Why Do Non-Buddhists Lose Their Supernatural Powers

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

Answer: The elimination of lust is achieved through the realization of the first dhyāna combined with the realization of eliminating self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi); only when the two are combined does one become a non-returner (Anāgāmin) and can this be accomplished. With the first dhyāna alone, or with merely the elimination of self-view, one cannot eliminate lust. Therefore, although non-Buddhist practitioners may possess meditative concentration and supernormal powers, they still give rise to desire upon seeing forms, and afterward their meditative concentration and supernormal powers all vanish. It is evident that without the wisdom of eliminating self-view, meditative concentration alone cannot eliminate lust.

It was previously recorded in the sūtras that a person with meditative concentration and supernormal powers, because of giving rise to desire upon seeing forms, lost both supernormal powers and meditative concentration the moment the thought arose—he flew there but walked back. That was because he lacked the merit of realizing the stream-enterer (Srotaāpanna) fruit and had only meditative concentration. To eliminate lust, one must eliminate self-view, realize the first fruit, and add the first dhyāna; 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 eliminated self-view, cultivated supernormal powers and flew up to the heavens; but because the thought of stealing celestial flowers arose, his supernormal powers vanished and he fell from the heavens. If one has realized the first fruit, possesses the first dhyāna, and also has supernormal powers, one is a non-returner (Anāgāmin), will no longer give rise to such thoughts, and will not lose supernormal powers.