Some people under the unorthodox cult master Lu Sheng Yen
claimed in this forum that Dharma and Wisdom eye means being able
to have mastery of psychic powers. This is a deluded statement and
they do not understand at all that 'Dharma Eye' simply means
discerning the nature of dharmas. It has nothing to do with seeing
past lives or seeing another universe or anything like that.
I know many people, including many (orthodox) Masters, claim
that Arhats must naturally confer mastery of psychic powers. They
are not to be blamed because they have taught it based on
commentaries or previous teachings by other teachers... however it
is not, as far as I know, being taught by Buddha.
The statement that Arhats need to have psychic powers is
a statement not supported by the Scriptures, and commentaries like
Visudhimagga (which if I am not wrong has listed a few kinds of
Arhants, one who is a dry insight practitioner and does not gain
psychic powers)
That said, it so happens that almost all enlightened persons I
personally know, including those in this forum, have some mastery
of psychic powers, even though I do not publicly announce or
discuss them here.
Here is a Sutra that shows how Arhats do not need to have
psychic powers.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.070.than.html
Translator's note: This discourse is
sometimes cited as proof that a meditator can attain Awakening
(final gnosis) without having practiced the jhanas, but a close
reading shows that it does not support this assertion at all. The
new arahants mentioned here do not deny that they have attained any
of the four "form" jhanas that make up the definition of right
concentration. Instead, they simply deny that they have acquired
any psychic powers or that they remain in physical contact with the
higher levels of concentration, "the formless states beyond forms."
In this, their definition of "discernment-release" is no different
from that given in AN 9.44 (compare this with the definitions for
"bodily witness" and "released in both ways" given in AN 9.43 and AN 9.45). Taken in the context of the Buddha's
many other teachings on right concentration, there's every reason
to believe that the new arahants mentioned in this discourse had
reached at least the first jhana before attaining
Awakening.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying
near Rajagaha
in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' sanctuary. Now at that time the
Blessed One was worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given
homage — a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medical
requisites for the sick. The community of monks was also
worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage — a recipient
of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medical requisites for the
sick. But the wanderers of other sects were not worshipped,
revered, honored, venerated, or given homage, nor were they
recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medical requisites for
the sick.
Now at that time Susima the wanderer was living in Rajagaha with a
large following of wanderers. And so Susima's following of
wanderers said to him, "Come now, friend Susima. Go live the holy
life under Gotama the contemplative. When you have completely
mastered the Dhamma, tell it to us; when we have completely
mastered it, we will teach it to householders and then we, too,
will be worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage; we
too will become recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, &
medical requisites for the sick."
Responding, "As you say, friends," to his own following, Susima
the wanderer went to Ven. Ananda and, on arrival, exchanged
courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly
greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting
there, he said to Ven. Ananda, "Friend Ananda, I want to live the
holy life in this Dhamma & Discipline."
Then Ven. Ananda
took Susima the wanderer to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having
bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side. As he was sitting
there he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, this wanderer, Susima, has
said, 'Friend Ananda, I want to live the holy life in this Dhamma
& Discipline.'"
"Then in that
case, Ananda, give him the Going Forth." So Susima the wanderer
gained the Going Forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he
gained the Acceptance (into the community of monks).
Now at that time a large number of monks had declared final
gnosis in the Blessed One's presence: "We discern that 'Birth is
ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing
further for the sake of this world.'"
Ven. Susima heard that "A large number of monks, it seems, have
declared final gnosis in the Blessed One's presence: 'We discern
that "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There
is nothing further for the sake of this world."'" Then Ven. Susima
went to those monks and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings
with them. After an exchange of friendly greetings &
courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to
them, "Is it true, as they say, that you have declared final gnosis
in the Blessed One's presence: 'We discern that "Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further
for the sake of this world"'?"
