Sutra Study Series -6:
Siddhis:
The mystic powers from meditation-2
Acknowledgement
Contents
(intuition)
….Contents
….Contents
0) Recap of the Siddhis covered in Part-1
Tracing a sequence and separating constituents
Meditating on the mind, body and karma
Samyama on Qualities
By Samyama on friendliness (Maitrya) etc. the power (to transmit them) is obtained
In Buddhism this is called metta (Maitriya) meditation
Or Loving kindness meditation
YS 3.24
… Samyama on friendliness etc.
Samyama on Maitri (Friendliness)
toward the Sukha (Happy)
Power to radiate friendliness is obtained
Samyama on Karuna (Compassion)
toward the Dukha (Suffering),
Power to lift people of out of suffering arises
… Samyama on friendliness etc.
Samyama on Mudhitha (Delight)
toward the Punya (Virtuous)
Power of joyfulness is obtained
Samyama on Upeksha (Equanimity in trying situations)
toward the Apunya (Unvirtuous)
Power to bear difficulty and change a difficult situation without being perturbed is obtained
2) Samyama on Strengths etc
By Samyama on the strengths of an object or creature, the strength of the object or creature is obtained
YS 3.25
Knowledge of subtle, hidden and Remote objects by focus on the energy centers of the body
3) Knowledge of the subtle and concealed things
By directing the light of cognition, one attains the knowledge of the subtle, hidden and remote objects
… 3) Knowledge of the subtle and concealed things
Pravritti - pra + vritti : higher (sense) activity or cognition
Alokha - (arising) inner light
Nyasa - step or direct toward
Sukshma - subtle
Vyavahita - concealed
Viprakrishta - remote
Jnanam -knowledge
4) Knowledge of the Universe and Astrology
By samyama on the surya nadi, knowledge of the various worlds is obtained
Surya -can literally mean the sun or the surya nadi i.e. the Pingala nadi
4.1) The Nadis - conduits for the flow of Prana
Pingala - Fire/solar -right
Ida - Cool/lunar - left
Sushumna - central(path for Kundalini)
… 4.1) The Nadis - conduits for the flow of Prana
Ref: The Three Fundamental Nadis - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna by Sadhguru
4.2) Chandra Nadi (Lunar Nadi)
By Samyama on the Ida nadi, the knowledge of the arrangement of the stars is obtained
Chandra can literally mean the moon or, the Ida nadi
4.3) Dhruva ( the Pole Star)
By Samyama on the astral body, the knowledge of the movement of stars and planets (and their effect on us) is obtained
Dhruva means the pole star, normally.
Here the commentators interpret it as the celestial body
4.4) Story of Dhruva
5) Knowledge of the human anatomy
By Samyama on the Nabhi (navel) Chakra, the anatomy of the body is revealed
5.1) The 7 Chakras
Self-realization
Intuition
Communication, self-expression
Love, relating to others
Self-esteem, Power
Creativity, Sex
Survival, Grounding
6) Ability to cease hunger and thirst
By Samyama on the pit of the throat one can control hunger and thirst
Hunger is caused by the contact of Prana with the pit of the throat. Therefore by manipulating the flow of Prana one can prevent it from coming in contact with this place
7) Ability to attain steadiness
By Samyama on the Kurma nadi, steadiness is attained.
Kurma nadi is a tortoise shaped subtle channel
Some commentators say it is at the pit of the throat.
Others say it is at the bottom of the spine
When the body becomes steady, the mind also becomes steady
… 7) Ability to attain steadiness
8) Ability to see the Siddhas (perfected beings)
Brahmadrandra - Brahman (the infinite) + Randra
Life, according to yogic texts, enters through this point
Tender spot where the bone does not form until later in a child’s development
… 8) Ability to see the Siddhas (perfected beings)
Murdha Jyoti
(Light of the head)
Siddhas
(the perfected ones)
… 8) Ability to see the Siddhas (divine beings)
By Samyama on the light in the head (the brahmarandra), one gets a vision of the Siddhas, the perfected ones
9) Ability to know everything through Prātibha
(intuition)
Prātibha - extraordinary intuition
By extraordinary intuition that is obtained through meditation one has the ability to comprehend everything
… 9) Ability to know everything through Prātibha
(intuition)
10) Knowledge of one’s mind
By meditating on the heart one gains knowledge of the Chiita
… 10) Knowledge of one’s mind
Heart is the seat of intelligence in yoga
It is also the abode of the atman
Prashna Upanishad 3.6
The buddhist monks laughed when they were hooked up with EEG electrodes to their heads to study the mind
10.1) Four parts of the mind
Knowledge of the Purusha, Prana and the Purusha-Prakriti distinction
11) Knowledge of the Purusha
… Knowledge of the Purusha
Worldly experience consists of the notion that the Purusha and Intellect are the same, although these are completely distinct.
Worldly experiences exist for the Purusha alone
By samyama on that which exists for its own sake (i.e. the Purusha), the knowledge of the Purusha is gained
Nature of the Purusha
The purpose of the Dhrishyam (the seen - consisting of senses and matter), is solely for the Seer (the purusha)
… Knowledge of the Purusha
Sattva (सत्व) Purushayoh- of the Buddhi/intellect and the Purusha
Atyanta (अत्यन्त) - Complete
Asamkirnayoh (असम्कीर्णयो ) - distinction
Pratyaya - (in the) screen of the mind
Avisesha - By non-distinction (of purusha and the intellect)
Bhoga -experiences (arise)
Para arthat - (because of the notion that they are )existing for one another
Purusha Jnanam
12) Divine Intuition, sight, hearing etc.
