5. Question Concerning King Sivi’s Gift of His Eyes

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Supernatural Powers Chapter

“Venerable Nāgasena, you say thus: ‘King Sivi gave his eyes to a beggar, and though he was blind, divine eyes arose in him again.’ This statement is contradictory, refutable, and flawed. It is said in the suttas: ‘When the cause is destroyed, there is no arising of the divine eye in what is without cause and without basis.’ If, Venerable Nāgasena, King Sivi gave his eyes to a beggar, then the statement ‘divine eyes arose again’ is false. If divine eyes arose, then the statement ‘King Sivi gave his eyes to a beggar’ is also false. This is a two-horned dilemma; it is more knotted than knotted, more entangled than entangled, more difficult than difficult. It has come to you—explain your view on this matter for the refutation of the opposing doctrines.”

“King Sivi gave his eyes to the beggar, your majesty. Do not raise doubt about that. And divine eyes arose again—do not generate doubt about that either.” “But then, Venerable Nāgasena, does the divine eye arise when the cause is destroyed, in what is without cause and without basis?” “Certainly not, your majesty.” “Then what, venerable sir, is the reason here—by what reason does the divine eye arise when the cause is destroyed, in what is without cause and without basis? Come now, convince me with a reason!”

“But then, your majesty, does there exist in the world something called truth, by which truth-speakers perform an act of truth?” “Yes, venerable sir, there exists in the world something called truth. By truth, Venerable Nāgasena, truth-speakers, having performed an act of truth, cause the gods to rain down, extinguish fire, counteract poison, and do various other things that need to be done.” “Then, your majesty, it is fitting and proper that divine eyes arose for King Sivi through the power of truth. Through the power of truth, your majesty, the divine eye arises even in what is without basis—truth itself becomes the basis there for the arising of the divine eye.

Just as, your majesty, whatever beings sing a truth-declaration saying ‘Let a great cloud rain down!’, for them, together with the singing of the truth-declaration, a great cloud rains down—now then, your majesty, is there a cause for rain accumulated in the sky by which the great cloud rains down?” “Certainly not, venerable sir. Truth itself becomes the cause there for the raining down of the great cloud.” “In the same way, your majesty, there is no natural cause for that (arising of the divine eye). Truth itself becomes the basis here for the arising of the divine eye.

Or again, just as, your majesty, whatever beings sing a truth-declaration saying ‘Let the blazing, flaming great mass of fire be turned back!’, for them, together with the singing of the truth-declaration, the blazing, flaming great mass of fire is turned back in an instant. Now then, your majesty, is there a cause accumulated in that blazing, flaming great mass of fire by which the blazing, flaming great mass of fire is turned back in an instant?” “Certainly not, venerable sir. Truth itself becomes the basis there for the turning back in an instant of that blazing, flaming great mass of fire.” “In the same way, your majesty, there is no natural cause for that (arising of the divine eye). Truth itself becomes the basis here for the arising of the divine eye.

Or again, just as, your majesty, whatever beings sing a truth-declaration saying ‘Let the deadly poison become an antidote medicine!’, for them, together with the singing of the truth-declaration, the deadly poison becomes an antidote medicine in an instant—now then, your majesty, is there a cause accumulated in that deadly poison by which the deadly poison becomes an antidote medicine in an instant?” “Certainly not, venerable sir. Truth itself becomes the cause there for the counteracting in an instant of the deadly poison.” “In the same way, your majesty, apart from the natural cause, truth itself becomes the basis here for the arising of the divine eye.

For the penetration of the Four Noble Truths as well, your majesty, there is no other basis—making truth the basis, they penetrate the Four Noble Truths. There is, your majesty, in the Chinese region a Chinese king. When he wishes to sport in the great ocean, every four months he performs an act of truth and enters into the great ocean for a yojana with his chariot. Before the front of his chariot, the great mass of water retreats; when he emerges, it covers over again. Now then, your majesty, can that great ocean be made to retreat by the natural bodily strength of even the world with its gods and humans?” “Even in a very small pond, venerable sir, water cannot be made to retreat by the natural bodily strength of the world with its gods and humans—how much less so the water in the great ocean!” “By this reason also, your majesty, the power of truth should be known: ‘There is no place that cannot be reached by truth.’

