A discourse where the Buddha shares his superhuman attributes, and the ten Tathāgata powers. This is in response to a student who has left the Dhamma and training who is disparaging the Buddha’s states as merely human and his teaching as worked out through his own intuition.
Thus have I heard - At one time, the Blessed One was residing in a grove outside the city of Vesāli, to the west of the town.
At that time, Sunakkhatta, the son of the Licchavis, had recently departed from this Dhamma and discipline. He spoke thus before the Vesāli assembly:
“The ascetic Gotama does not have any superhuman attributes or distinctions in wisdom and vision worthy of noble ones. The ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, conforming to a mode of investigation, and produced by his own intuition. And the Dhamma he teaches for the purpose indeed rightly leads the one acting accordingly to the ending of suffering (stress/tension/discontentment).”
Then, when it was early morning, the venerable Sāriputta, having put on robe, and taking his bowl, entered Vesāli for alms. The venerable Sāriputta heard Sunakkhatta, the son of the Licchavis, making this statement before the Vesāli assembly: “The ascetic Gotama does not have any superhuman attributes or distinctions in wisdom and vision worthy of noble ones. The ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, conforming to a mode of investigation, and produced by his own intuition. And the Dhamma he teaches for the purpose indeed rightly leads the one acting accordingly to the ending of suffering.”
Then, the venerable Sāriputta, having wandered for alms in Vesāli and having returned from the alms-round after the meal, approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the venerable Sāriputta said this to the Blessed One: “Sunakkhatta, Venerable Sir, the son of the Licchavis, has recently departed from this Dhamma and discipline. He speaks thus in the assembly at Vesāli: ‘The ascetic Gotama does not have any superhuman attributes or distinctions in wisdom and vision worthy of noble ones. The ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, conforming to a mode of investigation, and produced by his own intuition. And the Dhamma he teaches for the purpose indeed rightly leads the one acting accordingly to the ending of suffering.’”
"Sāriputta, the misguided person Sunakkhatta is angry. And this statement was spoken out of anger. Intending to disparage, Sāriputta, Sunakkhatta, the misguided person, actually speaks praise of the Tathāgata. For, Sāriputta, it is praise of the Tathāgata for one to say: ‘The Dhamma he teaches indeed rightly leads the one acting accordingly to the ending of suffering.’
It is possible, Sāriputta, that the misguided person Sunakkhatta does not have an understanding about the Dhamma concerning me: ‘Thus indeed he is the Blessed One, the worthy one, the perfectly awakened one, accomplished in wisdom and moral conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be trained, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’
It is possible, Sāriputta, that the misguided person Sunakkhatta does not have an understanding about the Dhamma concerning me: ‘Thus indeed he is the Blessed One who experiences various types of supernormal powers — becoming one, he becomes many; becoming many, he becomes one; he appears and disappears; he goes unhindered through walls, enclosures, and mountains as if through space; he dives in and out of the earth as if in water; he walks on water without breaking the surface as if on land; he flies cross-legged through the sky like a bird; he touches and strokes the moon and sun, mighty and powerful; he even reaches the Brahmā world with his body.’
It is possible, Sāriputta, that the misguided person Sunakkhatta does not have an understanding about the Dhamma concerning me: ‘Thus indeed he is the Blessed One who, with his purified divine ear element surpassing that of humans, hears both kinds of sounds, divine and human, whether far or near.’
It is possible, Sāriputta, that the misguided person Sunakkhatta does not have an understanding about the Dhamma concerning me: ‘Thus indeed he is the Blessed One who comprehends with his own mind the minds of other beings, other individuals. He knows a mind affected by lust as affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust; he knows a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; he knows a mind affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by delusion as unaffected by delusion; he knows a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; he knows an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; he knows a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed; he knows a collected mind as collected and an uncollected mind as uncollected; he knows a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated.’
Sāriputta, there are these ten Tathāgata powers endowed with which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching. Which ten?
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Here, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows, as it actually is, the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the outcomes of actions performed in the past, future, and present according to their causes and conditions, as they actually are. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the path leading to all destinations as it actually is. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the world with multiple diverse elements as they actually are. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the various inclinations of beings as they actually are. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the different faculties of other beings and individuals as they actually are. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows the defilement, purification, and emergence of jhānas, liberations, and samādhi attainments as they actually are. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata recollects his manifold past lives in detail, such as one birth, two births, and so forth, up to hundreds of thousands of births, including names, clans, appearances, experiences, and locations. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata sees beings passing away and arising, with his divine eye, purified and surpassing human vision. He knows beings as lowly or exalted, beautiful or ugly, fortunate or unfortunate, according to their actions. He knows those who are engaged in bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct, who disparage the noble ones and hold wrong views, and their resulting fate in unfortunate realms. He also knows those who are engaged in bodily, verbal, and mental good conduct, who do not disparage the noble ones and hold right views, and their resulting fate in fortunate realms. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
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Further, again, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata dwells having personally realized with direct knowledge the destruction of the taints, experiencing the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, in the visible state. This too is a Tathāgata power, by which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
Sāriputta, these are the ten Tathāgata powers endowed with which the Tathāgata claims the noble place, roars the lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the spiritual teaching.
Sāriputta, when I know and see thus, should anyone say of me: ‘The ascetic Gotama does not have any superhuman attributes or distinctions in wisdom and vision worthy of noble ones; the ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, conforming to a mode of investigation, and produced by his own intuition,’ without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that mind, without relinquishing that view, will be cast into hell just as he would be if physically carried there. Just as, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu accomplished in virtue, collectedness, and wisdom would attain final knowledge in this very life, so, Sāriputta, I declare this: without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that mind, without relinquishing that view, he will be cast into hell just as he would be if physically carried there.
The verbatim repetition of Sunakkhatta’s statement is showing a way of practicing that the Buddha and his students followed. When one hears a perspective of another, one remembers it well and then confirms if they have retained it correctly and get advice to understand it completely. This in contrast to the assumption-making tendency of the mind (based on the fetter of ignorance), of building views and opinions without closely examining and verifying.
Related Teachings:
The Buddha and the Arahant (SN 22.58) - The Buddha shares the similarities and differences between him and another liberated by wisdom.
Sāriputta’s bold declaration about Buddhas of the past, future and present (SN 47.2) - Sāriputta boldly declares that no ascetic or brahmin has ever been, nor will ever be, more knowledgeable in direct knowledge than the Blessed One in full awakening.
Why does the Buddha teach the removal of desire and lust (SN 22.2) - A number of mendicants are heading for lands west, but the Buddha advises them to speak with Sāriputta before they go. Sāriputta reminds them that in foreign lands they will be scrutinized for their understanding, so they need to be able to answer questions on the teaching. He goes on to explain that the Dhamma is for the removal of desire for the five aggregates.
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