Overview
Through the mastery of the Fourth Jhāna, the mind becomes incredibly malleable, luminous, and powerful. A master meditator can then direct this concentrated mind to acquire supernatural faculties (Abhiññā). The first five are mundane and can be achieved by non-Buddhists; the sixth is supramundane and represents ultimate Buddhist awakening.
The List
- Iddhividha - Psychic Powers: The ability to multiply the body, walk through walls, dive into the earth, walk on water, or fly cross-legged through the air.
- Dibbasota - The Divine Ear: Clairaudience. The ability to hear sounds both human and divine, whether near or incredibly far away.
- Cetopariyañāṇa - Telepathy: The ability to penetrate and read the minds of others, knowing immediately if their mind contains lust, hatred, concentration, or liberation.
- Pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇa - Recollection of Past Lives: The ability to remember one’s own previous existences, spanning hundreds of thousands of eons, recalling names, diets, and experiences.
- Dibbacakkhu - The Divine Eye: Clairvoyance. The ability to see the passing away and rebirth of other beings, directly observing how they fare according to their kamma.
- Āsavakkhayañāṇa - Knowledge of the Destruction of the Taints: The realization of the Four Noble Truths and the permanent eradication of all defilements. This is the attainment of Arahatship.
Textual References
- Canonical: Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2) – The Buddha details the precise progression from jhāna to the attainment of each of these six knowledges.