thinks: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’

Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati

And he meditates perceiving before and behind:

yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure;

as before, so behind; as behind, so before;

yathā adho tathā uddhaṁ, yathā uddhaṁ tathā adho;

as below, so above; as above, so below;

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.

as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, he develops a mind that’s full of radiance.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo.

The Realized One has become so powerful and mighty by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power.

Imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhotiekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.

And by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power, the Realized One wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.

Imesañca pana, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

And by developing and cultivating these four bases of psychic power, the Realized One realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And he lives having realized it with his own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

Dvādasamaṁ.

(Chapi abhiññāyo vitthāretabbā.)

(The six direct knowledges should be told in full.)

Ayoguḷavaggo tatiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Maggo ayoguḷo bhikkhu,

suddhikañcāpi dve phalā;

Dve cānandā duve bhikkhū,

moggallāno tathāgatoti.

Topics & Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Psychic power

Psychic power

Supernormal capacities resulting from a practice of collectedness rooted in aspiration, determination, purification of mind, and investigation of phenomena.

Also known as: supernormal abilities, psychic ability, spiritual power
Pāli: iddhi, iddhimant
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026