The ten powers of the Buddha, the Tathagatha-baala, are often cited as a basis for claiming the uniquess of the Buddha.
First of all, none of the ten powers is unique to the Buddha. They are all available to the arahant who cultivates them, as I have clearly shown above. There is nothing that says an arahant cannot cultivate any or all of the ten, and certainly anyone who is an arahant will have number 10. Also, these ten powers are not defined in the
Pali suttas as bodhi.
The arahant ten balaani A v 174-6:
1] All that is compounded is purely, fully and actually know to be impermanent.
2] All that is compounded is purely, fully and actually known to be like charcoal.(This is a metaphorical way of pointing to the lack of inherent thingness, no core,
no atta.)
3] The citta tends towards detachment, leads to detachment, enjoys detachment and the possibility of that which produces the aasavaa has become extinct.
4] The four foundations of mindfulness
5] The four efforts
6] The four steps towards psychic powers [ "concentration of intention (chanda-samádhi) accompanied by effort of will (padhána-sankhára-samannágata), concentration of energy (viriya-samádhi) ... concentration of consciousness (citta-samádhi) ... and concentration of investigation (vimamsa-samádhi) accompanied
by effort of will."
7] The five faculties [Pa~nca indryaani]
8] The five powers [pa~nca balaani: saddha (faith), sati (mindfulness), viriya (energy), samadhi (concentration), pa~n~naa (wisdom)]
9] The seven factors of awakening [ mindfulness (sati-sambojjhanga; s. sati), investigation of the law (dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga), energy (viriya-sambojjhanga; s. viriya, padhána), rapture (píti-sambojjhanga, q.v.) tranquillity
(passaddhi-sambojjhanga, q.v.), concentration (samádhi-sambojjhanga, q.v.), equanimity (upekkhá, q.v.).
10] the Noble Eightfold Path.
Like the Tathagata ten powers, there is considerable over lapping of items.
The first of the TTP, Tatahagata Ten Powers:
TTP: 1]There, o monks, the Perfect One understands according to reality the possible as possible, and the impossible as impossible
The commentary to MN 12 quotes this an explanation of what is entailed in the first tathagata power:
‘Venerable sir, saying it rightly how is the bhikkhu clever/skilled in the possible and impossible.’
‘Aananda, the bhikkhu knows, it is impossible, that one come to right view should take any determination as permanent. It is possible that an ordinary person should take any determination as permanent. It is impossible, that one come to right view should take any determination as pleasant. It is possible that an ordinary person should take any determination as pleasant. ...
Which is to say that this is very much open to the arahant, and is equivalent to the first of the ATP, Arahant Ten Powers.
TTP: 2] ... the result of [one's own] past, present and future actions
This would be part of the fourth factor of ATP: 8] The five powers [pa~nca balaani: saddha (faith), sati (mindfulness), viriya (energy), samadhi (concentration), pa~n~naa (wisdom)]
There is the case, Ananda, where a monk ... He recollects his manifold past lives (lit: previous homes), i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten,
twenty, thirty... --- SN LI.11; V 265-6; TCDB1727-8
TTP: 3] ... he knows the path leading to all good results
This corresponds to the 10th ATP: The Noble Eightfold Path is well-cultivated.
TTP: 4] ... he knows the world with its many different elements
My friend, I do proclaim that in this very fathom-long body, with its feelings
and mind, is the world, the world's arising, the world's ceasing and the path
leading to the world's ceasing.' -- AN II 48
Venerable sir, saying it rightly how is the wise bhikkhu clever in the elements?’
‘Ananda, there are eighteen elements. They are the elements of eye, forms and
eye consciousness; ear, sounds, and ear consciousness; nose, scents and nose
consciousness; tongue, tastes and tongue consciousness; body, touches and body
consciousness; mind, ideas and mind consciousness. Aananda, these are the eighteen elements, when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, he becomes clever in the elements.
‘Venerable sir, is there another method through which the bhikkhu becomes clever in the elements?’
‘There is a method. The bhikkhu becomes clever in the six elements, such as the
elements of earth, water, fire, air, space and consciousness Aananda, these are the six elements, when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, saying it rightly he becomes clever in the elements’.
