Reading guide
A fourth occurrence, a new questioner
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own content is word-for-word identical to SN 51.19, SN 51.27, and SN 51.28 — only the occasion changes: “several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side” and asked the same four questions together.
A title that, once again, promises a pair
This project's own observation: as with SN 51.16-17, SN 51.25-26, and SN 51.27-28, this discourse's own root Pāli title marks it “first” (paṭhama) — this saṃyutta's own recurring practice of pairing near-identical discourses under different occasions continues once more.
The eightfold path, confirmed a fourth time
Confirmed by direct reading, the discourse's own final answer is, once again, the noble eightfold path itself — now independently confirmed across four separate discourses with four different questioners, underscoring how central this project's own earlier structural finding (at SN 51.19) has proven to be.
Key terms
The text
§1Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what is psychic power? What is the basis of psychic power? What is the development of the bases of psychic power? And what is the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power?”
§2“Mendicants, take a mendicant who wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again … controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity. This is called psychic power.
§3And what is the basis of psychic power? The path and practice that leads to gaining psychic power. This is called the basis of psychic power.
§4And what is the development of the bases of psychic power? It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. This is called the development of the bases of psychic power.
§5And what is the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is called the practice that leads to the development of the bases of psychic power.”
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