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81. But one who wants to cause a vanishing makes light into darkness, or he hides what is unbidden, or he makes what has come into the visual field come no more into the visual field. How? If he wants to make himself or another invisible even though unconcealed or nearby, he emerges from the basic jhāna and adverts thus, “Let this light become darkness” or [393] “Let this that is unhidden be hidden” or “Let this that has come into the visual field not come into the visual field.” Then he does the preliminary work and resolves in the way already described. It becomes as he has resolved simultaneously with the resolution. Others do not see even when they are nearby. He too does not see, if he does not want to see.
82. But by whom was this miracle formerly performed? By the Blessed One. For the Blessed One so acted that when the clansman Yasa was sitting beside him, his father did not see him (Vin I 16). Likewise, after travelling two thousand leagues to meet [King] Mahā Kappina and establishing him in the fruition of non-return and his thousand ministers in the fruition of stream-entry, he so acted that Queen Anojā, who had followed the king with a thousand women attendants and was sitting nearby, did not see the king and his retinue. And when he was asked, “Have you seen the king, venerable sir?,” he asked, But which is better for you, to seek the king or to seek [your] self?” (cf. Vin I 23). She replied, “[My] self, venerable sir.” Then he likewise taught her the Dhamma as she sat there, so that, together with the thousand women attendants, she became established in the fruition of stream-entry, while the ministers reached the fruition of non-return, and the king that of Arahantship (see A-a I 322; Dhp-a II 124).