The four steps to magical powers are also called by such names as the four steps to the power of ubiquity, the four steps to unlimited power, and the four kinds of samadhi. In Sanskrit they are collectively known as riddhipada, meaning “steps to (magical) power.” Its Chinese translation, si ru yi zu, speaks of a mind that can accomplish whatever it wants to. This is a mind that is master of itself, free and at ease.
There is a Chinese saying, “Eight out of nine things that happen to us do not match our expectations.” Why does so much of what happens to us not match our expectations? It is because we are usually not the masters of our own mind. We think about things we should not, and we can’t bring ourselves to think about things we should. Both habits contribute to our not gaining control of our lives. We don’t learn from the past and have no clear plan for the future; therefore, we continue to make mistakes. Constantly faced with problems, our life is filled with adversity. Not being able to control our mind, we let small problems become big problems; not being able to reach our goals, we are ill at ease. However, with correct practice we can gradually eliminate these obstacles and more will happen according to our expectations.
The Four Enhanced Phenomena
The Mahayana path to buddhahood can be likened to a journey of five stages. In the first stage, we gather the provisions we will need for the journey. In terms of the path, this means practicing the four foundations of mindfulness and the four proper exertions.[1] In the second stage, we actually set off on the path to buddhahood. This stage consists of practicing the four steps to magical powers, and it is characterized by the four enhanced phenomena. The third stage is realizing dhyana (jhanain Pali),[2] whereby one directly perceives that the true nature of the self is that of a buddha. This is the stage of the arhat, or saint. The fourth stage is to actualize the bodhisattva path, in which one practices dhyana to realize samadhi and wisdom. This enables one to use skillful means to deliver sentient beings; that is, to help them enter or follow the path. The fifth stage of the journey is complete liberation in buddhahood.
Before talking about the four steps to magical powers, I want to briefly describe the four enhanced phenomena of warmth, summit, forbearance, and supreme in the world. These phenomena grow out of the practice of the four steps and validate that one has planted them as virtuous roots. Warmth means that one’s mind is becoming soft and gentle and that the harshness is receding. Summit means that having gotten rid of harshness, one’s mind has ascended to the peak, so to speak. Forbearance means that one will not bring harm to oneself or others. Supreme in the world means that one has transcended worldliness and is approaching the stage of an arhat.
At the level of summit, one’s mind has become soft and gentle, not just sometimes but at all times. People often mistakenly assume that if one can enter samadhi, one’s problems will go away. Another misunderstanding is that having had a glimpse of enlightenment, one no longer has vexations. The truth is that only when wisdom and dhyana arise together are we at a stage where we will not bring vexation to ourselves or others. Until then, though we may be at ease with a joyous mind, we are not yet liberated because we are still attached to the idea of a self. To attain the summit level is not really that high, but it is still very good. It speaks of spiritual power, and it is at this level that we begin to practice the riddhipada, steps to magical power.
Two Kinds of Power=
It is possible to generate two kinds of powers through practice. The first is supernatural powers through which one can transcend ordinary physical limitations; for example, the ability to transport oneself to different places and times, to perform alchemy, or to become invisible. If you were invisible, you could take whatever you wanted and not get caught. I guess you could call it magical stealing. One could become rich without working. But if you had such supernatural powers, would you use them that way? I think not. These are not the kinds of powers one would use on the dhyana path.
The second kind of power one can generate is freedom and ease of mind. To attain that state we practice dhyana, which is the reason these practices are also called the four kinds of samadhi. There are differences between the non-Buddhist and the Buddhist practices of samadhi. In non-Buddhist meditation, one’s goal is to stop wandering thoughts, to enter samadhi, and to experience freedom from vexation. However, coming out of samadhi, one will again experience wandering thoughts and vexation. So life is good in samadhi but not so good out of it.
The Buddhist approach is different because we first practice the four foundations of mindfulness and the four proper exertions. Through these contemplations we generate wisdom. Whether or not we enter samadhi, we can still use this wisdom to lessen our vexations and reduce conflicts and contradictions within our mind. This is why we begin with the four foundations and four proper exertions.
Buddhism emphasizes the need to practice in order to realize one’s own buddhanature. But this does not mean that someone who perceives buddhanature is no longer subject to vexation. After experiencing buddhanature for the first time, one still has habits and propensities that can lead to impure thoughts and impure conduct; greed and aversion may still arise. However, one is at least able to see clearly that one’s mind still cannot completely control the arising of vexations. At that point it becomes very important to practice samadhi.
To summarize, in the stages of practice toward enlightenment, we cultivate wisdom through contemplation, and when wisdom arises, we practice samadhi to develop freedom and ease of mind. This is the kind of power we want to develop through the four steps to magical powers, not supernatural powers.
The Four Steps
The first step to magical powers is chanda–riddhipada, concentration of desire; the second is virya–riddhipada, concentration of exertion, or diligence; the third is citta–riddhipada, concentration of mind; and the fourth is mimamsa–riddhipada concentration of inquiry, or investigation.
Chanda: Concentration of Desire
