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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 13 2014 : 12:28:49 AM
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I know discussion of siddhis belongs mostly to the realm of fantastic "what-ifs" (at least for most of us--perhaps a few of the more advanced yogi(ni)'s have first-hand experiences), and I understand the idea that "the greatest siddhi of all is happiness/peace of mind" (since, after all, happiness is the one thing people pursue for its own sake), but it seems to me that most of the discussion of siddhis misses a key point:
If siddhis which defy normal physical laws are real then it provides objective evidence of a spiritual realm.
That is, it wouldn't be all that useful to me to float a few feet off the ground, but it would still be an incredible discovery in that it would be pretty incontrovertible evidence either that a. humans have crazy psychic powers science is nowhere close to understanding or b. we are spiritual beings with power to alter the physical universe in ways physics would tell us are impossible.
That sort of knowledge, more than the actual ability, would be huge. Especially in terms of ideas like reincarnation or possible life after death--if the "soul" could do something I know the body alone cannot, it would go a long way toward convincing me that I even have a soul, if you know what I mean.
Now it could also be that this sort of siddhi doesn't exist: maybe those that do exist are more of the nature of unlocking an ability that does make sense within human biology, only in a way we don't yet understand--being extremely perceptive or empathetic or even running a three-minute mile like in SoW, all might be considered a type of siddhi, but if there is something to siddhis like floating off the ground, moving things with the mind, being in more than one place at once, etc. then aren't the implications of these much bigger than the powers themselves?
I know this is kind of a distraction on the path, but it's hard for me to give up a certain obsession with siddhis because there's a part of me that longs for confirmation of higher realities, while I've everything I've experienced so far in meditation--though often very blissful and profound--have nonetheless belonged to a realm that one could easily explain with appeal to neurotransmitters, etc.
Am I barking up the wrong tree, or are most discussions of siddhis kind of missing the point? (The point being, it's not about the "powers" themselves, it's what their existence says about the nature of reality). |
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Zlarp
Switzerland
46 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2014 : 07:40:45 AM
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Hey there!
I'm new to this site, but this got me to sign up. I used to think like that only a short while ago, but not any longer. There comes a point where you start getting these "bubblings up" of wisdom out of nowhere, and you know they're not really yours, they just come to you. There's a sort of intuition that starts creeping itself into your life, guiding what you do. Suddenly you're always at the right place at the right time, eating healthy, exercising, socializing and your bad habits drop away. And you just "know" some things. You start being more content, and you're happy with the way things are.
And these sorts of things will happen way before you manifest any kind of Siddhis (if ever you do) - to the point where once you do manifest them, you won't care about them at all anymore. You already gained all the knowledge they could have given you in another way. |
Edited by - Zlarp on Jan 13 2014 07:47:10 AM |
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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2014 : 10:32:07 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Zlarp
Hey there!
I'm new to this site, but this got me to sign up. I used to think like that only a short while ago, but not any longer. There comes a point where you start getting these "bubblings up" of wisdom out of nowhere, and you know they're not really yours, they just come to you. There's a sort of intuition that starts creeping itself into your life, guiding what you do. Suddenly you're always at the right place at the right time, eating healthy, exercising, socializing and your bad habits drop away. And you just "know" some things. You start being more content, and you're happy with the way things are.
And these sorts of things will happen way before you manifest any kind of Siddhis (if ever you do) - to the point where once you do manifest them, you won't care about them at all anymore. You already gained all the knowledge they could have given you in another way.
Interesting point, Zlarp! I could use some of that "siddhi wisdom," as I feel like I've made some bad decisions lately. I will admit I also wish for the siddhi of healing in particular, because, for whatever reason, I have an obsession with bodily wholeness, and there are certain problems I have now which modern medicine can't ever fully heal (and in my friends and relatives also). Who knows if such "powers" will ever manifest, but it's good to know that more wisdom will arise on the path.
