42: The Attributes of the Three Treasures – 1693
The eight knowledges:
1-3 as above, and:
4. Insight knowledge (
vipassanā-ñāṇa
). This is understanding the impermanence,
suffering and unsubstantiality of all conditioned mental and physical
phenomena.
5. Psychic power of the mind (
manomayiddhi-ñāṇa
). The power to assume
various forms through mastery of mind, accomplished by absorption (
jhāna
)
practice.
6. Multifarious kinds of psychic power (
iddhividha-ñāṇa
). The power to conjure
up great numbers of various forms, human or otherwise.
7. The knowledge of the divine ear (
dibba-sota-ñāṇa
). The power to hear sounds
from far away places, sounds muffled and sounds too subtle to hear by the
ordinary human ear.
8. The knowledge of reading the mind of others (
ceto-pariyāyaya-ñāṇa
). The
Buddha can know the minds of others in sixteen different ways.
Of the above eight knowledges, the fourth knowledge, insight knowledge, is
knowledge pertaining to the sensuous sphere. The third knowledge, knowledge
of extinction of the pollutants (
āsava
) is supermundane knowledge. The
remaining six knowledges pertain to the form realm absorption (
jhāna
) powers
called (
rūpāvacara-kriyā
-
abhiññā
-
ñāṇa
).
The Fifteen Forms of Perfect Practice of Morality
1. Morality of restraint (
sīla-saṁvara
). The observance of the monastic precepts
of restraint under the Monastic Rule (
Pātimokkha-saṁvara-sīla
).
2. Control of the faculties (
indriyesu gutta-dvāratā
). Keeping watch over the
doors of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind with constant mindfulness, so as
not to allow any demeritoriousness enter.
3. Knowing the proper extent regarding food (
bojane mataññutā
). He knows the
proper extent in receiving alms food, and in enjoying it. In receiving alms food,
the Buddha considers the degree of devotion of the supporter. If the devotion is
strong but the gift is small, the Buddha does not scorn the gift for its smallness
but accepts it. On the hand, if the gift is big but the supporter’s devotion is weak,