Susima the Wanderer (`Susimaparibbājakasutta`)

This is an important sutta that explains awakening or liberation is possible without the acquisition of

iddhividhaṃ (various kinds of psychic powers or supernormal ability),
sotadhātu (clairaudience),
telepathy,
ability to recollect pubbenivāsaṃ (previous existences),
dibbena cakkhunā (divine eye) - ability to see beings passing away and reappearing and how they fared in accordance to their actions,
formless attainments - dwelling having attained liberation with the body becoming formless, surpassing form.

All it requires is understanding (of the phenomenal nature of experience and dependent origination) [plus the additional work required as implied by the Kosambisutta].

This sutta has some powerful implications:

The Buddha is clearly not omniscient, as he was not able to divine Susima’s true intentions (to steal the dhamma in order to disseminate it to his friends). Of course, it is possible he wanted the charade to play out as he was able to predict the outcome - Susima’s true conversion followed by confession and repentance.
This sutta appears to be a repudiation of the Buddha’s supposed magical powers, and therefore imply these powers are not necessarily gained from liberation, and perhaps the Buddha himself never had these powers.

518. Thus heard by me:

At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. At that time the Bhagavā was honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and given homage, and he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines for the sick. The Bhikkhu Saṅgha was also honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and given homage, and they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines for the sick. But other wanderers, of other sects, were not honored, not respected, not esteemed, not revered, not given homage, and did not receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicines for the sick.

519. At that time Susima the wanderer was staying in Rājagaha with a large assembly of wanderers. Then Susima the wanderer’s assembly said to Susima the wanderer:

“Come, friend Susima, lead the optimal life under the samaṇa Gotama. When you have learned the Dhamma, you can teach us. When we have learned that Dhamma, we can teach it to householders. In that way, we too will be honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines for the sick.”

“Yes, friends,”

Susima the wanderer replied to his assembly, and then he approached āyasmā Ānanda. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with āyasmā Ānanda. When they had concluded their courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Susima the wanderer said to āyasmā Ānanda:

“I wish, friend Ānanda, to lead the optimal life in this Dhamma and Discipline.”

520. Then āyasmā Ānanda, taking Susima the wanderer with him, approached the Bhagavā. Having approached, he paid homage to the Bhagavā and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, āyasmā Ānanda said to the Bhagavā:

“Bhante, this Susima the wanderer says: ‘I wish, friend Ānanda, to lead the optimal life in this Dhamma and Discipline.’”

“Then, Ānanda, ordain Susima.”

Susima the wanderer thus gained ordination in the presence of the Bhagavā, he gained the higher ordination.

521. At that time, many bhikkhus declared final knowledge in the presence of the Bhagavā:

“Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.”

Āyasmā Susima heard:

“Indeed, many bhikkhus have declared final knowledge in the presence of the Bhagavā: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”

Then āyasmā Susima approached those bhikkhus. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with those bhikkhus. When they had concluded their courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, āyasmā Susima said to those bhikkhus:

“Is it true, friends, that you have declared final knowledge in the presence of the Bhagavā: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being’?”

“Yes, friend.”

522. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus, do you experience various kinds of psychic power:

having been one, you become many;

having been many, you become one;

you appear and vanish, unhindered through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space;

you dive in and out of the earth as if in water;

you walk on water without sinking as if on land;

you travel through the air sitting cross-legged as if a winged bird;

you touch and stroke with your hand the moon and sun, so mighty and powerful;

you exercise bodily mastery even as far as the Brahma-world?”

“No, friend.”

523. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus, do you, with the divine ear element, purified and surpassing that of humans, hear

both kinds of sounds, divine and human,

those that are far and those that are near?”

“No, friend.”

524. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus,

do you discern with your mind the minds of other beings, other persons, having encompassed them with your mind?

Do you know a mind with lust as ‘mind with lust,’ or a mind without lust as ‘mind without lust’?

Do you know a mind with hatred as ‘mind with hatred,’ or a mind without hatred as ‘mind without hatred’?

Do you know a mind with delusion as ‘mind with delusion,’ or a mind without delusion as ‘mind without delusion’?

Do you know a constricted mind as ‘constricted mind,’ or a distracted mind as ‘distracted mind’?

Do you know an exalted mind as ‘exalted mind,’ or an unexalted mind as ‘unexalted mind’?

Do you know a surpassable mind as ‘surpassable mind,’ or an unsurpassable mind as ‘unsurpassable mind’?

Do you know a concentrated mind as ‘concentrated mind,’ or an unconcentrated mind as ‘unconcentrated mind’?

Do you know a liberated mind as ‘liberated mind,’ or an unliberated mind as ‘unliberated mind’?”

“No, friend.”

525. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus, do you recollect your manifold past lives, that is,

one birth,

two births,

three births,

four births,

five births,

ten births,

twenty births,

thirty births,

forty births,

fifty births,

a hundred births,

a thousand births,

a hundred thousand births,

many eons of cosmic contraction,

many eons of cosmic expansion,

many eons of cosmic contraction and expansion:

‘There

I was

so-and-so by name,

of such-and-such a clan,

of such-and-such an appearance,

getting such-and-such food,

experiencing such-and-such pleasure and pain,

having such-and-such a life span;

dying there, I reappeared yonder;

there too I was

so-and-so by name,

of such-and-such a clan,

of such-and-such an appearance,

getting such-and-such food,

experiencing such-and-such pleasure and pain,

having such-and-such a life span;

dying there, I reappeared yonder;

dying there, I reappeared here.’

