The Divine Eye

[Full title: The Divine Eye—Knowledge of Passing Away and Re-appearance of Beings]

72. As to the explanation of the knowledge of passing away and reappearance of beings, [here is the text: “He directs, he inclines, his mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy or unhappy in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to their deeds: ‘These worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body, speech and mind, revilers of Noble Ones, wrong in their views, acquirers of kamma due to wrong view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, appeared in a state of loss, in an unhappy destiny, in perdition in hell; but these worthy beings, who are well conducted in body, speech and mind, not revilers of Noble Ones, right in their views, acquirers of kamma due to right view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, appeared in a happy destiny, in the heavenly world.’ Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy or unhappy in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to their deeds” (D I 82). Herein,] to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance: cutūpapātañāṇāya= cutiyā ca upapāte ca ñāṇāya (resolution of compound); [the meaning is,] for the kind of knowledge by means of which beings’ passing away and reappearance is known; for knowledge of the divine eye, is what is meant. He directs, he inclines his mind: he both directs and inclines preliminary-work consciousness. He is the bhikkhu who does the directing of his mind.

73. But as regards with the divine eye, etc., it is divine because of its similarity to the divine; for deities have as divine eye the sensitivity that is produced by kamma consisting in good conduct and is unimpeded by bile, phlegm, blood, etc., and capable of receiving an object even though far off because it is liberated from imperfections. And this eye, consisting in knowledge, which is produced by the power of this bhikkhu’s energy in development, is similar to that, so it is “divine” because it is similar to the divine. Also it is “divine” because it is obtained by means of divine abiding, and because it has divine abiding as its support. And it is “divine” because it greatly illuminates by discerning light. And it is “divine” because it has a great range through seeing visible objects that are behind walls, and so on. All that should be understood according to the science of grammar. It is an eye in the sense of seeing. Also it is an eye since it is like an eye in its performance of an eye’s function. It is purified since it is a cause of purification of view, owing to seeing passing away and reappearance.

74. One who sees only passing away and not reappearance assumes the annihilation view; and one who sees only reappearance and not passing away assumes the view that a new being appears. But since one who sees both outstrips that twofold [false] view, that vision of his is therefore a cause for purification of view. And the Buddhas’ sons see both of these. Hence it was said above: [424] “It is ‘purified’ since it is a cause of purification of view, owing to seeing passing away and reappearance.”

75. It surpasses the human in the seeing of visible objects by surpassing the human environment. Or it can be understood that it surpasses the human in surpassing the human fleshly eye. With that divine eye, which is purified and superhuman, he sees beings, he watches beings as men do with the fleshly eye.

76. Passing away and reappearing: he cannot see them with the divine eye actually at the death moment of reappearance.^[1] But it is those who, being on the verge of death, will die now that are intended as “passing away” and those who have taken rebirth-linking and have just reappeared that are intended by “reappearing.” What is pointed out is that he sees them as such passing away and reappearing.

77. Inferior: despised, disdained, looked down upon, scorned, on account of birth, clan, wealth, etc., because of reaping the outcome of delusion. Superior: the opposite of that because of reaping the outcome of non-delusion. Fair: having a desirable, agreeable, pleasing appearance because of reaping the outcome of non-hate. Ugly: having undesirable, disagreeable, unpleasing appearance because of reaping the outcome of hate;unsightly, ill-favoured, is the meaning. Happy in their destiny: gone to a happy destiny; or rich, very wealthy, because of reaping the outcome of non-greed. Unhappy in their destiny: gone to an unhappy destiny; or poor with little food and drink because of reaping the outcome of greed.

78. Faring according to their deeds: moving on in accordance with whatever deeds (kamma) may have been accumulated. Herein, the function of the divine eye is described by the first expressions beginning with “passing away.” But the function of knowledge of faring according to deeds is described by this last expression.