In the city of Pāṭaliputra, your majesty, King Asoka the Righteous King, surrounded by ministers, countrymen, officials, soldiers, and great ministers, saw the Ganges river full of fresh water, level with its banks, brimming, five hundred yojanas long and one yojana wide, flowing along, and said to his ministers: ‘Is there anyone, sirs, capable of making this great Ganges flow upstream?’ The ministers said: ‘That is difficult, your majesty.’

Standing on that very bank of the Ganges was a courtesan named Bandhumatī. She heard that the king had said thus: ‘Is it possible to make this great Ganges flow upstream?’ She said this: ‘I am a courtesan in the city of Pāṭaliputra, living by my beauty, which is the lowest livelihood. Let the king now see my act of truth!’ Then she performed an act of truth. Together with her act of truth, in an instant that great Ganges, roaring and resounding, flowed upstream while a great crowd of people watched.

Then the king, hearing the crashing sound produced by the turbulent force of the waves of the Ganges, amazed and filled with wonder, said to his ministers: ‘Why, sirs, does this great Ganges flow upstream?’ ‘Bandhumatī the courtesan, your majesty, having heard your words, performed an act of truth. Through her act of truth, the great Ganges flows upward.’

Then the king, his heart stirred, quickly went himself to that courtesan and asked her: ‘Is it true, good woman, that by your act of truth this Ganges has been made to flow upstream?’ ‘Yes, your majesty.’ The king said: ‘What power do you have in that matter? Who would heed your word, who is not mad? By what power did you make this great Ganges flow upstream?’ She said: ‘By the power of truth, your majesty, I made this great Ganges flow upstream.’ The king said: ‘What power of truth do you have—you who are a thief, a cheat, dishonest, a destroyer, wicked, of broken morality, one who has transgressed decency, a deceiver of foolish people?’ ‘It is true, your majesty, I am such a one. Yet even being such, your majesty, I have an act of truth by which, if I wished, I could turn upside down even the world with its gods.’ The king said: ‘What then is that act of truth? Come, tell me!’ ‘Whoever gives me wealth, your majesty—whether warrior, brahmin, merchant, worker, or anyone else—I serve them all equally, not thinking there is any distinction in a noble, or any repugnance in a worker. Free from favouritism and aversion, I attend to the giver of wealth. This, lord, is my act of truth by which I made this great Ganges flow upstream.’

Thus, your majesty, those who are established in truth do not fail to achieve any goal. And, your majesty, King Sivi gave his eyes to the beggar, and divine eyes arose—and that through an act of truth. But what is said in the sutta— ‘When the physical eye is destroyed, in what is without cause and without basis there is no arising of the divine eye’— that is said in reference to the eye developed through meditation. Thus, your majesty, you should remember this.” “Excellent, Venerable Nāgasena! The question is well unravelled, the refutation well demonstrated, the opposing doctrines well crushed. So it is and I accept it as such.”

Question Concerning King Sivi’s Gift of His Eyes fifth

Iddhibalavagga

5. Sivirājacakkhudānapañha

“Bhante nāgasena, tumhe evaṁ bhaṇatha— ‘sivirājena yācakassa cakkhūni dinnāni, andhassa sato puna dibbacakkhūni uppannānī’ti, etampi vacanaṁ sakasaṭaṁ saniggahaṁ sadosaṁ ‘hetusamugghāte ahetusmiṁ avatthusmiṁ natthi dibbacakkhussa uppādo’ti sutte vuttaṁ, yadi, bhante nāgasena, sivirājena yācakassa cakkhūni dinnāni, tena hi ‘puna dibbacakkhūni uppannānī’ti yaṁ vacanaṁ, taṁ micchā; yadi dibbacakkhūni uppannāni, tena hi ‘sivirājena yācakassa cakkhūni dinnānī’ti yaṁ vacanaṁ, tampi micchā. Ayampi ubhato koṭiko pañho gaṇṭhitopi gaṇṭhitaro veṭhatopi veṭhataro gahanatopi gahanataro, so tavānuppatto, tattha chandamabhijanehi nibbāhanāya paravādānaṁ niggahāyā”ti.