‘Venerable sir, is there another method through which the bhikkhu becomes clever in the elements?’
‘There is a method.These six are the elements of pleasantness, unpleasantness,
pleasure, displeasure, equanimity and ignorance, when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, saying it rightly he becomes clever in the elements’
‘Venerable sir, is there another method through which the bhikkhu becomes clever in the elements?’
‘There is a method. These six are the elements of sensuality, non sensuality, anger, non anger, hurting and non hurting, when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, saying it rightly he becomes clever in the elements’
‘Venerable sir, is there another method through which the bhikkhu becomes clever in the elements?’
‘There is a method.These three are the elements, of sensuality, materiality and
immateriality, when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, sayingit rightly he becomes clever in the elements.’
‘Venerable sir, is there another method through which the bhikkhu becomes clever in the elements?’
‘There is a method. These two are the elements, such as the compounded and the
uncompounded element when the bhikkhu knows and sees them, saying it rightly he becomes clever in the elements.’ MN 115
This corresponds to the 5th ATP: the four basis of mindfulness are well
cultivated.
TTP: 5] ... the different inclinations in beings
TTP: 6] ... the lower and higher faculties in beings
These two are not listed separately in other listing of the tathagatabalani.
Again, this power is also available to the arahant through the powers that arise
from the cultivation of jhana/abhi~n~na: . . . a bhikkhu understands the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed with his own mind . . . a bhikkhu, with the divine eye. which is purified and surpasses the human . sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate, and he understands how beings fare on in accordance with their kamma. . . . -- SN LI.11; V 266; TCDB page 1727-8.
Again, we see this as part of the fourth factor of ATP: 8] The five powers [pa~nca balaani: saddha (faith), sati (mindfulness), viriya (energy), samadhi (concentration), pa~n~naa (wisdom)]
TTP: 7] ... the defilement, purity and rising with regard to the absorptions,
deliverances, concentration and attainments
This would correspond to the ATP 8 (the samadhi factor of the five balanis)
and 10 (the 8th factor, Right Samadhi, of the Noble Eightfold path).
TTP: 8] ... remembering many former rebirths
Again, this has been covered above, and such power is available to the individual
who is willing to do the work of cultivating the jhanas.
TTP: 9] ... perceiving with the divine eye how beings vanish and reappear again according to their actions (karma)
As above. As stated a number of these items overlap, and mastery of one will entail mastery of the other.
TTP: 10] ... gaining, through extinction of all taints, possession of
'deliverance of mind' and 'deliverance through wisdom' ...."
Again, this is part and parcel of the practice, not limited to a Buddha.
The Buddha: There is the case, Ananda, where a monk ... [6] Through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having known & made them manifest for himself right in the here & now. {Just as if there were a pool of water in a mountain glen -- clear,
limpid, & unsullied -- where a man with good eyesight standing on the bank could see shells, gravel, & pebbles, and also shoals of fish swimming about & resting, and it would occur to him, 'This pool of water is clear, limpid, & unsullied. Here are
these shells, gravel, & pebbles, and also these shoals of fish swimming about & resting.'
In the same way, the monk discerns, as it is actually present, that 'This is
stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress...
This is the way leading to the cessation of stress... These are effluents... This is
the origination of effluents... This is the cessation of effluents... This is the
way leading to the cessation of effluents.' His heart, thus knowing, thus seeing,
is released from the effluent of sensuality, released from the effluent of becoming, released from the effluent of ignorance. With release, there is the
knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled,
the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'} -- SN LI.26 {+ DN 2}
(6) "Through the extinction of all cankers (ásavakkhaya) even in this very life
he enters into the possession of deliverance of mind, deliverance through wisdom, after having himself understood and realized it.'' -- D. 34
And this corresponds to the 3rd ATP: that which produces the asavas
have become extinct. And of these powers, this is certainly the most important.
There is nothing on the TTP list that cannot be found in the ATP list. In other
words, the content of the TTP list is, in fact, not unique or exclusive to the
Buddha.