I do still think, however, that you're not entirely seeing my original point: the questions "are siddhis real?" "should I pursue siddhis?" etc. have been discussed already many times. What I'm trying to express is that it seems to me that most such discussions miss the metaphysical implications of siddhis:
if "laws of physics-defying" siddhis are real, then the spiritual realm has some supra-physical power over the physical, which is a huge thing. If they don't, then all this enlightenment stuff may just be optimized brain chemistry. Not that there's anything wrong with optimized brain chemistry, it's just different from being able to dissolve into white light, etc.
Edit: I see what you're saying: the wisdom that comes is so great or draws so heavily on the power of coincidence that you feel it cannot come from the brain alone, correct? And that is therefore a kind of proof of a spiritual connection? That is an interesting thought, and I don't know if I can judge it based on my limited experiences, but I do think the power of the subconscious mind is far greater than most realize. |
Edited by - tamasaburo on Jan 13 2014 10:46:10 AM |
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adishivayogi
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2014 : 6:58:28 PM
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| when i first began practices it wasn't to become ecstatic. i played around trying to develop certain siddhis just to prove all this was real, and yeah there was part of me that wanted to be able to show off tomy friends. anyways i got to a point where i could move pennies and pencils around via telekinesis. after practicing this for nearly a month i began to get very bad headaches and quit. Since then and getting more into yoga (kriyayoga) many strange things happen. i may dream the future time to time. i sort of pull information out of nowehre in my meditation(sometimes on accident, i got very detailed information about a car i had been wanting to go look at on accident). i seem to be able to read minds at time and more commonly, almost always, i can tell how a person is feeling. i sleep around 3 hours a night and im starting tosee that as a siddhi. the way i feelabout all this is its just kind of interesting and is becoming less interesting. its nothing really. i feel like if i could materialize objects even that would get old rather quickly. i wanna be able to forget about myself. |
Edited by - adishivayogi on Jan 13 2014 7:20:56 PM |
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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2014 : 10:45:27 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Gabe Miller
when i first began practices it wasn't to become ecstatic. i played around trying to develop certain siddhis just to prove all this was real, and yeah there was part of me that wanted to be able to show off tomy friends. anyways i got to a point where i could move pennies and pencils around via telekinesis. after practicing this for nearly a month i began to get very bad headaches and quit. Since then and getting more into yoga (kriyayoga) many strange things happen. i may dream the future time to time. i sort of pull information out of nowehre in my meditation(sometimes on accident, i got very detailed information about a car i had been wanting to go look at on accident). i seem to be able to read minds at time and more commonly, almost always, i can tell how a person is feeling. i sleep around 3 hours a night and im starting tosee that as a siddhi. the way i feelabout all this is its just kind of interesting and is becoming less interesting. its nothing really. i feel like if i could materialize objects even that would get old rather quickly. i wanna be able to forget about myself.
Hi Gabe,
Was it doing AYP that caused you to develop these abilities, or something else? Or some combination? How many years did you practice before noticing them?
I am particularly interested (though I must admit, skeptical) about the ability to move pennies with your mind. How did that develop? And did it grow stronger as time went along? I ask because that is the one example of what I'm talking about: abilities not explicable by physics or biology (at least not as we understand them now).
I am also curious about the sleep as that is one area where I've been slightly disappointed in my own development. I had read in various places that one who meditates a lot will need less sleep, but I don't find this to be the case at all with me, though I've always been someone who needs a lot of sleep. Do you "witness" this brief span of sleep or are you fully unconscious? You feel well-rested for 21 hours after only three hours of sleep? Can you sleep longer if you want to? |
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adishivayogi
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2014 : 1:50:23 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
quote:
Originally posted by Gabe Miller
when i first began practices it wasn't to become ecstatic. i played around trying to develop certain siddhis just to prove all this was real, and yeah there was part of me that wanted to be able to show off tomy friends. anyways i got to a point where i could move pennies and pencils around via telekinesis. after practicing this for nearly a month i began to get very bad headaches and quit. Since then and getting more into yoga (kriyayoga) many strange things happen. i may dream the future time to time. i sort of pull information out of nowehre in my meditation(sometimes on accident, i got very detailed information about a car i had been wanting to go look at on accident). i seem to be able to read minds at time and more commonly, almost always, i can tell how a person is feeling. i sleep around 3 hours a night and im starting tosee that as a siddhi. the way i feelabout all this is its just kind of interesting and is becoming less interesting. its nothing really. i feel like if i could materialize objects even that would get old rather quickly. i wanna be able to forget about myself.