Tatha: from this (regular practice of yoga)
Praatibha : Spontaneous divine intuition
Shraavana: (Clair)Audience
Vedana: Refined sense of the mind
Aadarsha : extraordinary sight / clairvoyance
Aasvadha: very refined taste
Vaartha: smell
Jaayante: are born
YS 3.37)
13) Patanjali’s word of caution on the Siddhis
These Siddhis are obstacles to Samadhi but are superpowers in worldly pursuits
YS 3.38
13.1) Vyadha Gita (The story of the Butcher)
Mahabharatha - Vana Parva
Kaushika, the young yogi
13.2) Attachment to Siddhis: Obstacle to Liberation
By detachment to even these great Siddhis (like Omnipotence and Omniscience) the seed of all imperfections is destroyed and Liberation ensues
13.3) Being wary of admiration even by the celestials
Even when the celestial beings show admiration, one should not get attached with a smug smile, because there is, again, the undesirable inclination of getting attached
14) Knowledge of entering other’s bodies
By loosening of the cause of bondage (of the mind to the body) and by knowledge of the mind’s activity, one can enter another’s body
14.1) Para Kaya Pravesha -Entering another body
Adi Shankara
15) Levitation -By mastery over Udhana
By mastery over Udhana, one obtains levitation and non-contact with water, mud, thorns etc.
YS 3.40
15.1) Prana Vayus - The Life Forces
The five prana vayus
Prana
Udana
Vyana
Samana
Apana
Prana
Udana
Samana
Vyana
Apana
15.2) Udhana - Angha Laghavam -Lightness
-It is said that the feeling of lightness you get in some asanas is due to Udhana
-Core component of Hatha Yoga
-Joy, uplift feelings etc.
15.3) Prana - Mentions in the Upanishads
Refs:
Prana and Prashnopanishad from the subtle aspects of Hatha Yoga
Prashna Upanishad (III): Prana and link to the Atma
Prashna Upanishad with Sanskrit verses and English meaning
Chandogya Upanishad 5.19-5.24 : Talks about the 5 Prana Vayus
15.4) Prashnopanishad
Prashnopanishad : Six questions to Sage Pippalada
16) Radiance- By mastery over Samana
By mastery over Samana one obtains radiance
Samana has origins near the navel
-Jatara Agni (the body’s fire)
17) Hearing across and travelling through space
By samyama on the ear and the space (air), one obtains divine hearing
17.1) Divine Hearing
17.2) Traveling through space
By performing samyama on the relationship between the body and the space around it , and, by meditating (into samadhi) on the lightness of cotton (etc.), one can move through space
18) The great out of body experience
The great out of body experience (maha videha) is a real and not an imagined state (akalpita) in which the mind is projected outside; By this the veil covering the light within is destroyed
… 18) The great out of body experience
From the ancient commentaries on the yoga sutras,
There are two ways to project the mind outside the body
For example while seeing a movie or reading a book
Advanced Yogis are able to loosen the shackles to the body by cutting asunder the ego
Mastery over the Elements, the Body and the Senses
19) Mastery over the elements and the siddhis
Vyasa’s commentary on the 5 elements
19.1) Mastery over the elements
By Samyama on the Gross nature, the innate nature and the subtle nature, their concordance and significance one attains mastery over the elements
19.2) Arising of mystic powers like making oneself small
From this arise mystic powers such as anima due to gaining perfection of the body and the disappearance of the body’s limitations
19.3) The eight mystic powers that arise so
… 19.3) The eight mystic powers that arise so
19.4) The ensuing perfection of the body
The body perfection consists of a beautiful form, grace, strength and hardness/solidness like diamond
19.5) Story of Vajra and Vajrasana
20) Mastery over the senses
By Samyama on the power of perception, the true nature (swarupa) and its relation to the Ego (Asmitha), and purpose of these, mastery over the senses is attained
21) Mastery over matter and moving at the speed of mind
From this the body gains the power to move as fast as the mind,
ability to function without the sense organs, and
Mastery over Pradhana (primordial nature)
21.1) Ability to manifest anywhere
Adi Shankara comes to his mother before she dies
22) Omnipotence and Omniscience
Only by the discernment that the Purusha and the Intellect are different, Omnipotence and Omniscience arise
22.1) Sattva: Intellect
Purification of the intellect (Sattva), cheerfulness, one-pointedness, complete control over the senses, fitness to see the self arises
(By practicing Cleanliness - of the inside as well as outside)
23)Discriminative knowledge to separate subtle features
By performing Samyama on single moments of a sequence comes discriminative knowledge
23.1) Ability to distinguish similar objects
Thus the objects seemingly alike in Species(class), features and position become distinguishable
24) Discernment beyond sequential reasoning
That Liberating discriminative knowledge which thus simultaneously comprehends all aspects at all times non-sequentially
… 24) Discernment beyond sequential reasoning
Myers Briggs (Personality) Type Indicator
25) Kaivalyam - Liberation
When the intellect attains purity equal to that of the Purusha, Kaivalyam (Liberation) ensues
References
The End of
The 5th presentation
in the
Sutra Study Series
titled
“Siddhis:
The powers from meditation-2”