Here is a list that is individually included in other lists associated with practice but seems to me to be a little different.

"Bhikkhus, when any bhikku or bhikkuni develops and cultivated five things, one of two fruits is to be expected:either final knowledge in this very life or, if there is a residue remaining, the state of non-returning. What five?

Here a bhikku develops the basis for psychic potency that possesses concentration due to desire and activities of striving. He develops the basis for psychic potency that possesses concentration due to energy and activities of striving. He develops the basis for psychic potency that possesses concentration due to mind and activities of striving. He develops the basis for psychic potency that possesses concentration due to investigation and activities of striving. Enthusiasm itself is the fifth."

So the list is"
Desire
Energy
Mind
Investigation
Enthusiasm

Each of these individually are easy to understand (well Mind is a little puzzling due the fact that you use it to accomplish the others, right?). This list seems to say straight out that if you develop the basis of these four with enthusiasm you will make 4th path "in this very life" or at the least 3rd path.

First, what does "develop the basis" mean? It must relate to practice. If so what exactly is that practice? Vipassana or Samatha? The words psychic potency seem to indicate Samatha but not the end result of developing the basis with this list.

Anyone understand this?

With anticipation,
Darrin

Oh, by the way Bhikku Bodhi's new book "The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha" is great. Highly recommend it. He included a Thematic Guide that works much better for finding various topics than an index, which it has also.

Definitely Samatha. If it were Vipassana, desire, mind, and enthusiasm would be absent. Develop a basis basically means developing the ground work to allow for something to occur.

I'm not really sure what your specific question is.... but here is my take on this bit you have presented.


It is saying that developing these qualities in their purest forms will lead to a pure form of concentration, which in turn is the basis for Psychic Powers to emerge.

Psychic powers are a natural part of consciousness. You do not "develop" them. They are already there. You gain access to them by purifying the mind, by developing spiritually. When these qualities are cultivated in a pure form, then the various powers will be able to flow out of your consciousness with no resistance. Impurities in these listed qualities are what block access to psychic powers.


You should not aim to purify these things so that psychic powers can come out. You should aim to develop these qualities in a spiritual manner because they are the essence of a pure unhindered consciousness. Psychic powers arise naturally out of a pure unhindered consciousness. Psychic powers are not the goal of spiritual practice, they are merely one of the many fruits that become available when developing spiritually and purifying consciousness.

This is why a person should never worry about obtaining spiritual powers, but should be focused on spiritually advancing themselves. If you focus on spiritually advancing yourself and never think about these powers, then they will emerge naturally when the conditions of consciousness are right. When the conditions of the mind are extremely pure, then utilizing these various powers should be as easy as moving your arm.