Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渢he four bases of magical power (riddhipada)鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
E.3. The Four Bases of Magical Power (峁沝诲丑颈辫腻诲补)
When the four right efforts (蝉补尘测补办辫谤补诲丑腻苍补) are practiced, the mind is slightly distracted (惫颈办峁辫迟补); this is why the concentrations (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) are used to fix the mind: [concentrations of zeal (chanda), of exertion (惫墨谤测补), of the mind (citta) and of examination (尘墨尘腻峁僺腻). These concentrations are called bases of magical power (峁沝诲丑颈辫腻诲补).
Thus, when good food (辫谤补峁嚹玹腻丑腻谤补) is under-salted, it lacks flavor (rasa), but when salt (濒补惫补峁嘺) is added, the taste is sufficient and is in accord with what is desired (测补迟丑别峁ａ弓补). Or again, when a person who has two legs finds a good horse (补艣惫补) or a good chariot (ratha), he comes to his destination as desired.
Similarly, when the yogin has obtained the true wisdoms that are the four foundations of mindfulness (蝉尘峁泃测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补) and these right exertions (samyag惫墨谤测补) that are the four right efforts (蝉补尘测补办辫谤补诲丑腻苍补), his wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) is increased (vardhate) by means of these exertions; however, the strength of his concentration (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈bala) remains weak. But when he obtains the four kinds of concentration (caturvidha蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) and therefore fixes his mind (肠颈迟迟补峁� 辫谤补驳峁沨峁嘺迟颈), the strength of his wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) and concentration (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) are equal (sama) and his vows (辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补) are realized. [These four concentrations] are called bases of magical power.
Question. 鈥� Concentration (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) already was present in the four foundations of mindfulness and the four right efforts. Why not call them the bases of magical power?
Answer. 鈥� These practices do indeed contain [a certain measure] of concentration, but although wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) and exertion (惫墨谤测补) are strong in them, concentration is weak. That is why the yogin did not realize his wishes (辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补) as he desired. [In the bases of magical power], there are four kinds of concentrations:
i) The concentration obtained by giving predominance to zeal (chandam 补诲丑颈辫补迟颈峁� 办峁泃惫腻).[1]
ii) The concentration obtained by giving predominance to exertion (惫墨谤测补峁� 补诲丑颈辫补迟颈峁� 办峁泃惫腻).
From these concentrations as causes and conditions there arise [the practices of] the Path, impure (蝉腻蝉谤补惫补) or pure (补苍腻蝉谤补惫补).
iii) The concentration obtained by giving predominance to the mind (cittam 补诲丑颈辫补迟颈峁� k峁泃va).
iv) The concentration obtained by giving predominance to examination (尘墨尘腻峁僺腻m 补诲丑颈辫补迟颈峁� k峁泃va).
From these concentrations as causes and conditions there arise [practices of] the Path, impure or pure.
Together with the five good elements (办耻艣补濒补蝉办补苍诲丑补蝉补峁僺补谤驳腻迟) these practices are called [bases of] magical power by connection (蝉补峁僺补谤驳补峁沝诲丑颈辫腻诲补).
The four kinds of concentrations under the predominating influense of zeal (chanda), etc., are called [bases of] magical power in itself (蝉惫补产丑腻惫补峁沝诲丑颈辫腻诲补).[2]
For the four right efforts (蝉补尘测补办辫谤补诲丑腻苍补) and the four bases of magical power (峁沝诲丑颈辫腻诲补) see what was said in full detail in regard to the 蝉尘峁泃测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补s in themselves and as 蝉尘峁泃测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补s by connection (p. 1169F).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Formulas appearing in the Vibha峁単a, p. 216, and Ko艣avy膩khy膩, p. 601鈥�602; see above, p. 1125F.
[2]:
The four concentrations having zeal, exertion, the mind, examination a predominating respectively are the bases of magical power (see above, p. 382鈥�383F).
Taken by themselves (蝉惫补产丑腻惫补), they are of lower order: they are right views but are impure (蝉腻蝉谤补惫补), having only meritorious value (辫耻峁噛补产丑腻驳墨测补) and bearing fruit only in this world (upadhivaipkaya); it is the right view of worldly people who see the truth but stay apart from the path traced by the Buddha.
On the other hand, together with the five good elements (the dhammakkhandha of the D墨gha, III, p. 229, 279, Itivuttaka, p. 107; the lokottaraskandha of the Dhrmaguptaka, § 23; the 补蝉补尘补蝉补尘腻岣� 蝉办补苍诲丑腻岣� of the Mah膩vyut., no. 103鈥�108) 鈥� namely, 艣墨la, 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, 辫谤补箩帽腻, vimukti, vimuktij帽膩nadar艣ana -, these four concentrations 鈥榖y connection鈥� (蝉补峁僺补谤驳补) are the right views of the nobles (腻谤测补), pure (补苍腻蝉谤补惫补), supraworldly (lokottara) and linked to the Path (尘腻谤驳腻峁単补); this is the view found in the noble mind, purified, joined to the way, following the noble Path. See Majjhima, III, p. 72.