3.1. The Meaning of Iddhipāda (psychic power)

Iddhipāda is a compound Pāli word comprising ‘Iddhi’ and ‘Pāda’. ‘Iddhi’ can be translated as completeness or perfection. ‘Pāda’ translates as the ‘root’ or ‘base’.

The word of Iddhi explanation is “Ijjhānaṃ iddhi”, this means the fact of having succeeded, completed or perfected.^[1]

Idddhi in Pāli is derived from the verb ijjhati (to prosper, succeed, flourish): it originally means “success”, but the Buddha’s time “had already acquired the special nuance of spiritual success or even more to the point, the spiritual power”.

The word derived from the Sanskrit ṛddi, from root ṛdh to grow, to increase, to prosper, to succeed, to accomplish etc. is of frequent occurrence in Buddhist texts both its primary meaning and it a special extended meaning. When used in its original meaning it connotes prosperity, affluence, success, splendor, high-position etc.

The word iddhi here signifies all sublime and supramundane states to be accompli shed by applying effort to the practice of the Buddha’s teaching. The principal methods of achieving these are called “the means to accomplishment.” The expression iddhipāda extends to both mundane and supramundane states.

The Paṭisambhidāmagga’ s list of ten categories of iddhi embraces the full range of the notion of iddhi in early Buddhist literature:

1. iddhi by resolve (adhiṭṭhāna),
2. iddhi by transformation (vikkhubhanā),
3. mind-made (manomayā) idddhi,
4. iddhi by expansion of knowledge (ñāṇavipphāra),
5. iddhi by expansion of concentration (samādhi-vipphārā),
6. noble (ariyā) iddhi,
7. iddhi that is the result of past actions (kammavipākajā),
8. The iddhi of one who is meritorious (punavato),
9. iddhi that consists in crafts (vijjā-mayā),
10. iddhi in the sense succeeding by right application to various tasks (sammappayogappaccaya ijjhanaṭṭhena).^[2]

In the Vibhaṅga Commentary explained about Iddhipāda following:

The Iddhipāda: here idddhi (means) ‘it succeeds’; ‘it succeeds fully; it is accomplished’ is the meaning. Alternatively idddhi also (means) ‘by means of it beings successful, matured, exalted’. According to the first meaning an iddhipāda is ‘a pāda that is just, iddhi’; an item of iddhi is the meaning. According to the second meaning an iddhipāda is ‘a pāda for iddhi’; pāda, i. e. foundation; ‘the means of acquiring’ is the meaning. For since by means of it they (being) reach and obtain success in the sense of progressively higher attainments, therefore it is called a pāda.^[3]

Siddhi in the Pāli is identical iddhi. There are five iddhis;

1. Abhiññeyyesu dhammesu abhiññā-siddhi
2. Pariññeyyesu dhammesu pariññā-siddhi
3. Pahatabbesu dhammesu pahāna-siddhi
4. Sacchikatabbesu dhammesu sacchikiriya-siddhi
5. Bhāvetabbesu dhammesu bhāvanā-siddhi

1. Completion of or success in acquiring special knowledge regarding those things in which special knowledge should be acquired, things such as rūpa (material phenomena), nāma (mental phenomena);

2. Completion of or success in acquiring full understanding in those things regarding which full understanding should be acquired, things such as dukkha-sacca (the noble truth of suffering);

3. Completion of or success attained in the task of abandonment of those things that should be abandoned, things such as samudaya-sacca (the noble truth of the cause of suffering);

4. Completion of or success attained in the task of realization of those things that should be realized, things such as nirodha-sacca (the noble truth of the cessation of suffering);

5. Completion of or success attained in the task of development or cultivation of those things that should be developed or cultivated, things such as magga-sacca (the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering).

These are the five essential iddhis within a Buddha-sasana.

Abhiññā-siddhi means the completion of the task of knowing of the paramattha-dhammas (ultimate truths) which one had no knowledge of while one was beyond the pale of a Buddhasāsana. A thorough knowledge of the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha (a summary of all the essential doctrines of the Abhidhamma) amounts to abhiññā-siddhi.

Pariñña-siddhi means the completion of acquiring full understanding of dukkha sacca (the noble truth of suffering) either through a knowledge of their lakkhaṇa (characteristics), rasa (functions), paccupaṭṭhāna (manifestations), and padaṭṭhana (proximate causes), or through a knowledge of the three characteristics of impermanence, dukkha, and anatta, which they possess.

Pahāna-siddhi means the completion of the task of abandoning (pahana), i.e., destroying the kilesas (defilements) which are samudayasacca (the noble truth of the cause of suffering). In this book, since the main emphasis is placed on the attainment of the lowest class of sotapannas, namely the “bon-sin-san” sotapannas, and not on the higher classes of ariyas (noble ones), the completion of the task of destroying sakkāya-dṭṭthi is pahāna-siddhi. The task of dispelling vicikicchā (sceptical doubt) is comprised within the task of destroying sakkāya-dṭṭthi.

Sacchikiriya-siddhi means: the completion of the task of realizing nirodha-sacca (the noble truth of the cessation of suffering) both bodily and mentally. This task consists of the suppression and destruction of the kilesas (defilements).

Bhāvanā-siddhi means: the development of the three sikkhas of sīla (morality), samādhi (mental concentration) and paññā (wisdom), until the attainment of lokuttara-magga-sacca (supramundane path leading to the cessation of suffering).

There are four iddipādas and are frequently referred to in the Nikāya which speak of them as pre-requisites for the accomplishment of iddhi.

The four iddhipādas are:

1. base of idddhi consisting of concentration of will-to-do or zeal accompanied by striving (chandapadhānasaṅkhāra–samannāgata iddhipāda);

2. base of iddhi consisting of concentration of effort (vīriyasamādhi-);

3. concentration of thought (cittasamādhi);

4. concentration of investigate…(vīmaṃsasamādhi).^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vism XII, 20-22, p. 44

[2]:

Patis II, p. 205-14

[3]:

Vibh-A, p. 303

[4]:

SN V, p. 27