Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

220VimuttimaggaFine sounds or gross sounds, sounds afar off or sounds nearby could beheard with divine hearing. Here the new yogin should not attend to extremelyfearful sounds, because he will (going to the other extreme) become attachedto lovable sounds, and because he will stir up fear in his mind.Knowledge of divine hearing proceeds in three objects, namely, limitedobject, present object and external object. If one loses physical hearing,one also loses divine hearing. Here, the hearer, who acquires facility (in thepractice), is able to listen to the sounds of a thousand world-systems. TheSilent Buddhas can hear more. There is no limit to the power of hearingof the Tathagata.Divine hearing has ended, tKNOWLEDGE OF OTHERS' THOUGHTSQ. Who develops the knowledge of others' thoughts? How isit developed?A. One entering the fourth meditation, jhana, on the light kasina andacquiring facility therein, gains divine sight and causes the arising of the knowledgeof others' thoughts.How is it developed ? The new yogin having acquired the bases of supernormalpower and having got control of the mind, enters the light kasinawhich is pure and immovable. Rising from the fourth meditation, jhana,peacefully, he, at first, fills his body with light. He sees the colour of hisown heart through divine sight. Through this colour he perceives his ownstates of consciousness, and knows through the changes in colour the changesin his own mind: "This colour proceeds from the faculty of joy; this colourproceeds from the faculty of fear; this colour proceeds from the faculty ofequanimity". If the consciousness which is accompanied by the facultyof joy arises, the heart is of the colour of curds and ghee. If the consciousnesswhich is accompanied by the faculty of melancholy arises, it (the heart) ispurple in colour. If the consciousness which is accompanied by the facultyof equanimity arises, it (the heart) is of the colour of honey. If the consciousnesswhich is accompanied by lustful desire arises, it (the heart) is yellowin colour. If the consciousness which is accompanied by anger arises, it(the heart) is black in colour. If the consciousness which is accompaniedby ignorance arises, it (the heart) is muddy in colour. If the consciousnesswhich is accompanied by confidence and knowledge arises, it (the heart) ispure in colour. Thus that yogin understands the changes in colour throughthe changes within himself. At this time he diffuses other bodies with lightand sees the colour of others' hearts through divine sight. He understandsthe changing colours through the changes in their hearts, and the changes