Why Do Non-Buddhists Lose Their Supernatural Powers?

Question: When non-Buddhists cultivate to the four formless absorptions and develop the superknowledge of psychic power, why do they still give rise to desire upon seeing forms and lose their psychic powers?

Answer: The eradication of lust requires the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna combined with the realization of the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi); only when the two are combined does one become an anāgāmin, and only then can it be accomplished. With only the first dhyāna concentration, or with only the eradication of the view of self, one cannot eradicate lust. Therefore, even though non-Buddhists may possess meditative concentration and superknowledges, they still give rise to desire upon seeing forms, and afterward their meditative concentration and superknowledges all vanish. It is evident that without the wisdom of eradicating the view of self, meditative concentration alone cannot eradicate lust.

It was previously recorded in the sūtras that a person with meditative concentration and superknowledges, because he gave rise to desire upon seeing forms—as soon as the thought arose, his superknowledges and meditative concentration regressed; he flew there on his way, but walked back on his return. That was because he lacked the merit of realizing the first fruit (srotāpanna) and had only meditative concentration. To eradicate lust, one must eradicate the view of self, realize the first fruit, and add the first dhyāna concentration; meditative concentration alone is not enough. The merit and benefit of the partial realization of liberation at the first fruit is still considerable.

Devadatta, without having eradicated the view of self, cultivated superknowledges and ascended to the heavens; because the thought of stealing heavenly flowers arose, his superknowledges vanished and he fell from the heavens. If, after realizing the first fruit, one has the first dhyāna concentration and also possesses superknowledges, then one is an anāgāmin, will no longer give rise to such thoughts, and will not lose the superknowledges.