On siddhis -Patanjali

[Guest guest]

Pada III

 

36. As the result of this experience and meditation, the higher

hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell are developed, producing

intuitional knowledge.

 

Through meditation the aspirant becomes aware of the counterparts of

the five senses as they are found in the subtler realms, and through their

awakening and conscious use he becomes able to function as freely on the

inner planes as he does on the physical. He can then serve intelligently in

those realms and cooperate with the great evolutionary scheme.

[There is much more here, with lists of the siddhis as they appear on

various planes, in correspondence with the 5 senses. I can upload it if

someone would like to see it.]

 

37. These powers are obstacles to the highest spiritual

realization, but serve as magical powers in the objective worlds.

 

One fact continuously emerges in this text book of spiritual

development, and that is, that the psychic powers, higher and lower, are

hindrances to the highest spiritual state and must be left behind by the

man who can function freed from the three worlds altogether. This is a hard

lesson for the aspirant to grasp. He is apt to think that a tendency

towards clairvoyance or clairaudience is indicative of progress and a sign

that his practice of meditation is beginning to take effect. It might prove

just the opposite and inevitably will, should the aspirant be attracted by,

or attached to, any of these forms of psychic faculty. An old Hindu writer

says in connection with these powers:

 

"A mind whose mind stuff is emergent thinks highly of these

perfections, just as a man born in misery considers even a small bit of

wealth a pile of wealth. But a yogin whose mind-stuff is concentrated must

avoid these perfections, even when brought near to him. One who longs for

the final goal of life, the absolute assuagement of the threefold anguish,

how could he have any affection for those perfections which go counter to

the attainment of that goal."

 

Dvivedi says:

"The occult powers described hitherto and to be described hereafter...

serve as obstacles because they become the cause of distracting the mind by

the various feelings they excite. But they are not quite useless inasmuch

as they are great powers for good in moments when samadhi is suspended."

It is of value to the aspirant to know what these powers are, how to

control them and not be controlled by them, and how to use them in the

service of his brother and of the Hierarchy, but they must be regarded as

instruments and be relegated to the form side. It must be realised that

they are the qualities or capacities of the sheaths or the _form_ aspect,

otherwise they will assume undue importance, engross undue attention and

prove stumbling blocks to the progress of soul unfoldment.*

 

50. By a passionless attitude towards this attainment and

towards all soul-powers, the one who is free from the seeds of

bondage, attains the condition of isolated unity.

 

The isolated unity referred to here is that of complete separation

from all form aspects and the achievement of spiritual Oneness. It is

aloofness from the material consciousness and a living in the spiritual

consciousness. It is harmony with the spirit and disharmony with matter. It

involves identification with the Father in Heaven, and a true understanding

of the word of the Master of all the Masters, "I and My Father are one." A

proper sense of values has been established and the powers which have been

developed, and the perceptions which have been gained are seen as having in

them the "seeds of bondage" and therefore with them the true yogin does not

concern himself. At will and in service he will perceive that which is

needed; at will and in service he will employ the occult powers, but he

himself remains detached, and freed from all karmic limitations.**

 

Pada IV

 

1. The higher and lower siddhis (or powers) are gained by

incarnation, or by drugs, words of power, intense desire or by

meditation.

 

25. The state of isolated unity (withdrawn into the true nature

of the Self) is the reward of the man who can discriminate between

the mind stuff and the Self, or spiritual man.

26. The mind then tends towards discrimination and increasing

illumination as to the true nature of the one Self.

 

- Patanjali, _Yoga Sutras_, translation by DK, commentary by Alice A.

Bailey with help from DK, in _The Light of the Soul_ by Alice A. Bailey.

------------

 

*Pada III

 

38. TE SAMADHAV UPASARGA VYUTTHANE SIDDHAYAH.

 

Te = these siddhis; samadhav = for samadhi;

upasarga = obstacles; vyutthane = in worldly

pursuits; siddhayah = powers.

 

These [superphysical senses] are obstacles to

[nirbija] samadhi but are siddhis (powers or

accomplishments) in the worldly pursuits.

 

[No commentary.]

 

**

51. TAD VAIRAGYAD API DOSA BIJA KSAYE KAIVALYAM.

 

Tad = that; vairagyat = by non-attachment; api =

even; dosha bija = seed of bondage; kshaye =

destroyed; kaivalyam = independence.

 

By non-attachment even to that [all these

siddhis], the seed of bondage is destroyed and

thus follows Kaivalya (Independence).

 

This means that all these _siddhis_ are beautiful, but they will bind

us, because _siddhis_ are the outcome of mind. The mind wants something. It

wants to achieve this or that. What for? To be proud of itself. It develops

ego. It makes your "I" and "mine" bigger. Selfish desires are still there.

If you are after _siddhis_ like astral traveling, clairvoyance and

clairaudience, I ask you why. You may say, "Oh, I thought I could help

people." I say that this is just an excuse. You want to show you can do

something. You want to be proud of it.