Hi Gabe,
Was it doing AYP that caused you to develop these abilities, or something else? Or some combination? How many years did you practice before noticing them?
I am particularly interested (though I must admit, skeptical) about the ability to move pennies with your mind. How did that develop? And did it grow stronger as time went along? I ask because that is the one example of what I'm talking about: abilities not explicable by physics or biology (at least not as we understand them now).
I am also curious about the sleep as that is one area where I've been slightly disappointed in my own development. I had read in various places that one who meditates a lot will need less sleep, but I don't find this to be the case at all with me, though I've always been someone who needs a lot of sleep. Do you "witness" this brief span of sleep or are you fully unconscious? You feel well-rested for 21 hours after only three hours of sleep? Can you sleep longer if you want to?
- i dont do ayp. i have been doing yoga energtic practises for almost 2 years and mediatating for closer to 3 years. i recently began a spinalbreathing kriya which is different from the one taught her at AYP
- i began meditating to develop siddhis. when dabbling with telekinesis i was only doing meditation and trying to preserve my semen. i did not have much exposure to spiritual practices.
-sleep was a gradual thing. i went through different phases in a short period of time i feel. i go to bed around midnight-1 am every night and will wake up ~3 hours later. there is no dreams no nothing. i wake up and am fine and frequently stay up after this first initial wakening. there are time i do back to sleep though. if i do i began dreaming(knowing im dreaming) and i feel that the time is around 5am that i lose consciousness. im still dreaming but am not aware im dreaming. lots of women will enter my dreams and my dreams will become sexual and things become cautious. lately ive been able to hold back the orgasm though. i wake up in the dream and then agin in "real" life holding the orgasm back through the transition. this is the main reason i stay up. i never have a problem with energy levels and for the past two years have been working ~100 hours a week. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2014 : 2:14:00 PM
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Greetings tamasaburo,
I've had nearly identical thoughts and feelings related to the matter of siddhis. Your words resonate deeply with me.
If anything seems to be true, it's that the creatures on Earth are growing in their functional capacity...with humans being on the leading edge of the progress. We keep pushing the edge of the envelope. Cars, airplanes, spaceships, nuclear bombs, fake breast implants. This trajectory of unlocking possibilities doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Therefore, I don't think siddhis can be merely dismissed as side effects or byproducts of the spiritual path. I think they are signs of new evolutionary functions in the human creature. While they are only experienced by the few (according to mythology and recent anecdotes), I think they will be adopted by the many and incorporated into the flow of life on Earth.
Jesus said: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)
I interpet that to mean an inclusion of super-normal powers, like flying, telepathy, telekinesis, etc. Of course, the basis is love, peace, and happiness. |
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Arman
Australia
47 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2014 : 6:00:30 PM
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I haven't given the idea of Siddhis too much thought. I have never witnessed any super-human feats with my own two eyes, but I do not doubt them. Perhaps the term super-human is deceptive here, as I believe our potential may be as expansive as the entire sphere of consciousness/god itself. I believe in Siddhis because my own internal experiences confirm and resonate with much of AYP and books that I've read that I've read on yoga or spirituality. At this point is is a case of most all else being confirmed by my experience, so it seems reasonable that the pieces of information that have yet to be confirmed with anecdotal experience are likely also true.
The way I intuit Siddhis to work also fits into the current paradigm in which I understand our individual consciousness to work. My two cents are that because we are essentially one within the larger consciousness system, and therefore one with that system, so we have varying levels of influence on that system depending on how limited we are by our beliefs and mind. When various levels of ego, obstructions or whatever are stripped away, then we slowly start to gain influence in the ability to petition the greater consciousness/god and eventually realize that we are that system petitioning itself. In that sense it would seem to me that the different kinds of flavors of siddhi are trivial, and that the potential is as limited or unlimited as the greater/greatest system itself. |
Edited by - Arman on Jan 14 2014 6:08:31 PM |
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JosephUK
United Kingdom
212 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2014 : 3:39:13 PM
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I'm not entirely sure how to define siddhi according to Yoga. For me its when you achieve a degree of peace which is inherently perefect and absolute.
once this is achieved you must find a devotional aspect, for instance your absolute self may be asked to begin meditating on the nature of existence by a God or Goddess.