79. The order in which that knowledge arises is this. Here a bhikkhu extends light downwards in the direction of hell, and he sees beings in hell undergoing great suffering. That vision is only the divine eye’s function. He gives it attention in this way, “After doing what deeds do these beings undergo this suffering?” Then knowledge that has those deeds as its object arises in him in this way, “It was after doing this.” Likewise he extends light upwards in the direction of the [sensual-sphere] divine world, and he sees beings in the Nandana Grove, the Missaka Grove, the Phārusaka Grove, etc., enjoying great good fortune. That vision also is only the divine eye’s function. He gives attention to it in this way, “After doing what deeds do these beings enjoy this good fortune?” Then knowledge that has those deeds as its object arises in him in this way, “It was after doing this.” This is what is called knowledge of faring according to deeds.

80. There is no special preliminary work for this. And as in this case, so too in the case of knowledge of the future; for these have the divine eye as their basis and their success is dependent on that of the divine eye. [425]

81. As to ill-conducted in body, etc., it is bad conduct (duṭṭhu caritaṃ), or it is corrupted conduct (duṭṭhaṃ caritaṃ) because it is rotten with defilements, thus it is ill-conduct (duccarita). The ill-conduct comes about by means of the body, or the ill-conduct has arisen due to the body, thus it is ill-conduct in body; so too with the rest. Ill-conducted is endowed with ill-conduct.

82. Revilers of Noble Ones: being desirous of harm for Noble Ones consisting of Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and disciples, and also of householders who are stream-enterers, they revile them with the worst accusations or with denial of their special qualities (see Ud 44 and MN 12);they abuse and upbraid them, is what is meant.

83. Herein, it should be understood that when they say, “They have no asceticism, they are not ascetics,” they revile them with the worst accusation;and when they say, “They have no jhāna or liberation or path of fruition, etc.,” they revile them with denial of their special qualities. And whether done knowingly or unknowingly it is in either case reviling of Noble Ones; it is weighty kamma resembling that of immediate result, and it is an obstacle both to heaven and to the path. But it is remediable.

84. The following story should be understood in order to make this clear. An elder and a young bhikkhu, it seems, wandered for alms in a certain village. At the first house they got only a spoonful of hot gruel. The elder’s stomach was paining him with wind. He thought, “This gruel is good for me; I shall drink it before it gets cold.” People brought a wooden stool to the doorstep, and he sat down and drank it. The other was disgusted and remarked, “The old man has let his hunger get the better of him and has done what he should be ashamed to do.” The elder wandered for alms, and on returning to the monastery he asked the young bhikkhu, “Have you any footing in this Dispensation, friend?”—“Yes, venerable sir, I am a stream-enterer.”—“Then, friend, do not try for the higher paths; one whose cankers are destroyed has been reviled by you.” The young bhikkhu asked for the elder’s forgiveness and was thereby restored to his former state.

85. So one who reviles a Noble One, even if he is one himself, should go to him; if he himself is senior, [426] he should sit down in the squatting position and get his forgiveness in this way, “I have said such and such to the venerable one; may he forgive me.” If he himself is junior, he should pay homage, and sitting in the squatting position and holding out his hand palms together, he should get his forgiveness in this way, “I have said such and such to you, venerable sir; forgive me.” If the other has gone away, he should get his forgiveness either by going to him himself or by sending someone such as a co-resident.

86. If he can neither go nor send, he should go to the bhikkhus who live in that monastery, and, sitting down in the squatting position if they are junior, or acting in the way already described if they are senior, he should get forgiveness by saying, “Venerable sirs, I have said such and such to the venerable one named so and so; may that venerable one forgive me.” And this should also be done when he fails to get forgiveness in his presence.

87. If it is a bhikkhu who wanders alone and it cannot be discovered where he is living or where he has gone, he should go to a wise bhikkhu and say, “Venerable sir, I have said such and such to the venerable one named so and so. When I remember it, I am remorseful. What shall I do?” He should be told, “Think no more about it; the elder forgives you. Set your mind at rest.” Then he should extend his hands palms together in the direction taken by the Noble One and say, “Forgive me.”

88. If the Noble One has attained the final Nibbāna, he should go to the place where the bed is, on which he attained the final Nibbāna, and should go as far as the charnel ground to ask forgiveness. When this has been done, there is no obstruction either to heaven or to the path. He becomes as he was before.