“Dinnāni, mahārāja, sivirājena yācakassa cakkhūni, tattha mā vimatiṁ uppādehi, puna dibbāni ca cakkhūni uppannāni, tatthāpi mā vimatiṁ janehī”ti. “Api nu kho, bhante nāgasena, hetusamugghāte ahetusmiṁ avatthusmiṁ dibbacakkhu uppajjatī”ti? “Na hi, mahārājā”ti. “Kiṁ pana, bhante, ettha kāraṇaṁ, yena kāraṇena hetusamugghāte ahetusmiṁ avatthusmiṁ dibbacakkhu uppajjati, iṅgha tāva kāraṇena maṁ saññāpehī”ti?

“Kiṁ pana, mahārāja, atthi loke saccaṁ nāma, yena saccavādino saccakiriyaṁ karontī”ti? “Āma, bhante, atthi loke saccaṁ nāma, saccena, bhante nāgasena, saccavādino saccakiriyaṁ katvā devaṁ vassāpenti, aggiṁ nibbāpenti, visaṁ paṭihananti, aññampi vividhaṁ kattabbaṁ karontī”ti. “Tena hi, mahārāja, yujjati sameti sivirājassa saccabalena dibbacakkhūni uppannānīti, saccabalena, mahārāja, avatthusmiṁ dibbacakkhu uppajjati, saccaṁyeva tattha vatthu bhavati dibbacakkhussa uppādāya.

Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci sattā saccamanugāyanti ‘mahāmegho pavassatū’ti, tesaṁ saha saccamanugītena mahāmegho pavassati, api nu kho, mahārāja, atthi ākāse vassahetu sannicito ‘yena hetunā mahāmegho pavassatī’”ti? “Na hi, bhante, saccaṁyeva tattha hetu bhavati mahato meghassa pavassanāyā”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi tassa pakatihetu, saccaṁ yevettha vatthu bhavati dibbacakkhussa uppādāyāti.

Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, ye keci sattā saccamanugāyanti ‘jalitapajjalitamahāaggikkhandho paṭinivattatū’ti, tesaṁ saha saccamanugītena jalitapajjalitamahāaggikkhandho khaṇena paṭinivattati. Api nu kho, mahārāja, atthi tasmiṁ jalitapajjalite mahāaggikkhandhe hetu sannicito ‘yena hetunā jalitapajjalitamahāaggikkhandho khaṇena paṭinivattatī’”ti? “Na hi, bhante, saccaṁyeva tattha vatthu hoti tassa jalitapajjalitassa mahāaggikkhandhassa khaṇena paṭinivattanāyā”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi tassa pakatihetu, saccaṁ yevettha vatthu bhavati dibbacakkhussa uppādāyāti.

Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, ye keci sattā saccamanugāyanti ‘visaṁ halāhalaṁ agadaṁ bhavatū’ti. Tesaṁ saha saccamanugītena visaṁ halāhalaṁ khaṇena agadaṁ bhavati, api nu kho, mahārāja, atthi tasmiṁ halāhalavise hetu sannicito ‘yena hetunā visaṁ halāhalaṁ khaṇena agadaṁ bhavatī’”ti? “Na hi, bhante, saccaṁyeva tattha hetu bhavati visassa halāhalassa khaṇena paṭighātāyā”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, vinā pakatihetuṁ saccaṁ yevettha vatthu bhavati dibbacakkhussa uppādāyāti.

Catunnampi, mahārāja, ariyasaccānaṁ paṭivedhāya natthaññaṁ vatthu, saccaṁ vatthuṁ katvā cattāri ariyasaccāni paṭivijjhantīti. Atthi, mahārāja, cīnavisaye cīnarājā, so mahāsamudde kīḷitukāmo catumāse catumāse saccakiriyaṁ katvā saha rathena antomahāsamudde yojanaṁ pavisati, tassa rathasīsassa purato purato mahāvārikkhandho paṭikkamati, nikkhantassa puna ottharati, api nu kho, mahārāja, so mahāsamuddo sadevamanussenapi lokena pakatikāyabalena sakkā paṭikkamāpetun”ti? “Atiparittakepi, bhante, taḷāke udakaṁ na sakkā sadevamanussenapi lokena pakatikāyabalena paṭikkamāpetuṁ, kiṁ pana mahāsamudde udakan”ti? “Imināpi, mahārāja, kāraṇena saccabalaṁ ñātabbaṁ ‘natthi taṁ ṭhānaṁ, yaṁ saccena na pattabban’ti.

