MASTER OF THE DIVINE EYE

MASTER OF THE DIVINE EYE VEN ANURUDDHA

Among those who were pre-eminent in a particular skill was the venerable Anuruddha, who was praised by the Buddha as being foremost in developing the divine eye (AN 1, Ch.19). Once, when a number of eminent monks were living together in the Gosinga Forest, the question arose among them as to which kind of monk could lend brilliance to that forest. Anuruddha replied that it was one who, with the divine eye, could survey a thousand world systems, just as a man standing on a high tower could see a thousand farmsteads (MN 32). On another occasion Anuruddha said that it was through his cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana) that he obtained the divine eye (SN 52:23). He also helped his own pupils to attain the opening of the divine eye

(SN 14:15) . His verses relate his experience:

In fivefold concentration rapt, The mind in peace and unified, Inner tranquillity I gained And thus was purified my eye divine. In fivefold jhana standing firm, I knew the passing and rebirth of beings, Their coming and their going I perceived, Their life in this world and beyond.

(Th 916–917)

The divine eye (dibba-cakkhu) is the ability to see beyond the range of the physical eye, extending in Anuruddha’s case to a thousandfold world system, which may perhaps be identified with a galaxy in modern astronomy. This faculty can be obtained by one who has reached the fourth meditative absorption jhana and takes this meditation as the basis for further development as described in The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga). [2] The divine eye is of a mundane (lokiya) character. It can be obtained by an unliberated worldling (puthujjana) as well as by those on the four stages of emancipation. Anuruddha attained it before he became an Arahant.

The Buddha himself used this faculty during his daily routine, when, in the early morning, he would survey the world for beings who could be helped by the Dhamma. Through his divine eye he also saw when one of his disciples experienced difficulties in his progress on the path. Seeing this, he often went to that disciple to give him advice and encouragement. As one of the three higher knowledges (tevijja) the divine eye has the name and the function of “the knowledge of the passing away and re-appearing” of beings (cutupapatañana).