Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
51. Iddhi-Pāda Saṃyutta
2. Pāsāda-Kampana Vagga
Sutta 14
Moggallāna Suttaṃ
Moggallāna
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time Bhagava,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Eastpark,
Migara's Mother's Palace[1]
Additionally there were there then
a great many beggars
on the lower floor of Migara's Mother's Palace
living unstable,
hollow,
quavering,
superficial,
loose-lipped,
talkative,
absent-minded,
scatter-brained,
inattentive,
distracted,
faculties uncontrolled.[2]
There then The Lucky Man addressed the Elder Maha-Moggallāna:
"These of the Brahmā life, Moggallāna,
living on the lower floor
of Migara's Mother's Palace
unstable,
hollow,
quavering,
superficial,
loose-lipped,
talkative,
absent-minded,
scatter-brained,
inattentive,
distracted,
faculties uncontrolled —
go Moggallāna,
self-concern[3] these beggars."
"Even so, Bhante," the Elder Maha-Moggallāna said to Bhagava in response.
And so,
super-conjuring
sucha form of power-super-conjuring,
he made,
with his big toe,
Migara's Mother's Palace
contort,
disproport,
discomport.[4]
Standing outside together[5] there then
those beggars were filled with fear,
hair standing on end.
"A work of sorcery has occurred, venerables!
An abnormality, venerables!
Sheltered from the wind
is Migara's Mother's Palace,
deep-set,
sturdy,
firm,
yet even so
it contorted,
disproported,
discomported."
Then the Lucky Man drew near to those beggars.
Having drawn near those beggars,
he said this to them:
"Why is it, beggars,
that you stand outside together,
filled with fear,
hair standing on end?"
"A work of sorcery has occurred, Bhante!
An abnormality, Bhante!
Sheltered from the wind
is Migara's Mother's Palace,
deep-set,
sturdy,
firm,
yet even so
it contorted,
disproported,
discomported."
"This is so, beggars.
A working up of self-concern in you, beggars,
has been worked by Moggallāna —
contorting,
disproporting,
discomporting
Migara's Mother's Palace,
with his big toe.
What is it, do you think, beggars,
that was developed,
made a big thing of by bhikkhu Moggallano,
that he is such an advanced being
of such great power?"
"For us Bhante,
things are best resorted to
rooted in the Lucky Man,
channeled through Bhagava.
It would be good, Bhante,
if further explanation of this point
were given by the Lucky Man.
That which is said by the Lucky Man
will be held in memory by the beggars."
"Listen up then, beggars!
Four, beggars,
are the power-paths
that were developed,
made a big thing of
by bhikkhu Moggallano,
that he is such an advanced being
of such great power.
Which four?
Here beggars, the bhikkhu Moggallano
develops the power-path
that is wish-serenity-connected-exertion-own-making thus:
'Let my energy not be too sluggish,
not be too unrestrained,
not be inwardly cramped,
not be scattered abroad.'
He lives after-before-perceiving:
As before so after
as after so before.
As above, so below,
as below, so above.
As by day, so by night,
as by night, so by day.
Thus with clear thinking,
disentangled thinking,
his heart becomes radiant.
■
He develops the power-path
that is energy-serenity-connected-exertion-own-making thus:
'Let my energy not be too sluggish,
not be too unrestrained,
not be inwardly cramped,
not be scattered abroad.'
He lives after-before-perceiving:
As before so after
as after so before.
As above, so below,
as below, so above.
As by day, so by night,
as by night, so by day.
Thus with clear thinking,
disentangled thinking,
his heart becomes radiant.
■
He develops the power-path
that is heart-serenity-connected-exertion-own-making thus:
'Let my energy not be too sluggish,
not be too unrestrained,
not be inwardly cramped,
not be scattered abroad.'
He lives after-before-perceiving:
As before so after
as after so before.
As above, so below,
as below, so above.
As by day, so by night,
as by night, so by day.
Thus with clear thinking,
disentangled thinking,
his heart becomes radiant.
■
He develops the power-path
that is investigation-serenity-connected-exertion-own-making thus:
'Let my energy not be too sluggish,
not be too unrestrained,
not be inwardly cramped,
not be scattered abroad.'
He lives after-before-perceiving:
As before so after
as after so before.
As above, so below,
as below, so above.
As by day, so by night,
as by night, so by day.
Thus with clear thinking,
disentangled thinking,
his heart becomes radiant.
These then, beggars,
are the four power-paths
that were developed,
made a big thing of
by bhikkhu Moggallano,
that he is such an advanced being
of such great power.
§
It is because he has thus developed, beggars,
thus made a big thing of,
the four power-paths,
that the beggar Moggallāna
experiences not just one
of the various sorts of power.
Being one he also becomes many,
being many he also becomes one.
Manifest here,
transported beyond notice,
transported through walls,
transported through fortifications unsticking,
he goes whithersoever
as if in space.
He jumps into and out of the earth
as though in water;
goes on water without parting it
as though on solid ground.
He goes through space cross-legged
like a bird on the wing.
He touches and feels with the hand
the Moon and Sun,
as great and powerful as they are.
He turns up in the body
even in the Brahmā world.[6]
It is because he has thus developed, beggars,
thus made a big thing of,
the four power-paths,
that the beggar Moggallāna
with purified godlike hearing,
beyond that of ordinary men,
hears both sounds:
godly and man-made,
far or near.
It is because he has thus developed, beggars,
thus made a big thing of,
the four power-paths,
that the beggar Moggallāna —
of other beings,
of other men,
heart encompassing heart,
he knows:
Of a lustful heart:
'This is a lustful heart.'