89. Wrong in their views: having distorted vision. Acquirers of kamma due to wrong view: those who have kamma of the various kinds acquired through wrong view, and also those who incite others to bodily kamma, etc., rooted in wrong view. And here, though reviling of Noble Ones has already been included by the mention of verbal misconduct, and though wrong view has already been included by the mention of mental misconduct, it may be understood, nevertheless, that the two are mentioned again in order to emphasize their great reprehensibility.

90. Reviling Noble Ones is greatly reprehensible because of its resemblance to kamma with immediate result. For this is said: “Sāriputta, just as a bhikkhu possessing virtuous conduct, concentration and understanding could here and now attain final knowledge, so it is in this case, I say; if he does not abandon such talk and such thoughts and renounce such views, he will find himself in hell as surely as if he had been carried off and put there” (M I 71).^[2] [427] And there is nothing more reprehensible than wrong view, according as it is said: “Bhikkhus, I do not see any one thing so reprehensible as wrong view” (A I 33).

91. On the breakup of the body: on the giving up of the clung-to aggregates. After death: in the taking up of the aggregates generated next after that. Or alternatively, on the breakup of the body is on the interruption of the life faculty, and after death is beyond the death consciousness.

92. A state of loss and the rest are all only synonyms for hell. Hell is a state of loss (apāya) because it is removed (apeta) from the reason (aya)^[3] known as merit, which is the cause of [attaining] heaven and deliverance; or because of the absence (abhāva) of any origin (āya) of pleasures. The destiny (gati, going), the refuge, of suffering (dukkha) is the unhappy destiny (duggati); or the destiny (gati) produced by kamma that is corrupted (duṭṭha) by much hate (dosa) is an unhappy destiny (duggati). Those who commit wrongdoings, being separated out (vivasa) fall (nipatanti) in here, thus it is perdition (vinipāta); or alternatively, when they are destroyed (vinassanto), they fall (patanti) in here, all their limbs being broken up, thus it is perdition (vinipāta). There is no reason (aya) reckoned as satisfying here, thus it is hell (niraya).

93. Or alternatively, the animal generation is indicated by the mention of states of loss; for the animal generation is a state of loss because it is removed from the happy destiny; but it is not an unhappy destiny because it allows the existence of royal nāgas (serpents), who are greatly honoured. The realm of ghosts is indicated by the mention of the unhappy destiny; for that is both a state of loss and an unhappy destiny because it is removed from the happy destiny and because it is the destiny of suffering;but it is not perdition because it is not a state of perdition such as that of the asura demons. The race of asura demons is indicated by the mention of perdition;for that is both a state of loss and an unhappy destiny in the way already described, and it is called “perdition” (deprivation) from all opportunities. Hell itself in the various aspects of Avīci, etc., is indicated by the mention of hell.

Have … appeared: have gone to; have been reborn there, is the intention.

94. The bright side should be understood in the opposite way. But there is this difference. Here the mention of the happy destiny includes the human destiny, and only the divine destiny is included by the mention of heavenly. Herein, a good (sundara) destiny (gati) is a happy destiny (sugati). It is the very highest (suṭṭhu aggo) in such things as the objective fields comprising visible objects, etc., thus it is heavenly (sagga). All that is a world (loka) in the sense of crumbling and disintegrating (lujjana-palujjana). This is the word meaning.

Thus with the divine eye, etc., is all a summing-up phrase; the meaning here in brief is this: so with the divine eye … he sees.

95. Now, a clansman who is a beginner and wants to see in this way should make sure that the jhāna, which has a kasiṇa as its object and is the basis for direct-knowledge, is made in all ways susceptible of his guidance. Then one of these three kasiṇas, that is to say, the fire kasiṇa, white kasiṇa, [428] or light kasiṇa, should be brought to the neighbourhood [of the arising of divine-eye knowledge]. He should make this access jhāna his resort and stop there to extend [the kasiṇa]; the intention is that absorption should not be aroused here; for if he does induce absorption, the [kasiṇa] will become the support for basic jhāna, but not for the [direct-knowledge] preliminary work. The light kasiṇa is the best of the three. So either that, or one of the others, should be worked up in the way stated in the Description of the Kasiṇas, and it should be stopped at the level of access and extended there. And the method for extending it should be understood in the way already described there too. It is only what is visible within the area to which the kasiṇa has been extended that can be seen.

96. However, while he is seeing what is visible, the turn of the preliminary work runs out. Thereupon the light disappears. When that has disappeared, he no longer sees what is visible (cf. M III 158). Then he should again and again attain the basic jhāna, emerge and pervade with light. In this way the light gradually gets consolidated till at length it remains in whatever sized area has been delimited by him in this way, “Let there be light here.” Even if he sits watching all day he can still see visible objects.

97. And here there is the simile of the man who set out on a journey by night with a grass torch. Someone set out on a journey by night, it seems, with a grass torch. His torch stopped flaming. Then the even and uneven places were no more evident to him. He stubbed the torch on the ground and it again blazed up. In doing so it gave more light than before. As it went on dying out and flaring up again, eventually the sun rose. When the sun had risen, he thought, “There is no further need of the torch,” and he threw it away and went on by daylight.

98. Herein, the kasiṇa light at the time of the preliminary work is like the light of the torch. His no more seeing what is visible when the light has disappeared owing to the turn of the preliminary work running out while he is seeing what is visible is like the man’s not seeing the even and uneven places owing to the torch’s stopping flaming. His repeated attaining is like the stubbing of the torch. His more powerful pervasion with light by repeating the preliminary work is like the torch’s giving more light than before. The strong light’s remaining in as large an area as he delimits is like the sun’s rising. His seeing even during a whole day what is visible in the strong light after throwing the limited light away is like the man’s going on by day after throwing the torch away.

99. Herein, when visible objects that are not within the focus of the bhikkhu’s fleshly eye come into the focus of his eye of knowledge—that is to say, visible objects that are inside his belly, belonging to the heart basis, belonging to what is below the earth’s surface, behind walls, mountains and enclosures, or in another world-sphere—[429] and are as if seen with the fleshly eye, then it should be understood that the divine eye has arisen. And only that is capable of seeing the visible objects here, not the preliminary-work consciousnesses.

100. But this is an obstacle for an ordinary man. Why? Because wherever he determines, “Let there be light,” it becomes all light, even after penetrating through earth, sea and mountains. Then fear arises in him when he sees the fearful forms of spirits, ogres, etc., that are there, owing to which his mind is distracted and he loses his jhāna. So he needs to be careful in seeing what is visible (see M III 158).

101. Here is the order of arising of the divine eye: when mind-door adverting, which has made its object that visible datum of the kind already described, has arisen and ceased, then, making that same visible datum the object, all should be understood in the way already described beginning, “Either four or five impulsions impel …” (§5) Here also the [three or four] prior consciousnesses are of the sense sphere and have applied and sustained thought. The last of these consciousnesses, which accomplishes the aim, is of the fine-material sphere belonging to the fourth jhāna. Knowledge conascent with that is called “knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings” and “knowledge of the divine eye.”

The explanation of knowledge of passing away and reappearance is ended.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

“‘He cannot see them with the divine eye’—with the knowledge of the divine eye—because of the extreme brevity and extreme subtlety of the material moment in anyone. Moreover, it is present materiality that is the object of the divine eye, and that is by prenascence condition. And there is no occurrence of exalted consciousness without adverting and preliminary work. Nor is materiality that is only arising able to serve as object condition, nor that which is dissolving. Therefore, it is rightly said that he cannot see with the divine eye materiality at the moments of death and reappearance. If the knowledge of the divine eye has only materiality as its object, then why is it said that he ‘sees beings’? It is said in this way since it is mainly concerned with instances of materiality in a being’s continuity, or because that materiality is a reason for apprehending beings. Some say that this is said according to conventional usage” (Vism-mhṭ 417).

[2]:

In rendering yathābhataṃ here in this very idiomatic passage M-a II 32 has been consulted.

[3]:

For the word aya see XVI.17.