..续本文上一页end that the miracle of raising those who are dead is possible
A. No. The Buddha teaches the contrary, in that beautiful story of Kisâ Gotamî and the mustard seed. But when a person only seems to be dead but is not actually so, resuscitation is possible.
375. Q. Give me an idea of the successive stages, of the Lokottara development in Iddhî.
A. There are six degrees attainable by Arhats;
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what is higher than them is to be reached only by a Buddha.
376. Q. Describe the six stages or degrees.
A. We may pide them into two groups, of three each. The first to include (1) Progressive retrospection, viz., a gradually acquired power to look backward in time towards the origin of things;.
(2) Progressive foresight, or power of prophecy;.
(3) Gradual extinction of desires and attachments to material things.
377. Q. What would the second group include
A. The same faculties, but illimitably developed. Thus, the full Arhat possesses perfect retrospection, perfect foresight, and has absolutely extinguished the last trace of desire and selfish attractions.
378. Q. What are the four means for obtaining Iddhî
A. The will, its exertion, mental development, and discrimination between right and wrong.
379. Q. Our scriptures relate hundreds of instances of phenomena produced by Arhats: what did. you say was the name of this faculty or power
A. Iddhî vidha. One possessing this can, by
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manipulating the forces of Nature, produce any wonderful phenomenon, i.e., make any scientific experiment he chooses.
380. Q. Did the Buddha encourage displays of phenomena
A. No; he expressly discouraged them as tending to create confusion in the minds of those who were not acquainted with the principles involved. They also tempt their possessors to show them merely to gratify idle curiosity and their own vanity. Moreover, similar phenomena can be shown by magicians and sorcerers learned in the Laukika, or the baser form of Iddhî science. All false pretensions to supernatural attainment by monks are among the unpardonable sins (Tevijga Sutta).
381. Q. You spoke of a ”deva” having appeared to the Prince Siddhârtha under a variety of forms; what do Buddhists believe respecting races of elemental invisible beings having relations with mankind
A. They believe that there are such beings who inhabit worlds or spheres of their own. The Buddhist doctrine is, that by interior self-development and conquest over his baser nature the Arhat becomes
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superior to even the most formidable of the devas, and may subject and control the lower orders.
382. Q. How many kinds of devas are there
A. Three: Kâmâvâcharâ (those who are still under the dominion of the passions); Rûpâvâchara (a higher class, which still retain an inpidual form); Arûpâvâchara (the highest in degree of purification, who are devoid of material forms).
383. Q. Should we fear any of them
A. He who is pure and compassionate in heart and of a courageous mind need fear nothing: no man, god, brahmarakkhas, demon or deva, can injure him, but some have power to torment the impure, as well as those who invite their approach.
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Footnotes
105:* Sumangala Sthavira explains to me that those transcendent powers are permanently possessed only by one who has subdued all the passions (Klesa), in other words, an Arhat. The powers may be developed by a bad man and used for doing evil things, but their activity is but brief, the rebellious passions again dominate the sorcerer, and he becomes at last their victim.
106:* When the powers suddenly show themselves, the inference is that the inpidual had developed himself in the next anterior-birth. We do not believe in eccentric breaks in natural law.
《Part V· Buddhism and Science》全文阅读结束。