"Yes, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you wield
manifold supranormal powers? Having been one you become many;
having been many you become one? You appear? You vanish? You go
unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through
space? You dive in & out of the earth as if it were water? You
walk on water without sinking as if it were dry land? Sitting
crosslegged you fly through the air like a winged bird? With your
hand you touch and stroke even the sun & moon, so mighty &
powerful? You exercise influence with your body even as far as the
Brahma worlds?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you hear — by
means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the
human — both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or
far?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you know the
awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it
with your own awareness? Do you discern a mind with passion as a
mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without
passion; a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind
without aversion as a mind without aversion; a mind with delusion
as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind
without delusion; a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a
scattered mind as a scattered mind; an enlarged mind as an enlarged
mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind;an excelled mind
[one that is not on the most excellent level] as an excelled mind,
and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind; a concentrated mind
as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an
unconcentrated mind; a released mind as a released mind, and an
unreleased mind as an unreleased mind?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you recollect
your manifold past lives (lit: previous homes), i.e., one birth,
two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty,
fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand births, many
aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many
aeons of cosmic contraction & expansion, [recollecting], 'There
I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance.
Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such
the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there.
There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an
appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure &
pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I
re-arose here'?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you see — by
means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human —
beings passing away and re-appearing, and do you discern how they
are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate &
unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings — who
were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who
reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions
under the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad
destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings — who were
endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not
revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions
under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the
heavenly world'?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you dwell
touching with your body the peaceful emancipations, the formless
states beyond form [the formless jhanas]?"
"No, friend."
"So just now, friends, didn't you make that declaration without
having attained any of these Dhammas?"
"We're released through discernment, friend Susima."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of your brief
statement. It would be good if you would speak in such a way that I
would understand its detailed meaning."
"Whether or not you understand, friend Susima, we are still
released through discernment."
So Ven. Susima got up from his seat and went to the Blessed One.
On arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, he sat to one
side. As he was sitting there, he told the Blessed One the entire
conversation he had had with those monks.
[The Blessed One said:] "First, Susima, there is the knowledge
of the regularity of the Dhamma [dependent co-arising], after which
there is the knowledge of Unbinding."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of the Blessed One's
brief statement. It would be good if the Blessed One would speak in
such a way that I would understand its detailed meaning."
"Whether or not you understand, Susima, it is still the case
that first there is the knowledge of the regularity of the Dhamma,
after which there is the knowledge of Unbinding.
"What do you think, Susima: Is form [any physical phenomenon]
constant or inconstant?" — "Inconstant, lord." — "And is that which
is inconstant easeful or stressful?" — "Stressful, lord." — "And is
it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to
change as: 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?"
"No, lord."
"...Is feeling constant or inconstant?" — "Inconstant,
lord."...
"...Is perception constant or inconstant?" — "Inconstant,
lord."...
"...Are fabrications constant or inconstant?" — "Inconstant,
lord."...
"What do you think, Susima: Is consciousness constant or
inconstant?" — "Inconstant, lord." — "And is that which is
inconstant easeful or stressful?" — "Stressful, lord." — "And is it
fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change
as: 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?"
"No, lord."
"Thus, Susima, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or
present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or
sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is
with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self.
This is not what I am.'
"Any feeling whatsoever...
"Any perception whatsoever...
"Any fabrications whatsoever...
"Any consciousness whatsoever that is past, future, or present;
internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or
near: every consciousness is to be seen as it actually is with
right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This
is not what I am.'
"Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones
grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling,
disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications,
disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes
dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full
release, there is the knowledge, 'Fully released.' He discerns that
'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is
nothing further for this world.'"
"Susima, do you see that from birth as a requisite condition
there is aging & death?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from becoming as a requisite condition there is
birth?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from clinging/sustenance as a requisite
condition there is becoming?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from craving as a requisite condition there is
clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from feeling as a requisite condition there is
craving?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from contact as a requisite condition there is
feeling?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the six sense media as a requisite
condition there is contact?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from name-&-form as a requisite condition
there are the six sense media?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from consciousness as a requisite condition
there is name-&-form?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from fabrications as a requisite condition
there is consciousness?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from ignorance as a requisite condition there
are fabrications?"
