Supernatural Powers in Buddhist Practice: Mastering Abhiññā in Hpa-Auk Buddhist Meditation Method in Contemporary Myanmar
Kanae Kawamoto
Contemporary Buddhism June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2026.2653403 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Three nuns in Myanmar practicing the Hpa-Auk meditation method |
| Intervention | Hpa-Auk meditation method |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Islam Religious studies Anthropology Aesthetics |
| Key findings | Cultivation of abhiññās (supernatural powers) is integrated within the Pāli canonical meditation system and functions as a rational tool for deepening insight into Buddhist truths, rather than being mere displays of power. |
Abstract
In Buddhism, the abhiññās (literally ‘higher knowledges’) refer to six types of supernatural powers that include recalling past lives and reading minds. This research explores the practical importance of supernatural powers (abhiññās) within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, focusing on the contemporary meditation method formulated by the Burmese monk, Hpa-Auk Sayadaw (1934-). While modern Burmese Buddhism has largely marginalised concentration practice (samatha-jhāna) to produce these powers as non-essential or heterodox ‘wizard’ culture in favour of mindfulness-based insight (vipassanā), the Hpa-Auk meditation method restructures them as a systematic and canonical practice. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews since 2014, this study examines how abilities such as recalling past lives and the ‘divine eye’ function as rational tools for a deeper understanding of Buddhist teachings, culminating in liberation. Rather than mere displays of power, these experiences are shown to deepen insight into Buddhist truths by practitioners, including karmic interconnectedness, the cycle of rebirth, and the development of compassion. By analysing this living practice of three nuns in Myanmar, the paper demonstrates how the cultivation of abhiññās is integrated within the Pāli canonical meditation system. Consequently, the paper sheds light on the diverse and dynamic nature of contemporary ‘orthodox’ Buddhist meditation, expanding the focus beyond popular mindfulness and vipassanā movements.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |