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Concept
Iddhipada
Summary
Iddhipāda (Pali; Skt. ddhipāda) is a compound term composed of "power" or "potency" (iddhi; ddhi) and "base," "basis" or "constituent" (pāda). In Buddhism, the "power" referred to by this compound term is a group of spiritual powers. Thus, this compound term is usually translated along the lines of "base of power" or "base of spiritual power." In the Buddhist pursuit of bodhi (awakening, understanding) and liberation, the associated spiritual powers are secondary to the four "base" mental qualities that achieve such powers. These four base mental qualities are: concentration on intention; concentration on effort; concentration on consciousness; and, concentration on investigation. These four base mental qualities are used to develop wholesome mental states and rid oneself of unwholesome mental states.
In traditional Buddhist literature, this set of four mental qualities is one of the seven sets of qualities lauded by the Buddha as conducive to Enlightenment (bodhipakkhiyādhammā).
In the Pali Canon, a major source of information on the iddhipāda is in the Samyutta Nikaya, ch. 51, entitled, "Connected Discourses on the Bases for Spiritual Power" (Iddhipāda-sayutta).
In the "Neglected" discourse (Viraddha Sutta, SN 51.2), it states:
"Bhikkhus, those who have neglected the four bases for spiritual power have neglected the noble path leading to the complete destruction of suffering. Those who have undertaken the four bases for spiritual power have undertaken the noble path leading to the destruction of suffering."
The four bases of such power are concentration (samādhi) due to:
Intention or purpose or desire or zeal (chanda)
Effort or energy or will (viriya)
Consciousness or mind or thoughts (citta)
Investigation or discrimination (vīmasā; Skt: mīmāṃsā)
In most canonical discourses these four bases of power are developed in tandem with "volitional formations of striving" (padhāna-sakhāra). For instance, in the "Concentration due to Desire" discourse (Chandasamādhi Sutta, SN 51.
Official source
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