Thus you recollect your manifold past lives with their aspects and details?”

“No, friend.”

526. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus, do you, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans,see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand how beings fare according to their actions:

‘These worthy beings

who were endowed with misconduct of body, speech, and mind,

who reviled the noble ones,

held wrong views, and

undertook actions based on wrong views,

with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in

a state of deprivation,

a bad destination,

a lower realm,

hell;

but these worthy beings

who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind,

who did not revile the noble ones,

held right views, and

undertook actions based on right views,

with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in

a good destination,

a heavenly world’?

Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, you see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand how beings fare according to their actions?”

“No, friend.”

527. “Then, āyasmanto, knowing and seeing thus, do you dwell having touched with your body those peaceful liberations that transcend form, the formless attainments?”

“No, friend.”

528. “Here, āyasmanto, is this declaration of final knowledge, and yet there is no attainment of these qualities. What then, friends, is your statement?”

“We are liberated by wisdom, friend Susima.”

529. “I do not understand the detailed meaning of this statement made by you āyasmanto in brief. Please, āyasmanto, speak to me in such a way that I may understand the detailed meaning of this statement made by you āyasmanto in brief.”

“Whether you understand, friend Susima, or you do not understand, still we are liberated by wisdom.”

530. Then āyasmā Susima rose from his seat, approached the Bhagavā, paid homage to the Bhagavā, and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, āyasmā Susima related to the Bhagavā all the conversation he had had with those bhikkhus.

[The Bhagavā said:]

“First, Susima, there is the knowledge of the relationship between mental states (dependent origination), and afterwards there is the knowledge of Nibbāna.”

531. “Bhante, I do not understand the detailed meaning of this statement made by the Bhagavā in brief. Please, Bhante, speak to me in such a way that I may understand the detailed meaning of this statement made by the Bhagavā in brief.”

“Whether you understand, Susima, or you do not understand, still there is first the knowledge of the relationship between mental states (dependent origination), and afterwards the knowledge of Nibbāna.

532. “What do you think, Susima, is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, Bhante.”

“Is that which is impermanent painful or pleasant?”

“Painful, Bhante.”

“Is it proper to regard that which is impermanent, painful, and subject to change as: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”

“No, Bhante.”

“Is feelings permanent or impermanent?” …
“Is apperceptions permanent or impermanent?” …
“Is mental constructions permanent or impermanent?” …
“Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?” …

533. “Therefore, Susima, any kind of form whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near — all form should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

“Any kind of feeling whatsoever …”
“Any kind of apperception whatsoever …”
“Any kind of mental construction whatsoever …”
“Any kind of consciousness whatsoever …”

534. “Seeing thus, Susima, the instructed noble disciple becomes

dispassionate towards form,

dispassionate towards feeling,

dispassionate towards apperception,

dispassionate towards mental constructions,

dispassionate towards consciousness.

Being dispassionate, he is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge: ‘Liberated.’ He understands:

‘Destroyed is birth,

the optimal life has been lived,

what was to be done has been done,

there is no more for this state of being.’”

535. “‘Is it because of birth, Susima, that there is old age and death?’ you see?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“‘Is it because of existence …”
“‘Is it because of clinging …”
“‘Is it because of craving …”
“‘Is it because of feeling …”
“‘Is it because of contact …”
“‘Is it because of six senses …”
“‘Is it because of name-and-form …”
“‘Is it because of consciousness …”
“‘Is it because of mental constructions …”
“‘Is it because of ignorance …”

536. “‘Is it with the cessation of birth, Susima, that there is the cessation of old age and death?’ you see?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“‘Is it with the cessation of existence …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of clinging …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of craving …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of feeling …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of contact …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of six senses …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of name-and-form …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of consciousness …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of mental constructions …”
“‘Is it with the cessation of ignorance …”

537. “Then, Susima, knowing and seeing thus, do you experience various kinds of psychic power …

divine ear element …
discern with your mind the minds of other beings …
recollect your manifold past lives …
divine eye …
formless attainments …

543. “Here then, Susima, is this declaration of final knowledge, and yet there is no attainment of these qualities. What then, Susima, is your statement?”

544. Then āyasmā Susima prostrated himself with his head at the Bhagavā’s feet and said to the Bhagavā:

“An offense has overcome me, Bhante, as if I were a fool, as if I were deluded, as if I were unskillful, in that I, a thief of the Dhamma, went forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline. May the Bhagavā accept my confession of this offense, Bhante, for future restraint.”

545. “Indeed, Susima, an offense has overcome you, as if you were a fool, as if you were deluded, as if you were unskillful, in that you, a thief of the Dhamma, went forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline. Just as, Susima, they would seize a wrongdoer, a thief, and present him to the king, saying: ‘This, your majesty, is a wrongdoer, a thief. Inflict upon him whatever punishment you wish.’ And the king would say: ‘Go, sirs,

bind this man with strong ropes with his arms forced behind his back,

shave his head,

parade him with a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads,

take him out by the southern gate, and cut off his head to the south of the city.’

Then the king’s men would bind that man with strong ropes with his arms forced behind his back, shave his head, parade him with a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, take him out by the southern gate, and cut off his head to the south of the city.

What do you think, Susima, would that man experience pain and distress on that account?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

546. “The pain and distress that man would experience on that account — the going forth of a Dhamma thief in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline is more painful and more bitter in its result than that; it leads to a state of suffering. But since, Susima, you see your offense as an offense and make amends for it in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept your confession. For it is a growth in the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s offense as an offense, makes amends for it in accordance with the Dhamma, and undertakes future restraint.”