As a result of your "prowess" at the genuine article of "meditation" you will gain siddhis. The siddhi ofr levetation must be a very high siddhi and would never be demonstrated to anyone lacking faith unless that being had been blessed to do so.
joe |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 1:29:16 PM
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My experience of siddhis is inner and not physical. For example, being psychic. There's no ability to read peoples minds or anything, but feeling peoples inner mental or emotional states as a flavor or a certain vibration, very clearly. Knowing I'm about to get a phone call and from who (just happened again actually haha). Just little things like that, although in high states of samadhi sometimes some pretty crazy stuff.
I think its just living closer to the point at which all things are connected.
I don't know about that physical stuff. It would be cool if there was a physical component to this. As if, for example, inner Radiance could float your body off the floor. I have to say I don't doubt its possible. |
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 2:19:30 PM
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Hi All:
Of course, the greatest siddhi is the underlying peace and happiness that comes to be there throughout all the ups and downs of life.
Next for me is having the ability to help others by whatever means that come through in the flow of life. There are lots of sub-siddhis that come for that without any specific intention for this or that power, like described in several situations in the Secrets of Wilder novel. True siddhis do not come from personal choice, but from divine flow. It is beyond our doing. This is why samyama is about releasing intentions in stillness, and then come what may. The more abiding inner silence we have cultivated in deep meditation, the better the outcome.
Releasing intentions in stillness becomes a habit in time, and it is very liberating, because we don't have to do anything but touch, release and keep walking. There are many things emanating from stillness that we come to take for granted, like better health, nearly always find a parking space by the door, and almost never getting rained on. Practical stuff. 
It is said that yogis and yoginis are able to stay out of the mud and thorns of life. It is really true. Real siddhis are very practical and practically invisible. Life just gets easier. We do nothing but meditate and do samyama to have them occurring continuously as we go about our daily activity.
All of these things are side effects emanating naturally from abiding inner silence, the eternal peace and happiness that comes up underneath it all, which we then merge with as stillness in action in daily living. For entering into that kind of life, practices are the key.
"Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and everything else will be added."
For those who need proof, just meditate daily, develop the habit of samyama via daily structured practice, and see how life changes over time. It will not be found by focusing on developing siddhis for personal reasons.
The guru is in you.
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 6:06:25 PM
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Yogani,
Is there really such a thing as an impersonal reason? I mean, really, don't you verify and validate the flow of divine love in your life via your personal relationships? Aren't you maintaining your anonymity to protect the luxury of enjoying personal privacy, and the benefits of a well-guarded intimacy with your loved ones?
The subtitle to the Deep Meditation book isn't "Pathway to Impersonal Freedom", is it?
Finding a parking space near the door? Hardly ever getting rained on? Those seem just as personal as any other siddhis. Those examples just resonate as petty conveniences, smaller in scale, but equally selfish at their core.
Yogananda said that even the most holy and revered saints act from deeply personal motives and reasons. Even Jesus, who sacrificed his body, did so because he knew he would be re-united with his Father.
Striving for the impersonal seems to be the epitome of delusion. Sterility, suicide, insanity, disconnection, numbness, deadness. Castrate me, gut me, rip out my heart.
Under the umbrella of Divine Personhood, we walk as sub-persons to express the full majesty of our innate potential. Can't you concede that, or must you maintain the guise of a comfortable and detached humility?
Please enlighten those of us who are dreamers. (I was raised watching Star Wars and fantasized about using "the force" for divine, benevolent purposes.)
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 7:37:40 PM
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Thanks Yogani and Bodhi for your posts.
Of course siddhis are just side effects of living as stillness in action, part of the divine flow.
There is always a selfish part to it, the difference is what self you're serving.