Are the _siddhis_ bad then? If so, why are they there? I say they are

not bad. They are beautiful; they are good. When? When _they_ come to

_you_. When you run after them they are bad. That's all the difference. Let

the _siddhis_ come and beg, "Hey, can't I do something for you?" Then they

are beautiful. If you don't run after them and you don't crave them, they

are not yours. They want to have you as theirs. They want to be with you

and serve you. Then they are okay. That's why, even in the Bible, you come

across these powers. Everything will come to you. When? When you seek the

Kingdom. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven; everything else will be

added unto you." You don't need to run after them one by one. When you

become the boss, you get everything. You don't need to run after small

jobs.

Not only these _vibhuti_, these _siddhis_, are like that, but

everything is like that: beauty, money, power, strength, scientific

knowledge. All these things are becoming terrible, and the whole world is

trembling with fear. Why? Because we have not sought God first. What is

God?

Peace, contentment, egolessness. So, we are not really condemning

_siddhis_. They are God's powers, by-products of the search for Him. Let

them come after you.

When your mind is that clean and calm, then you will be able to

handle them well for good purposes, not for your ego. You won't be beating

your own drum, "Oh, I can do this; I can do that." _Siddhis_ are not for

that. Patanjali clearly explains these things, because as a scientist he

has to place the facts before his students. But it is not that he is

encouraging you to acquire _siddhis_. That is the beauty of Patanjali. He

is not hiding anything. He says, "These are all the possibilities, no

doubt, but don't run after them. You may get hurt by them. Let them run

after you."

 

- _The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali_, translation and commentary by Sri Swami

Satchidananda

[Guest guest]

Hi Vicki,

>Thank you for this . Although I am not going to learn walking on water (!),

 

Well, I did a search on the only translation I have in my computer, and I

found nothing about walking on water! I wonder if many people think

that's the sort of thing Patanjali is all about.

 

He wrote the first known text/record on Raja Yoga. As far as I know, this

is the root from which all the other yogas have grown and branched out. He

says in the beginning that it is about meditation, about acheiving control

of the modifications of the mind-stuff.

 

It is a densely packed little book and thus someone's commentary is very

helpful, but most translations you would buy come with a commentary.

 

He does explain carefully how to do many things... some may not sound to

you like he's talking about siddhis at all, even when he mentions "the

power to...." Some sound almost unbelievable, but I have found that some

things I used to think were incredible really do happen.

 

Here is a sample passage - just the verses without commentary:

> BOOK II

>

> 30. Harmlessness, truth to all beings, abstention from theft,

> from incontinence and from avarice, constitute yama or the five

> commandments.

> 31. Yama (or the five commandments) constitutes the universal

> duty and is irrespective of race, place, time or emergency.

> 32. Internal and external purification, contentment, fiery

> aspiration, spiritual reading and devotion to Ishvara constitutes.

> nijama (or the five rules).

> 33. When thoughts which are contrary to yoga are present there

> should be the cultivation of their opposite.

> 34. Thoughts contrary to yoga are harmfulness, falsehood, theft,

> incontinence, and avarice, whether committed personally, caused to

> be committed or approved of, whether arising from avarice, anger

> or delusion (ignorance); whether slight in the doing, middling or

> great. These result always in excessive pain and ignorance. For

> this reason, the contrary thoughts must be cultivated.

> 35. In the presence of him who has perfected harmlessness, all

> enmity ceases.

> 36. When truth to all beings is perfected, the effectiveness of

> his words and acts is immediately to be seen.

> 37. When abstention from theft is perfected, the yogi can have

> whatever he desires.

> 38. By abstention from incontinence, energy is acquired.

> 39. When abstention from avarice is perfected, there comes an

> understanding of the law of rebirth.

 

These last five verses may not seem to be about gifts or powers or

siddhis... but read them closely. He speaks of the results of doing

certain things... and that is how he always speaks of what people may call

siddhis.

 

What many people think of as "psychic gifts" are the higher correspondences

to the five senses... I'll send separately the text and commentary I have

on that verse.

>I enjoyed reading your post on Patanjali ,

 

Thanks. I especially enjoy Satchidananda. DK goes into incredible

detail, almost more than you wanted to know. )) But Satchidananda's

commentary comes from recordings of him talking to groups of people... and

he speaks simply and plainly. He's so down to earth... and uses lots of

stories that anyone can understand. Unfortunately, for some verses he

just doesn't give any commentary at all.

 

If I had the money and the time, I would like to have many translations and

commentaries and be able to compare them all... but I don't have the money

or the time. )

 

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Hey Vicki,

>Oh,oh,oh!

>What have I done again!

>Didn't I warn you that I answer short answers?

 

Be cool, friend! You didn't do anything wrong. It's good to answer

spontaneously.

>snip<

>means that I personally find no interest

>in acquiring siddhis ,

 

I do hope you're not trying to fight them off! ) That would be another

kind of attachment, you know? Another kind of block...

 

I mean, what if Ramana wanted to speak to you? Would you say, "No, no,

no!! I would have to use a siddhi for that... I can't do that!" No, I

think you would just listen.

>I was talking about myself

>in that sentence , not about Patanjali ! ,

>that's all it is about,

 

I know. It's just that you caused me to wonder if Patanjali was getting

some kind of rep as the guy who talks about siddhis... so I wanted to say

that that stuff is an incidental part of his book.

 

Don't worry, be happy.

 

Love,

Dharma