Of a lust-free heart:
'This is a lust-free heart.'
Of a hateful heart:
'This is a hateful heart.'
Of a hate-free heart:
'This is a hate-free heart.'
Of a clogged up heart:
'This is a clogged up heart.'
Of an unclogged heart:
'This is an unclogged heart.'
Of an deranged heart:
'This is a deranged heart.'
Of a balanced heart:
'This is a balanced heart.'
Of a constricted heart:
'This is a constricted heart.'
Of an unconstricted heart:
'This is an unconstricted heart.'
Of a state of heart
that is less than superior:
'This is a state of heart
that is less than superior.'
Of a state of heart
that is superior:
'This state of heart
is nothing less than superior.'
Of useless heart:
'This is a useless heart.'
Of a beneficial heart:
'This is a beneficial heart.'
Of a heart that is not free:
'This is a heart that is not free."
Of a heart that is freed:
'This is a heart that is freed."
It is because he has thus developed, beggars,
thus made a big thing of,
the four power-paths,
that the beggar Moggallāna
recollects not just one arrangement
of previous inhabitations.
For example:
Just one birth,
just two births,
just three births,
just four births,
just five births,
just ten births,
just twenty births,
just thirty births,
just forty births,
just fifty births,
one hundred births in all,
a thousand births in all,
a hundred-thousand births in all,
not just one evolution of a kappa,
not just one devolution of a kappa,
not just one evolution and devolution of a kappa.
That there he was:
Of such a name
of such a clan
of such color
of such food
of such experience of pleasure and pain,
of such coming to life's end.
Shifting away from that, re-appearing elsewhere.
He was in that habitation:
Of such a name
of such a clan
of such color
of such food
of such experience of pleasure and pain,
of such coming to life's end.
Shifting away from that he was reborn here."
Thus with its makeup in detail,
he recollects not just one arrangement
of previous inhabitations.
It is because he has thus developed, beggars,
thus made a big thing of,
the four power-paths,
that the beggar Moggallāna
sees beings
with purified godlike sight
surpassing that of mankind.
He knows of beings
their shifting away,
re-appearance,
being left behind,
advancing,
their beauty,
their ugliness,
their experiencing of pleasure,
experiencing of pain,
according to their intentional deeds:
'For sure these good beings were
committed to injurious bodily conduct,
committed to injurious verbal conduct,
committed to injurious mental conduct,
denigrated Aristocrats,
held low views,
were committed to behavior
in accordance with low views,
for upon the break up of the body after death
they have arisen in states of woe,
pain,
punishment,
Niraya Hell.
For sure these good beings were
committed to beneficial bodily conduct,
committed to beneficial verbal conduct,
committed to beneficial mental conduct,
spoke well of Aristocrats,
were of consummate view,
were committed to behavior
in accordance with consummate view,
for upon the break up of the body after death
they have arisen in worlds of heavenly pleasures.'
Thus he sees beings
with purified godlike sight
surpassing that of mankind.
And he knows of beings
their shifting away,
re-appearance,
being left behind,
advancing,
their beauty,
their ugliness,
their experiencing of pleasure,
experiencing of pain,
according to their intentional deeds.
And further, beggars,
it is because he has thus developed,
thus made a big thing of
the four power-paths,
that through his own higher knowledge
bhikkhu Moggallāna experienced
the destruction of the corrupting influences,
and without corrupting influences,
in this seen thing,
enters into and lives
in freedom of heart,
freedom of wisdom."
[1] Migāra-māt'upāsāde. For the story of 'Migara's Mother', see Biographies, Visakha. Pāsāde could mean built on a platform (on stilts) or 'palace', or terraced house. A recent archeological dig claims to have found the foundations of this house, so it appears it was not on stilts. This is also supported by the statement of the bhikkhus in this sutta that the house was built on a deeply placed foundation. That, however is not conclusive as there are stories at the time of houses being built on large pillars placed deeply in the ground. The story is that it was multi-leveled and was completely covered in precious cloth.
[2] Uddhatā unna'ā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭha-s-satino asampajānā asamāhitā vibbh'antacittā pākat'indriyā. Make up your own list. Woodward has: 'frivolous, empty-headed, busybodies, of harsh speech, loose in talk, lacking concentration, unsteady, not composed, of flighty minds, with senses uncontrolled;' Bhk. Bodhi has: 'restless, puffed up, personally vain, rough-tongued, rambling in their talk, muddle-minded, without clear comprehension, unconcentrated, scatter-brained, loose in their faculties.
[3] Saṇvejehī. Woodward: 'a good stirring!' Bhk. Bodhi: 'stir up a sense of urgency.' The whole sentence: Gaccha Moggallāna, te bhikkhu saṇvejehī. "Go Moggallāna, these beggars saṇvejehī." PED has to agitate, move, or stir. I think this goes to saṃ + vindati, self-knowledge or self-awareness, or self-seeing. We would say: 'Teach' or, in the recent past here: 'Learn these beggars some self-concern."
[4] Saṇkampesi, sampakampesi, sampacālesi. Con-tremble shake quiver tremble, com-re-all-arouna-tremble ..., com-re-all-arouna-quake. Woodward: shook and rattled and made to quake and quake again; Bhk. Bodhi: shake, quake, and tremble. Shake, rattle and roll?
[5] Ekam antaṃ. Inconsistent with the usual 'to one side' but still, I believe, a fair translation. I see them huddled together having fled the house.
[6] The text skips what is here § 11-14, and numbers what is here § 15 as § 11, and states, after that: The Six Higher Powers are to be dealt with in the same way. This would put them out of the usual and more logical and instructive order that is found in SN 5.51.11, and which has been used here.
