Part 14 - The Ten Powers: Dasabala-ñāṇa

i) Thānāthāna Kosalla-ñāṇa

Knowledge that understand what is appropriate as appropriate, and what is impossible as impossible.

ii) Vipāka-ñāṇa

Knowledge of the operation of kamma in the three periods (past, present and future), as to the immediate results and contributory or subsidiary result.

iii) Sabbatthagāminīpatipadā-ñāṇa

Knowledge that understands the ways or the modes of practice that leads to various forms of existence, and the way or the right practice that leads to Nibbāna.

iv) Anekadhātu-nānā

Knowledge that understands the various elements pertaining to living beings, the aggregates, and sense-bases, etc. as well as those pertaining to non-living things as to their species, genes, etc.

(Paccekabuddha and the two Chief Disciples have some limited knowledge about the elements constituting living beings. They do not have knowledge of the various nature of non-living things. As for the Buddha, He understands what elements are responsible for the species of tree with a white stem, or for the species of tree with a dark stem; or for the species of tree with a dark smooth stem, or for the species of tree with thick bark; or for the species of tree with thin bark. He knows what particular elements make a certain species of tree to have such and such leaves with such shape and colour, etc.; what particular elements make a certain species of tree to have flowers of a particular colour or of a particular smell, such as good smell, bad smell, etc. He knows what particular elements make a certain species of tree to have fruit of such and such shape, size, smell, and taste such as sweet, sour, hot or astringent. He knows what particular elements make a certain species of tree to have thorns of such and such nature, such as sharp, blunt, straight, curved, red, black, white, brown, etc. Knowledge of non-living things and their intrinsic nature such as these are the province of the Buddha only, and are beyond the capabilities of Paccekabuddhas and disciples.) (Ref: Commentary on the Abhidhamma.)

v) Nānādhimuttika-ñāṇa

Knowledge of the different inclinations of beings.

vi) Indriyaparopariyattha-ñāṇa

Knowledge of the maturity and immaturity of the faculties in beings.

vii) Jhānavimokkha samādhisamāpatti-ñāṇa

Knowledge concerning the defiling factors, and the purifying factors with regard to the jhānas, deliverances, concentration and attainments and knowledge of rising from jhānas. viii) Pubbenivāsānussati-ñāṇa: Knowledge in remembering former existences. ix) Cutūpapāta-ñāṇa or Dibbacakkhu-ñāṇa: Knowledge in perceiving with the Divine Eye how beings pass away and are reborn according to their actions.

x) Āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa

Knowledge of arahatta-magga through extinction of moral taints.

How The Buddha engages The Ten Powers

First, the Buddha surveys the world with the first of the Ten Knowledges to see the possible beings to gain enlightenment by examining, whether there are the gross types of wrong view in them that render them impossible to gain arahatta-magga.

Next, He examines, by means of the Second Knowledge, the type of rebirth to see if they were born only with two good root causes (dvihetu) or with no root causes (ahetu), in which cases, the subject cannot gain enlightenment in the present existence, being born with deficient merit.

Then He examines by the means of the Third Knowledge, the presence or otherwise of the five kinds of grave evil actions in the subject:

(1) Killing one’s own mother,
(2) Killing one’s own father,
(3) Killing an arahat,
(4) Rupturing the Buddha’s blood vessels,
(5) Causing schism amongst the Sangha.

After examining beings by means of the first three Knowledges, to see the state of their past actions, their defilements and their resultants, whether they were handicapped for enlightenment or not in these three areas, the Buddha attended His mind on those not so handicapped. He engages the Fourth Knowledge to ascertain the right type of discourse to be given to the right person, considering the latter’s mental make up (i.e. the elements that constitute his mentality). Then by means of the Fifth Knowledge, the Buddha examines the inherent inclination of the subject, regardless of sufficiency of effort on His part. Having known the inclination of the subject, the Buddha examines, through the Sixth Knowledge, the quality of the faculties, such as conviction of the subject. If the faculties are mature enough to gain jhāna or magga-phala, the Buddha would lose no time to go and deliver a discourse to the subject. He is able to do this because He is endowed with the Seventh Knowledge. Having gone over to the subject, the Buddha reviews, through the Eighth Knowledge, the past existences of the subject, and also, through the Ninth Knowledge, reads the mind of the subject (reading other’s minds being part of dibba cakkhu ñāṇa). Ascertaining the present state of mind of the subject, the Buddha preaches the Doctrine to suit the subject, with a view to his attaining arahatta-magga. This is the final step the Buddha takes with the Tenth Knowledge (Āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa).

The Buddha discoursed on the Ten Powers in the same order as He actually puts them to use for the benefit of the world at large. (Aṅguttara Nikāya (Ṭikā)).

(This is about the Ten Powers)