"Yes, lord."
"Now, Susima, do you see that from the cessation of birth there
is the cessation of aging & death?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of becoming there is the
cessation of birth?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of clinging/sustenance there
is the cessation of becoming?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of craving there is the
cessation of clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of feeling there is the
cessation of craving?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of contact there is the
cessation of feeling?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of the six sense media there
is the cessation of contact?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of name-&-form there is
the cessation of the six sense media?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of consciousness there is
the cessation of name-&-form?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of fabrications there is the
cessation of consciousness?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of ignorance there is the
cessation of fabrications?"
"Yes, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you wield
manifold supranormal powers? Having been one you become many;
having been many you become one? You appear? You vanish? You go
unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through
space? You dive in & out of the earth as if it were water? You
walk on water without sinking as if it were dry land? Sitting
crosslegged you fly through the air like a winged bird? With your
hand you touch and stroke even the sun & moon, so mighty &
powerful? You exercise influence with your body even as far as the
Brahma worlds?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you hear
— by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the
human — both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or
far?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you know
the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having
encompassed it with your own awareness? Do you discern a mind with
passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a
mind without passion; a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion,
and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion; a mind with
delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a
mind without delusion; a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and
a scattered mind as a scattered mind; an enlarged mind as an
enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind;an
excelled mind [one that is not on the most excellent level] as an
excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind; a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated
mind as an unconcentrated mind; a released mind as a released mind,
and an unreleased mind as an unreleased mind?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you
recollect your manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births,
three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one
hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand births, many aeons of
cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of
cosmic contraction & expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such
was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the
end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there.
There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an
appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure &
pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I
re-arose here'?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you see —
by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human —
beings passing away and re-appearing, and do you discern how they
are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate &
unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings — who
were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who
reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions
under the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad
destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings — who were
endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not
revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions
under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the
heavenly world'?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you dwell
touching with your body the peaceful emancipations, the formless
states beyond form?"
"No, lord."
"So just now, Susima, didn't you make that declaration without
having attained any of these Dhammas?"
Then, throwing himself down with his head at the Blessed One's
feet, Ven. Susima said to the Blessed One, "A transgression has
overcome me, lord, in that I was so foolish, so muddle-headed,
& so unskilled as to go forth as a thief of the Dhamma in this
well-taught Dhamma & Discipline! May the Blessed One please
accept this confession of my transgression as such, so that I may
restrain myself in the future."
"Yes, Susima, a transgression overcame you in that you were so
foolish, so muddle-headed, & so unskilled as to go forth as a
thief of the Dhamma in this well-taught Dhamma & Discipline.
Suppose, Susima, that a robber, an evil-doer, having been caught,
were shown to a king: 'This, your majesty, is a robber, an
evil-doer. Decree what punishment you want for him.' And so the
king would say, 'Go and — having bound him with a stout rope with
his arms pinned tightly against his back, having shaved him bald —
march him to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street,
crossroads to crossroads; evict him out the south gate of the city
and there, to the south of the city, cut off his head.' Then the
king's men, having bound the man with a stout rope with his arms
pinned tightly against his back, would march him to a
harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to
crossroads, evict him out the south gate of the city and there, to
the south of the city, cut off his head. What do you think, Susima?
Wouldn't that man, for that reason, experience pain &
distress?"
"Yes, lord."
"However much the pain & distress that man would experience
for that reason, Susima, the Going Forth of a thief of the Dhamma
in this well-taught Dhamma & Discipline is still more painful
in its result, more bitter in its result, in that it leads even to
the lower realms. But because you see your transgression as such
and make amends in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept your
confession. For, Susima, it is a cause of growth in the Dhamma
& Discipline of the noble ones when, seeing a transgression as
such, one makes amends in accordance with the Dhamma and exercises
restraint in the future."