Can monks show supernatural powers to others to increase people’s faith or to make parents proud?
If a monk travel to Uttarakuru or other continents that can’t be visited by people or to other realms, others would know he has superpowers. In that case, is it allowed to show?
What about when a monk is traveling through the sky and people see him, is that allowed or does he have to turn invisible?
No they cannot there is also a story about this.
Should any bhikkhu report (his own) superior human state, when
it is factual, to an unordained person, it is to be confessed.yo pana bhikkhu anupasampannassa uttarimanussadhammaṃ āroceyya, bhūtasmiṃ pācittiyaṃ.
The meaning of superior human state is discussed at length under Pr 4. In brief, it
covers (a) jhāna, (b) the cognitive powers that can arise as its result, and (c) the
transcendent attainments.
Displaying psychic powers. In AN III.61, the Buddha tells a brahman that many hundreds of his bhikkhu disciples are endowed with psychic powers. Nevertheless, he forbade them from displaying those powers to householders. The origin story to this prohibition — which we cited briefly in connection with Pc 8 — shows why: Now at that time a costly block of sandalwood, from sandalwood heartwood, accrued to the Rājagaha financier. The thought occurred to him, “What if I were to have an alms bowl carved from this block of sandalwood? The chips will be for my own enjoyment, and I’ll give the bowl as a gift.” So the financier, having had a bowl carved from the block of sandalwood, having looped a string around it, having hung it from the top of a bamboo pole, having had the bamboo pole fastened on top of a series of bamboo poles, one on top of another, announced: “Any brahman or contemplative who is a worthy one (arahant) with psychic powers: Fetch down the bowl and it is given to you.” Then Pūraṇa Kassapa went to the Rājagaha financier and, on arrival, said to him, “Because I am a worthy one with psychic powers, give me the bowl.” “If, venerable sir, you are a worthy one with psychic powers, fetch down the bowl and it is given to you.” Then Makkali Gosāla … Ajita Kesakambalin … Pakudha Kaccāyana … Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta … Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta went to the Rājagaha financier and, on arrival, said to him, “Because I am a worthy one with psychic powers, give me the bowl.” “If, venerable sir, you are a worthy one with psychic powers, fetch down the bowl and it is given to you.” Now at that time Ven. Mahā Moggallāna and Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, each having dressed early in the morning, each taking his robes and bowl, had gone into Rājagaha for alms. Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja was a worthy one with psychic powers, and Ven. Mahā Moggallāna was a worthy one with psychic powers (§). Then Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja said to Ven. Mahā Moggallāna: “Go, friend Moggallāna, and fetch down the bowl. That bowl is yours.” Then Ven. Mahā Moggallāna said to Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja: “Go, friend Bhāradvāja, and fetch down the bowl. That bowl is yours.” So Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, rising up into the sky, took the bowl and circled three times around Rājagaha. Now at that time the Rājagaha financier was standing in his house compound with his wife and children, paying homage with his hands palm- to-palm over his heart, (saying,) “May Master Bhāradvāja land right here in our house compound.” So Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja landed in the financier’s house compound. Then the financier, having taken the bowl from Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja’s hand, having filled it with costly non-staple foods, presented it to Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja. Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, taking the bowl, returned to the monastery. People, hearing that “Master Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, they say, has fetched down the financier’s bowl,” followed right after him, making a shrill noise, a great noise. The Blessed One, hearing the shrill noise, the great noise, asked Ven. Ānanda, “Ānanda, what is that shrill noise, that great noise?” “Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja has fetched down the Rājagaha financier’s bowl, venerable sir. People, hearing that ‘Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, they say, has fetched down the bowl of the financier,’ are following right after him, making a shrill noise, a great noise. That is the shrill noise, the great noise, that the Blessed One (hears).” Then the Blessed One, with regard to this cause, to this incident, had the Community of bhikkhus convened and questioned Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja: “Is it true, as they say, Bhāradvāja, that you fetched down the financier’s bowl?”
