Overview
While the four Iddhipādās (Bases of Spiritual Power) are cultivated by all advanced meditators, a Fully Awakened Buddha develops these four mental engines to an absolute cosmic maximum. The complete, flawless optimization of these four forces grants the Tathāgata unmatched control over life-vitality and physical matter, allowing him to suppress physical aging at will.
The List
- Chandaiddhipāda: The base of power driven by his limitless, pure aspiration for the liberation and protection of all beings.
- Viriyaiddhipāda: The base of power driven by his unyielding, flawless energy that never wavers or experiences fatigue across his entire career.
- Cittaiddhipāda: The base of power driven by his incredibly pure, unconditioned, radiant mind-stream.
- Vīmaṃsāiddhipāda: The base of power driven by his absolute, omniscient analytical investigation into the conditional physics of the cosmos.
Quote
‘‘kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno āyusmiṃ?
“And what, bhikkhus, is a monk’s life (or longevity)?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu chandasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti, vīriyasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti, cittasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti, vīmaṃsāsamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti.
Here, bhikkhus, a monk develops the basis of spiritual power (iddhipāda) endowed with concentration due to desire (chanda) and volitional formations of exertion (padhānasaṅkhāra); he develops the basis of spiritual power endowed with concentration due to energy (vīriya) and volitional formations of exertion; he develops the basis of spiritual power endowed with concentration due to thought (citta) and volitional formations of exertion; he develops the basis of spiritual power endowed with concentration due to investigation (vīmaṃsā) and volitional formations of exertion.
so imesaṃ catunnaṃ iddhipādānaṃ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā ākaṅkhamāno kappaṃ vā tiṭṭheyya kappāvasesaṃ vā.
Having developed and repeatedly practiced these four bases of spiritual power, if he wishes, he might remain for an eon (kappa) or for the remainder of an eon.
Textual References
- Canonical: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16) – The Buddha explicitly tells Venerable Ānanda three times that because a Tathāgata has developed and perfected these four bases of power, he could, if requested, live onward for an entire cosmic eon (kappa) or the remainder of one.