Nagare, mahārāja, pāṭaliputte asoko dhammarājā sanegamajānapadaamaccabhaṭabalamahāmattehi parivuto gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ navasalilasampuṇṇaṁ samatitthikaṁ sambharitaṁ pañcayojanasatāyāmaṁ yojanaputhulaṁ sandamānaṁ disvā amacce evamāha— ‘atthi koci, bhaṇe, samattho, yo imaṁ mahāgaṅgaṁ paṭisotaṁ sandāpetun’ti. Amaccā āhaṁsu ‘dukkaraṁ, devā’ti.

Tasmiṁyeva gaṅgākūle ṭhitā bandhumatī nāma gaṇikā assosi raññā kira evaṁ vuttaṁ— ‘sakkā nu kho imaṁ mahāgaṅgaṁ paṭisotaṁ sandāpetun’ti, sā evamāha— ‘ahañhi nagare pāṭaliputte gaṇikā rūpūpajīvinī antimajīvikā, mama tāva rājā saccakiriyaṁ passatū’ti. Atha sā saccakiriyaṁ akāsi, saha tassā saccakiriyāya khaṇena sā mahāgaṅgā gaḷagaḷāyantī paṭisotaṁ sandittha mahato janakāyassa passato.

Atha rājā gaṅgāya āvaṭṭaūmivegajanitaṁ halāhalasaddaṁ sutvā vimhito acchariyabbhutajāto amacce evamāha— ‘kissāyaṁ, bhaṇe, mahāgaṅgā paṭisotaṁ sandatī’ti? ‘Bandhumatī, mahārāja, gaṇikā tava vacanaṁ sutvā saccakiriyaṁ akāsi, tassā saccakiriyāya mahāgaṅgā uddhammukhā sandatī’ti.

Atha saṁviggahadayo rājā turitaturito sayaṁ gantvā taṁ gaṇikaṁ pucchi— ‘saccaṁ kira, je, tayā saccakiriyāya ayaṁ gaṅgā paṭisotaṁ sandāpitā’ti? ‘Āma, devā’ti. Rājā āha— ‘kiṁ te tattha balaṁ atthi, ko vā te vacanaṁ ādiyati anummatto, kena tvaṁ balena imaṁ mahāgaṅgaṁ paṭisotaṁ sandāpesī’ti? Sā āha— ‘saccabalenāhaṁ, mahārāja, imaṁ mahāgaṅgaṁ paṭisotaṁ sandāpesin’ti. Rājā āha— ‘kiṁ te saccabalaṁ atthi coriyā dhuttiyā asatiyā chinnikāya pāpiyā bhinnasīlāya hiriatikkantikāya andhajanapalobhikāyā’ti. ‘Saccaṁ, mahārāja, tādisikā ahaṁ, tādisikāyapi me, mahārāja, saccakiriyā atthi, yāyāhaṁ icchamānā sadevakampi lokaṁ parivatteyyan’ti. Rājā āha— ‘katamā pana sā hoti saccakiriyā, iṅgha maṁ sāvehī’ti. ‘Yo me, mahārāja, dhanaṁ deti khattiyo vā brāhmaṇo vā vesso vā suddo vā añño vā koci, tesaṁ samakaṁyeva upaṭṭhahāmi, “khattiyo”ti viseso natthi, “suddo”ti atimaññanā natthi, anunayappaṭighavippamuttā dhanassāmikaṁ paricarāmi, esā me, deva, saccakiriyā, yāyāhaṁ imaṁ mahāgaṅgaṁ paṭisotaṁ sandāpesin’ti.

Itipi, mahārāja, sacce ṭhitā na kiñci atthaṁ na vindanti. Dinnāni ca, mahārāja, sivirājena yācakassa cakkhūni, dibbacakkhūni ca uppannāni, tañca saccakiriyāya. Yaṁ pana sutte vuttaṁ— ‘maṁsacakkhusmiṁ naṭṭhe ahetusmiṁ avatthusmiṁ natthi dibbacakkhussa uppādo’ti. Taṁ bhāvanāmayaṁ cakkhuṁ sandhāya vuttaṁ, evametaṁ, mahārāja, dhārehī”ti. “Sādhu, bhante nāgasena, sunibbeṭhito pañho, suniddiṭṭho niggaho, sumadditā paravādā, evametaṁ tathā sampaṭicchāmī”ti.

Sivirājacakkhudānapañho pañcamo.