Ayoguḷasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.22

Linked Discourses 51.22

3. Ayoguḷavagga

3. The Iron Ball

Ayoguḷasutta

The Iron Ball

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“abhijānāti nu kho, bhante, bhagavā iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti?

“Sir, do you have personal experience of having gone to the realm of divinity by psychic power with a mind-made body?”

“Abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, ānanda, iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti.

“I do, Ānanda.”

“Abhijānāti pana, bhante, bhagavā iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti?

“But do you have personal experience of having gone to the realm of divinity by psychic power with this body made up of the four principal states?”

“Abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, ānanda, iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā”ti.

“I do, Ānanda.”

“Yañca kho omāti, bhante, bhagavā iddhiyā manomayena kāyena brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamituṁ, yañca kho abhijānāti, bhante, bhagavā iminā cātumahābhūtikena kāyena iddhiyā brahmalokaṁ upasaṅkamitā, tayidaṁ, bhante, bhagavato acchariyañceva abbhutañcā”ti.

“It’s incredible and amazing that the Buddha is at least able to go to the realm of divinity by psychic power with a mind-made body! And that he has personal experience of going to the realm of divinity by psychic power with this body made up of the four principal states!”

“Acchariyā ceva, ānanda, tathāgatā acchariyadhammasamannāgatā ca, abbhutā ceva, ānanda, tathāgatā abbhutadhammasamannāgatā ca.

“Ānanda, the Realized Ones are incredible and have incredible qualities. They’re amazing and have amazing qualities.

Yasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati;

Sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body.

tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca.

At that time his body becomes lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, ayoguḷo divasaṁ santatto lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca;

Suppose there was an iron ball that had been heated all day. It’d become lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant.

evameva kho, ānanda, yasmiṁ samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati;

In the same way, sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body.

tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo lahutaro ceva hoti mudutaro ca kammaniyataro ca pabhassarataro ca.

At that time his body becomes lighter, softer, more workable, and more radiant.

Yasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati;

Sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body.

tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati,

At that time his body easily rises up from the ground into the air.

so anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteti.

He wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, tūlapicu vā kappāsapicu vā lahuko vātūpādāno appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati;

Suppose there was a light tuft of cotton-wool or kapok. Taken up by the wind, it would easily rise up from the ground into the air.

evameva kho, ānanda, yasmiṁ samaye tathāgato kāyampi citte samodahati, cittampi kāye samodahati, sukhasaññañca lahusaññañca kāye okkamitvā viharati;

In the same way, sometimes the Realized One submerges his body in his mind and his mind in his body. He meditates after sinking into a perception of bliss and lightness in the body.

tasmiṁ, ānanda, samaye tathāgatassa kāyo appakasireneva pathaviyā vehāsaṁ abbhuggacchati,

At that time his body easily rises up from the ground into the air.

so anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhoti—ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti …pe… yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vattetī”ti.

He wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.”

Dutiyaṁ.