“Yes, venerable sir.” The Awakened One, the Blessed One, rebuked him: “It’s not appropriate, Bhāradvāja, not fitting for a contemplative, improper, and not to be done. How can you display a superior human state, a wonder of psychic power, to lay people for the sake of a miserable wooden bowl? Just as a woman might expose her sexual organ for the sake of a miserable wooden coin, so too have you displayed a superior human state, a wonder of psychic power, to lay people for the sake of a miserable wooden bowl.” — Cv.V.8
Thank you for answering, Venerable Sir.
So monks can’t display psychic powers to householders or unordained people.
If a monk is simply flying through the sky, and a householder sees him, is that allowed? Because in that case, the monk wouldn’t be displaying his psychic powers to anyone in particular. He would just be travelling in the sky.
Can a monk display psychic powers to devas, brahmas and other ascetics and hermits?
This is from the BMC… but I think there might be issues from this. Intention is not a factor in this rule. I’d have to research this more. For the meantime. You can try to attain while you are still a lay person and you can show me. I have personally asked Ven. Pa-auk Sayadawgyi if he has ever seen anyone fly (or levitate), and he said he has not seen it. We would imagine that he would be one of the monks in the present world who would see this since he is the chief teacher of Jhānas.
Displaying psychic powers. A related rule at Cv.V.8.2 states that to display psychic
powers to lay people is a dukkaṭa. In the origin story leading up to that rule, the
Buddha levels strong criticism at such an act: “Just as a woman might expose her
vagina for a miserable wooden māsaka coin, so too have you displayed a superior
human state, a wonder of psychic power, to lay people for the sake of a miserable
wooden bowl.”
To display psychic powers to anyone who is not a lay person, though, is no offense.
Thus, given the way these two rules are framed, one may not tell a novice of one’s
powers but may levitate before his very eyes.
Yes Venerable Sir, I will try. I want to attain those powers to make my parents proud.
I think to attain psychic powers, one would need a very rigorous meditation schedule and also know a lot about jhanas and psychic powers as mentioned in the Visudhimagga.
An interesting case is if a monk travels to Uttarakuru for alms, the residents of that place would know that the monk has psychic powers to even travel there, but I don’t think that would count as displaying psychic powers because the monk is not showing his psychic powers in front of them.
One reason why we don’t see any flying monk might be because there isn’t as much interest and desire to attain psychic powers as there is in becoming enlightened nowadays. Also, I feel like one would need to be very knowledgeable about the instructions on attaining those powers.
That’s interesting, Venerable Sir. Have you heard of any true Bodhisattas or future chief or future great disciples who have already received a definite prophecy practicing in Pa-Auk? If so, I think they should be able to attain psychic powers.
In Theravada Buddhism, such aspiration is less common, as the primary goal is to become an arahant. You might find practitioners with this kind of aspiration more frequently:
I also wanted to be a sotappanna deva or anagami brahma, but I changed my mind because I noticed a subtle laziness in me when I made that wish because I just wanted to enjoy pleasures for a long time and avoid having to try hard. Now I aspire to become a Buddha. Any amount of effort or struggle would be worth becoming a Buddha because one can become greater, wiser, more beautiful and powerful than any devas or brahmas and attain the highest state.
I remember I did desire omniscience from a young age and I thought simply being enlightened means attaining omniscience but now I know that there are different kinds of enlightenment such as enlightenment of a disciple, enlightenment of a paccekabuddha, and enlightenment of a Buddha.
Mahayana exists exactly for this aspiration, are you a Mahayana/Vajrayana practitioner? It seems they are even obligated to make a vow to become a Bodhisattva.
I’m a Theravada practitioner.
I’m not sure if Mahayana’s version of Bodhisattva is completely the same as Theravada’s so I can’t comment on that.
It is a very noble aspiration to become a Buddha to help all beings, it requires a great compassion. Renouncing Nirvana to help others is something admirable.
I would actually say Bodhisattas do not renounce Nibanna. They just postpone attaining it for the benefit of all beings.
But yeah, it is a noble goal that requires a lot of compassion, strength, courage, and determination.
Honestly, it makes me happy to even think about Buddhahood. It’s just an amazing goal.
2 posts were split to a new topic: Mahayana ideas about Bodhisattva