I guess all beings, if they were living from the Self, still desire that easiness of life where everything flows smoothly. That's quite different from living from the ego, and seeking to satisfy the ego's desires.
So indeed the Self as we experience is deeply personal. We become walking contradictions, individuals yet united with the one consciousness. These siddhis serve to smooth out the road of life, unmasking the illusions and delusions of the ego, and well, making life more simple.
But yeah, its still personal. We are still individual drops of water in a vast sea of water. |
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Anima
484 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 8:44:23 PM
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Namaste.
It's easy to wander in the forms.
Siddhis:
The Expected
What are you after?
That’s not important.
Neither is before.
One thing matters,
Knocking at the door.
One and many:
Formed of Daffodil
Beads of the daffodil,
Into earth they roll,
Sweet and moist.
Under sun and sky,
They again do rise:
Together yet pure.
Over frozen peaks,
The clouds roam,
Crashing and roaring!
Thrown out, they fall,
Singing their song
Of joy and sadness.
As one, they drown
Within dark seas,
Swaying the waves.
Against the shore,
Mere ripples fold;
Chaos becomes calm.
A river swims by,
Feeding the daffodil;
And more beads form.
Scholium-
What is a proposition, but the fantasy of knowing? What is an argument, but a game of rules? What is a step, but an angle forced upon a curve? Ask where it leads you.
Calumnia-
If I am finite, then how is the infinite in me?
If the universe is infinite, how can I be of the same nature? No limited thing can be part of something limitless. How could any claim to the contrary be justified?
Responsum-
There is a perspective from which any movement, moment, proposition, or content, grasped however perfectly (paramatman) or imperfectly (jivatman) by consciousness, whether conceptual or non-conceptual, is both real and unreal. Telescope, microscope, and kaleidoscope gaze intricately through one another. We will see whatever we will.
“Love is beautiful.” The individual point of view is like a child wandering in a vast forest. There are so many tall oaks, strong branches, and gentle leaves. There are more colors and smells on every breeze. There are sunny glades and muddy bogs, thorny brambles and fragrant blooms. Birds sing and worms weave their way. Beyond, there is light and also darkness. Will he try to take it all in? Is judgment his fancy? Or will he simply sing along?
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 9:14:09 PM
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Resonating with Yogani on the Siddhis. It's simple mainly, just a tendency of increasing simple yet wondrous and happy external manifestations. The most subtle things and synchronicities. I know how you feel Tamasaburo, in fact your questioning - searching for the truth of this whole 'spiritual business' (is it all a load of self-deluded rubbish, or is it true, as perhaps your heart says, that there is something more in it?)
No external manifestation, 3rd party testimonial or amazing display will really answer your question. The truth comes up in your own heart, and doubting, questioning, refusing to accept hearsay and belief - is the essential part of this revelation. |
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 9:30:40 PM
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Hi Bodhi:
It is not that the journey is impersonal. Certainly it is personal, because we are all persons as long as we are embodied no matter what level of consciousness we are experiencing and expressing. The object is not to become impersonal. The object is to become free of the limitations of identified awareness, and the suffering that goes with it.
The point made in the previous post is that that there is a big difference between seeking to cultivate siddhis for personal reasons versus seeking to cultivate transcendence (abiding inner silence) for personal reasons. The first is like trying to build a house with no foundation under it. It might seem to be standing for a while, but it will crumble soon with no foundation. The second is like putting the foundation in first, so the house will stand strong and true.
Once the foundation of abiding inner silence is in, the siddhis (natural flow in daily life) will be there, whether we regard them to be personal or not. Then the force will be using us even as we are using the force. It will not matter, because we will find that the force and we are one and the same. To use the force we must develop the ability to let go and become the force. It is an act of surrender in stillness. This is the essence of samyama and living as stillness in action.
That is how the Jedi knights do it too.
The guru is in you.
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2014 : 10:33:07 PM
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Well played, Yogani! Well played, you bastard!
I feel like Luke in the swamps of the Dagobah system, and you're like Yoda...munching on your little organic swamp treats, laughing as I struggle through these simple exercises...saying: "Do or do not. There is no try."
