The Powers of a Wayfarer (sutra)

Dhr. Seven and Dev, Wisdom Quarterly based on Nyanaponika Thera translation (AN 10.21)

Devas (SemjaseBluestar)

[The Buddha continued:] (9) "And with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, the Wayfarer (Tathagata) sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, happy or unhappy (fortunate or unfortunate) in their destination.

 

One understands beings as faring according to their deeds (karma): 

 

Pain in perdition (what-Buddha-said.net)

These worthy beings (a courteous designation) ill-conducted in body, speech, and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, acquirers of karma due to wrong view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, reappeared in a state of loss, in an unhappy destination, in the great waste, even in hell.

But these worthy beings well-conducted in body, speech, and mind, not revilers of noble ones, right in their views, acquirers of karma due to right view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, reappeared in a happy destination, in heavenly world(s).

Bhumi-devas, Elfen, and Feen... Die zauberhafte Welt der Naturwesen

Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, one sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy or unhappy in their destination; one understands beings as faring according to their deeds (karma). This is a Wayfarer power of a Wayfarer... 

 

[This "knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings" is identical with the "divine eye" (dibba-cakkhu); for details see The Path of Purification, Chp. XIII, paragraph 72ff.]

 

Enlightened heart (Horus2004/flickr.com)

(10) "And the Wayfarer, after destroying the defilements (asava), has personally realized here and now with direct knowledge that canker-free liberation of the heart and liberation-by-wisdom and enters upon and dwells in it. 

 

"This is a Wayfarer power of the Wayfarer. And because of that power the Wayfarer claims the foremost rank, sounds a lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the supreme wheel (of the Dharma)."