Rakshasas & Brahma's boons

[Guest guest]

[ Dear Sri Krishnaswamy, Thank you for sharing this illuminating

conversation with Sri Ramana Maharshi, who was no doubt a

realized yogin of our times. For the sake of circumscribing

the range of discussion, I ask members to focus on the teachings

of Sri Ramanuja and the acharyas of the Visishtadvaita school.

This will lend focus to our group. This is not meant to downplay

the importance of other thinkers and philosophies. Thanks, Moderator ]

 

Dear Members,

"WE do have so many puraNaas where rakshasas ask for boons" This quote from a

message in the previous digest (602) reminded me of Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi's

thoughts on Siddhis.

 

Siddhis are generally considered more as obstacles than boons; it is no wonder

that our Puranas tell tales to illustrate their self-destructive nature for the

recipient:

 

Question: Are the Siddhis (super-natural powers) mentioned in Patanjali’s Sutras

true or only his dream?

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi: He who is Brahman or the Self will not value those Siddhis.

Patanjali himself says that they are all exercised with the mind and that they

impede Self-realisation.

 

Question: What about the powers of so-called supermen?

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Whether powers are high or low, whether of the mind or of a

supermind, they exist only with reference to the one who has the power. Find out

who that is.

 

Question: Are Siddhis to be achieved on the spiritual path or are they opposed

to Mukti (liberation)?

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The highest Siddhi is realisation of the Self, for once you

realise the truth you cease to be drawn to the path of ignorance.

 

Question: Then what use are the Siddhis?

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi: There are two kinds of Siddhis and one kind may well be a

stumbling block to realisation. It is said that by Mantra, by some drug

possessing occult virtues, by severe austerities or by samadhi of a certain

kind, powers can be acquired. But these powers are not a means to

Self-knowledge, for even when you acquire them, you may quite well be in

ignorance.

 

Question: What is the other kind?

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi: They are manifestations of power and knowledge, which are

quite natural to you when you realise the Self. They are Siddhis, which are the

products of the normal and natural Tapas (spiritual practice) of the man who has

reached the Self. They come of their own accord, they are God given. They come

according to one’s destiny but whether they come or not, the Jnani, who is

settled in the supreme peace, is not disturbed by them. For he knows the Self

and that is the unshakable Siddhi. But these Siddhis do not come by trying for

them. When you are in the state of realisation, you will know what these powers

are.

 

In this context, Members may like to peruse the following piece by an unknown

author:

 

The Kalpataru tree is a magic tree.

It listens attentively to our every wish and, in due time, grants them all.

Most of our wishes may be very unwise,

but the wishing tree fulfills them all, just the same,

hoping that you will learn by experiencing the consequences.

 

The gifts that it gives are like the links in a chain.

Each wish is linked to another, and the chain itself holds us in its tight grip.

As we grow, our wishes increase, the grip tightens;

and it seems as if we could never wish enough.

Our wishes had been quite simple when we were children,

but steadily they became increasingly complex and more difficult to fulfill.

 

The Kalpataru had kindled in us a spark of fire by granting our first wish

and this has now grown into a blazing fire

which we do not know how to control or extinguish!

 

 

We generally do not know what is good for ourslves. Instead of leaving it to the

Lord to grant our needs,

we demand from God the granting of our desires, like the petulant child. The

result, according to Oscal Wilde:

 

When the Gods choose to punish us,

they merely answer our prayers.

 

There is the well-known, bizarre story of the Monkey's Paw that illustrates this

theme more effectively

by describing the unexpected consequences of the magical fulfillment of our

wishes. Members can read this story at:

http://home.attbi.com/~surfings/Cogitation/7aMonkeysPaw.htm

 

Perhaps, these texts might help us indirectly to understand why the rakshasas

were destroyed as a direct consequence of the granting of their own wishes. The

seeds of destruction were contained already in the wishes that they first

entertained unwisely.

 

For us, it is better to follow the wisdom contained in Ramana Maharishi's advice

in Upadesa Saaram (Sloka 3):

 

IshvarArpitaM necchayA krtaM

citta-shodhakaM mukti-sAdhakam

 

Dasan

Krishnaswamy M.K