Much to learn. Much to learn. Or un-learn, shall we say. |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 02:42:39 AM
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Thank you Yogani for your 2 posts
quote:
There are many things emanating from stillness that we come to take for granted, like better health, nearly always find a parking space by the door, and almost never getting rained on. Practical stuff
that is very true |
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jeff
USA
971 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 09:23:19 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Hi Bodhi:
It is not that the journey is impersonal. Certainly it is personal, because we are all persons as long as we are embodied no matter what level of consciousness we are experiencing and expressing. The object is not to become impersonal. The object is to become free of the limitations of identified awareness, and the suffering that goes with it.
The point made in the previous post is that that there is a big difference between seeking to cultivate siddhis for personal reasons versus seeking to cultivate transcendence (abiding inner silence) for personal reasons. The first is like trying to build a house with no foundation under it. It might seem to be standing for a while, but it will crumble soon with no foundation. The second is like putting the foundation in first, so the house will stand strong and true.
Once the foundation of abiding inner silence is in, the siddhis (natural flow in daily life) will be there, whether we regard them to be personal or not. Then the force will be using us even as we are using the force. It will not matter, because we will find that the force and we are one and the same. To use the force we must develop the ability to let go and become the force. It is an act of surrender in stillness. This is the essence of samyama and living as stillness in action.
That is how the Jedi knights do it too.
The guru is in you.
Worth repeating and very well said. Thank you. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 12:51:07 PM
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| Also, thank you, Anima, for the poetic exploration of the topic. Fine filaments of perception. Sensorium follicles creatively collecting an unending stream of data. |
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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 1:37:57 PM
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I think Yogani's comments point to a sort of insight or thought I had recently while contemplating these things.
I was thinking about the siddhi I want most of all, which is to be able to heal my own body and the bodies of others. I've heard of "laying on hands" and whatnot, but honestly, I have no idea if this siddhi is even possible, beyond the general improvements in health people see from practicing yoga.
But I was thinking about: what if this siddhi did exist and I did possess it? What would really be happening? I can't fully comprehend all the inner workings of my own body or that of another, or even come close. And even in cases where I know exactly what I want to happen on a cellular level, my clumsy human body, at least as controlled by my clumsy ego consciousness, could never effect such subtle changes anyway.
Not to get political, but I am reminded of that silly "you didn't build that" controversy in the last election. It seems on one level, we could all point to our own bodies/minds and say "you didn't build that!" By the same token, if we had siddhis, we would probably have to say to ourselves "you didn't do that!"
Therefore, if I were to succeed in "praying away" someone's illness, so to speak, then it still wouldn't really be "me" doing the healing. It would be the universe or "god" or the bodies themselves (which are part of the universe) doing the complex work necessary for healing to occur. I would just be "nudging" the universe at best. My gospel is a bit fuzzy, but I seem to remember Jesus saying things like, "these miracles don't come from me, they come from God, and you could do them too, if you really trusted God." That is, any siddhis we might develop would necessarily be God or "the force" working through us, rather than us "doing" anything ourselves exactly.
Not sure if this makes sense or is closer to the mark, but it's just a thought I had. |
Edited by - tamasaburo on Jan 17 2014 1:49:55 PM |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 2:21:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
I was thinking about the siddhi I want most of all, which is to be able to heal my own body and the bodies of others. I've heard of "laying on hands" and whatnot, but honestly, I have no idea if this siddhi is even possible, beyond the general improvements in health people see from practicing yoga.
I've been both on the giving, and receiving, end of laying on of hands. In separate instances: relief of a severe migraine, reduction of a fever of 103 degrees, and the settling of nausea/vomiting. Nothing major like curing cancer...yet. 
I think there is much, much power in human touch, especially when divinely infused.
Health. Unity. Strength. |
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Anima
484 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 7:31:35 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
I think Yogani's comments point to a sort of insight or thought I had recently while contemplating these things.
I was thinking about the siddhi I want most of all, which is to be able to heal my own body and the bodies of others. I've heard of "laying on hands" and whatnot, but honestly, I have no idea if this siddhi is even possible, beyond the general improvements in health people see from practicing yoga.
