Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Supernatural power: Clairaudience in Buddhism

Buddha mentioned thousands of times in His various discourses about supernatural powers, which are just the byproduct of highly concentrated mind. One of these supernatural powers is clairaudience. In the discourse of the fruits of contemplative life, the Buddha said:

"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the divine ear-element. He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far. 

Just as if a man traveling along a highway were to hear the sounds of kettledrums, small drums, conchs, cymbals, and tom-toms. He would know, 'That is the sound of kettledrums, that is the sound of small drums, that is the sound of conchs, that is the sound of cymbals, and that is the sound of tom-toms.' 

In the same way — with his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to the divine ear-element. He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far."

Surely it requires a concentrated mind that comes only from Meditation.

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