本經與巴利聖典《相應部》第51.11/ 11.(1)的《Pubbasuttaṃ》的內容相同。四神足又稱四如意足，所謂的神足就是指神通，四如意足是三十七菩提分中的道品。在《雜阿含經》第五百六十一篇中阿難尊者曾提及四如意足，不過該篇經文中阿難尊者的重點是擺在禪修的方法、步驟、與態度，而本經則是重在禪定所開發出的神通功能。

    本經中「心三昧行盡神足」的「心所知法」，亦稱「心所有法」，係指與「心」（巴利語、梵語：Citta）相對應的一切善(樂)、惡(苦)、不善不惡(不苦不樂)等心理現象；但在本經中則特指禪修的業處(object)，例如慈心、白遍、紅遍、藍遍、風遍、水遍、火遍、地遍、光明想……等等禪修的修行方法。

選譯自《增壹阿含經》第29品第7經

喬正一白話譯於西元2017/5/30農曆五月初五之八關齋戒日

    我是這樣聽聞的：

    有一次，佛陀暫時住在古印度的舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園林裡。

    當時，世尊告訴諸比丘：「有四神足，是哪四種呢？分別是:自在三昧行盡神足、心三昧行盡神足、精進三昧行盡神足、誡三昧行盡神足。

    什麼是『自在三昧行盡神足』？就是對於各種三昧(禪定)能自在隨心所欲，隨心所樂，以禪定之功所開發出的力量能使身體輕盈飛升，能將肉身隱形成極微細的狀態，這就是所謂第一神足。

    什麼是『心三昧行盡神足』？就是指『心所知法』遍滿十方，以禪定之功所開發出的神足通能穿牆透壁，肉身能穿過一切的石壁而無所阻礙，這就是所謂的『心三昧行盡神足』。

    什麼是『精進三昧行盡神足』？這是指禪定之功德能使人沒有疲倦，亦無所恐懼，有勇猛意，這就是所謂『精進三昧行盡神足』。

    什麼是『誡三昧行盡神足』？就是指藉由各種禪定所開出的神通，能知一切眾生心中所想、所念，眾生心中的各種念頭產生時、消滅時，皆悉知之；亦能知眾生心中是否有無欲心、有無瞋恚心、有無愚癡心、有無嫉妒、有無散亂心、有無少心(心胸狹窄、執著、鑽牛角尖)、有無大心(心量廣大)、有無定心、有無解脫心等等，對眾生的一切複雜的心態都能清楚了知，這就是所謂『誡三昧行盡神足』。

    就是這樣，比丘們！以上就是四神足，若欲知一切眾生心中所想、所念者，就當修行此四神足。諸比丘！當如是學習。」

原文/

　　聞如是：
　　一時，佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。
　　爾時，世尊告諸比丘：
　　「有四神足，云何為四？自在三昧行盡神足，心三昧行盡神足，精進三昧行盡神足，誡三昧行盡神足。
　　彼云何為自在三昧行盡神足？所謂諸有三昧，自在意所欲，心所樂，使身體輕便，能隱形極細，是謂第一神足。
　　彼云何心三昧行盡神足？所謂心所知法，遍滿十方，石壁皆過，無所罣礙，是謂名為心三昧行盡神足。
　　彼云何名為精進三昧行盡神足？所謂此三昧無有懈惓(倦)，亦無所畏，有勇猛意，是謂名為精進三昧行盡神足。
　　彼云何名為誡三昧行盡神足？諸有三昧，知眾生心中所念，生時、滅時，皆悉知之。有欲心、無欲心，有瞋恚心、無瞋恚心，有愚癡心、無愚癡心，有疾心、無疾心，有亂心、無亂心，有少心、無少心，有大心、無大心，有量心、無量心，有定心、無定心，有解脫心、無解脫心，一切了知，是謂名為誡三昧行盡神足。
　　如是，比丘！有此四神足，欲知一切眾生心中所念者，當修行此四神足。如是，諸比丘！當作是學。」
　　爾時，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。

巴利語經文
SN.51.11/ 11.(1) Pubbasuttaṃ
　　 823. Sāvatthinidānaṃ “Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi – ‘ko nu kho hetu, ko paccayo iddhipādabhāvanāyā’ti? Tassa mayhaṃ, bhikkhave, etadahosi– ‘idha bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti– iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṃ saṃkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati– yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṃ, yathā uddhaṃ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṃ, yathā rattiṃ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṃ cittaṃ bhāveti’”.
　　 “Vīriyasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti– iti me vīriyaṃ na ca atilīnaṃ bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitaṃ bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṃ saṃkhittaṃ bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittaṃ bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati– yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṃ, yathā uddhaṃ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṃ, yathā rattiṃ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṃ cittaṃ bhāveti.
　　 “Cittasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti– iti me cittaṃ na ca atilīnaṃ bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitaṃ bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṃ saṃkhittaṃ bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittaṃ bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati– yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṃ, yathā uddhaṃ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṃ, yathā rattiṃ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṃ cittaṃ bhāveti.
　　 “Vīmaṃsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti– iti me vīmaṃsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṃ saṃkhittā bhavissati na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. Pacchāpuresaññī ca viharati– yathā pure tathā pacchā, yathā pacchā tathā pure; yathā adho tathā uddhaṃ, yathā uddhaṃ tathā adho; yathā divā tathā rattiṃ, yathā rattiṃ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṃ cittaṃ bhāveti.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu, anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhoti– ekopi hutvā bahudhā hoti, bahudhāpi hutvā eko hoti; āvibhāvaṃ, tirobhāvaṃ; tirokuṭṭaṃ tiropākāraṃ tiropabbataṃ asajjamāno gacchati, seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṃ karoti, seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gacchati, seyyathāpi pathaviyaṃ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kamati, seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṃmahiddhike evaṃmahānubhāve pāṇinā parimasati parimajjati; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vatteti.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇāti– dibbe ca mānuse ca, dūre santike cāti.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu, parasattānaṃ parapuggalānaṃ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti. Sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sarāgaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītarāgaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; sadosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sadosaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītadosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītadosaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; samohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘samohaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; vītamohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītamohaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; saṃkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘saṃkhittaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; vikkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vikkhittaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; mahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ ‘mahaggataṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; amahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ ‘amahaggataṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; sa-uttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sa-uttaraṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; anuttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘anuttaraṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘samāhitaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘asamāhitaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vimuttaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti; avimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘avimuttaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti”.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu, anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati, seyyathidaṃ– ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṃsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṃvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṃvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe– ‘amutrāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṃgotto evaṃvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṃsukhadukkhappaṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṃ; tatrāpāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṃgotto evaṃvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṃsukhadukkha-ppaṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṃ sa-uddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu, dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti– ‘ime vata, bhonto, sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā. Ime vā pana, bhonto, sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.
　　 “Evaṃ bhāvitesu kho, bhikkhu, catūsu iddhipādesu evaṃ bahulīkatesu, āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti. Paṭhamaṃ.