But I was thinking about: what if this siddhi did exist and I did possess it? What would really be happening? I can't fully comprehend all the inner workings of my own body or that of another, or even come close. And even in cases where I know exactly what I want to happen on a cellular level, my clumsy human body, at least as controlled by my clumsy ego consciousness, could never effect such subtle changes anyway.
Not to get political, but I am reminded of that silly "you didn't build that" controversy in the last election. It seems on one level, we could all point to our own bodies/minds and say "you didn't build that!" By the same token, if we had siddhis, we would probably have to say to ourselves "you didn't do that!"
Therefore, if I were to succeed in "praying away" someone's illness, so to speak, then it still wouldn't really be "me" doing the healing. It would be the universe or "god" or the bodies themselves (which are part of the universe) doing the complex work necessary for healing to occur. I would just be "nudging" the universe at best. My gospel is a bit fuzzy, but I seem to remember Jesus saying things like, "these miracles don't come from me, they come from God, and you could do them too, if you really trusted God." That is, any siddhis we might develop would necessarily be God or "the force" working through us, rather than us "doing" anything ourselves exactly.
Not sure if this makes sense or is closer to the mark, but it's just a thought I had.
Very good point about lack of authorship. Lets give it up freely 
Thanks, everyone, great thread!
I used to fantasize of siddhis for years. It started as daydreams, but seeped into REM dreams, and now waking dreams/ visions. I was a big comics fan as a kid. I always wondered about the nature and limits of forces and powers. How would that work, I would ask myself. I began to realize that the miracle comes from beyond reason, or generally, thought, mind, ego, embodied consciousness. And that the miracle is real and all around us. And yes, laying on hands is real. Jesus did it, and so do some reike practitioners.
Live the dream.
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delta33
Canada
100 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2014 : 11:02:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
I think.. a sort of insight or thought I had.. while contemplating.. things
there are no thoughts
this is why they are called thoughts
quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
I was thinking about the siddhi I want most of all..
desire
quote:
Originally posted by tamasaburo
But I was thinking about... I can't fully comprehend.. I know exactly.. controlled by my clumsy ego consciousness.. I am reminded.. not sure if this makes sense.. it's just a thought I had.
for the silencing of all thoughts
and perhaps
the accidental development of 'siddhis'
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Experientialknowing
USA
263 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2014 : 1:40:42 PM
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Indeed.quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Hi All:
Of course, the greatest siddhi is the underlying peace and happiness that comes to be there throughout all the ups and downs of life.
Next for me is having the ability to help others by whatever means that come through in the flow of life. There are lots of sub-siddhis that come for that without any specific intention for this or that power, like described in several situations in the Secrets of Wilder novel. True siddhis do not come from personal choice, but from divine flow. It is beyond our doing. This is why samyama is about releasing intentions in stillness, and then come what may. The more abiding inner silence we have cultivated in deep meditation, the better the outcome.
Releasing intentions in stillness becomes a habit in time, and it is very liberating, because we don't have to do anything but touch, release and keep walking. There are many things emanating from stillness that we come to take for granted, like better health, nearly always find a parking space by the door, and almost never getting rained on. Practical stuff.
It is said that yogis and yoginis are able to stay out of the mud and thorns of life. It is really true. Real siddhis are very practical and practically invisible. Life just gets easier. We do nothing but meditate and do samyama to have them occurring continuously as we go about our daily activity.
All of these things are side effects emanating naturally from abiding inner silence, the eternal peace and happiness that comes up underneath it all, which we then merge with as stillness in action in daily living. For entering into that kind of life, practices are the key.
"Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and everything else will be added."
For those who need proof, just meditate daily, develop the habit of samyama via daily structured practice, and see how life changes over time. It will not be found by focusing on developing siddhis for personal reasons.
The guru is in you.
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mahabaratara
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2014 : 5:38:10 PM
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Just thinking will cause a shift in reality as thoughts are energy and we are all connected.
The future is going to beyond our very wildest dreams. And whilst mind over matter ie Siddhis time has come I am more focused on Spirit over Mind.
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A Key Point on Siddhis?
