Part 2 - Devas’ power to transform

Q. 139. Bhante! Is a god with a great fortune,... till a great influence capable, without taking the help of external matter, to transform one colour and one form?

A. 139. Gautama! He is not capable to do so.

Q. 140. Bhante! (Is he capable to do so) with the help of external matter?

A. 140. Gautama! He is capable to do so.

Q. 141. Bhante! Does he transform with the help of matter existing here? Does he transform with the help of matter existing there? Or, does he transform with the help of matter existing elsewhere?

A. 141. Gautama! He does not transform with the help of matter existing here; he transform with the help of matter existing there; but he does not transform with the help of matter existing elsewhere. And in this manner,... till one colour one shape, one colour many shape, many colours one shape, and many colours many shapes—these four forms.

Q. 142. Bhante! Is a god with a great fortune,... till a great influence capable, without the help of external matter, to transform black matter into a blue one and a blue matter into a black one?

A. 142. Gautama! He is not so capable. But he can do so with the help (of external matter).

Q. 143. Bhante! Does he do so with the help of matter existing here, etc.?

A. 143. As before,—difference being, ‘can transform’ is to be stated. Like this, (he is capable to transform) black matter into white; like this, blue matter,... till white; like this, red matter into white; and like this, yellow matter,... till white. And all this, in this order, about smell, substance and touch, about matter with a coarse touch into matter with a soft touch. And like this, pairs of opposite qualities—heavy-light, cold-hot, smooth-rough,—can transform all these qualities (one into the other). To be stated are: (i) without the help of matter does not transform; (ii) with the help of matter, transforms.

Q. 144. Bhante! (i) Does a god with an impure tinge and an incompetent soul know and see a god and a goddess or either of them with an impure tinge?

A. 144. Gautama! He cannot. And like this, (ii) one with an impure tinge and an incompetent soul (cannot know and see) a god with a pure tinge; (iii) one with an impure tinge and a competent soul (cannot know and see) a god with an impure tinge; (iv) one with an impure tinge and a competent soul' (cannot know and see) a god with a pure tinge; (v) one with an impure tinge and a competent-incompetent soul (cannot know and see) a god with an impure tinge; (vi) one with an impure tinge and a competent-incompetent soul (cannot know and see) a god with a pure tinge; (vii) one with a pure tinge and an incompetent soul (cannot know and see) a god with an impure tinge: and (viii) one with a pure tinge, and an incompetent soul (cannot know and see) a god with a pure tinge.

Q. 145. Bhante! (ix) Does a god with a pure tinge and a competent soul know (and see) a god with an impure tinge?

A. 145. Yes, he does.

Q. 146. Like this, (x) does a god with a pure tinge and a competent soul know (and see), a god with a pure tinge?

A. 146. Yes, he does.

Q. 147. (xi) Does a god with a pure tinge and a competent-incompetent soul (know and see) a god with an impure tinge? (xii) Does a god with a pure tinge and a competent-incompetent soul (know and see) a god with a pure tinge?

A. 147. (Yes, he does both.) The first eight (he) does not know and see, but the remaining four, (he) knows and sees.

Bhante! So they are. Glory be to the Lord! So saying, Bhagavān Gautama paid his homage and obeisance to the Lord, and having done so, he withdrew to his seat.

Chapter Nine ends.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

(There is no commentary available for this section).