Spiritual powers

[Pelin]

I've heard that spiritual powers can have only truly enlightented persons, paradoxically only those who are over those low wishes for a power, because the secret is not in the techniques but in the One who practices them.

Originally Posted by Pelin

I've heard that spiritual powers can have only truly enlightented persons, paradoxically only those who are over those low wishes for a power, because the secret is not in the techniques but in the One who practices them.

What powers do you mean Pelin ?

[love9]

One great spiritual influence is "love", with it, there isn't any Mountain high enough!

A step toward spirituality is "don't believe all you've heard."

What do you think, yourself?

...

[Pelin]

Basically I agree with you Lorelyen, and with love9 :), but still, we are here to discuss, to hypothesize... This is what I found about 8 major powers and 26 minor, celest :)

Eight Major Siddhis

1.Power of becoming minute (anima).
2.Power of expansion in space (mahima).
3.Power of becoming heavy (gharima).
4.Power of becoming light (laghima).
5.Power of reaching anywhere (prapti).
6.Power of fulfilling all desires through will (prakamya).
7.Power of command over the elements (isitva).
8.Power to bring about any desired result.


Minor Siddhis

1.Freedom from hunger and thirst.
2.Freedom from the effects of heat and cold.
3.Freedom from Raga-Dvesha.
4.Doora Darshan, clairvoyance or Dooradrishti.
5.Doora Sravan, clairaudience or Doora Sruti and Doora Pravachana.
6.Mano-Jaya, control of mind.
7.Kama Rupa: The Yogi can take any form he likes.
8.Parakaya Pravesha: He can enter into another body, can animate a dead body and enter into it by transferring his soul.
9.Iccha-Mrityu: Death at his will.
10.Devanam Saha Kreeda and Darshana: Playing with the gods after seeing them.
11.Yatha Sankalpa: Can get whatever he likes.
12.Trikala-Jnana: Knowledge of past, present and future.
13.Advandva: Beyond the pairs of opposites.
14.Vak-Siddhi: Whatever the Yogi predicts will come to pass by the practice of Satya, Prophecy.
15.The Yogi can turn base metal into gold.
16.Kaya-Vyuha: Taking as many bodies as the Yogi likes to exhaust all his Karmas in one life.
17.Darduri-Siddhi: The jumping power of a frog.
18.Patala-Siddhi: Yogi becomes Lord of desire, destroys sorrows and diseases.
19.He gets knowledge of his past life.
20.He gets knowledge of the cluster of stars and planets.
21.He gets the power of perceiving the Siddhas.
22.He gets mastery of the elements (Bhuta Jaya), mastery of Prana (Prana Jaya).
23.Kamachari: He can move to any place he likes.
24.He gets omnipotence and omniscience.
25.Vayu-Siddhi: The Yogi rises in the air and leaves the ground.
26.He can point out the place where a hidden treasure lies.

They read like a childrens fairy tales book
Yogananda said,
Spiritual advancement is not measured by one's outwood powers,
but only by the depth of his bliss during meditation.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by celest

They read like a childrens fairy tales book
Yogananda said,
Spiritual advancement is not measured by one's outwood powers,
but only by the depth of his bliss during meditation.

The problem with this statement is it does not say the practitioner can't do the things mentioned. I like the classic statement Jesus is said to have made about the mountain top. It tells us a person can but, and I love this, he doesn't. I think Yogananda might include this as well. If they're still alive, it would be interesting to email and ask. That which are mentioned is something one may have to deal with, the bells and whistles of spirituality, like magick.

[kkfern]

it is not spiritual powers. it is spiritual abilities.

kk

[ajay00]

Originally Posted by Pelin

I've heard that spiritual powers can have only truly enlightented persons, paradoxically only those who are over those low wishes for a power, because the secret is not in the techniques but in the One who practices them.

Spiritual powers can be had by training in spiritual practices. It comes naturally on its own. This has the side-effect of being detrimental to spiritual growth due to the development of the ego and hence has been frowned upon by masters.

Ideally it is the enlightened masters who is authorised in a way to use these spiritual powers as they do not run the risk of increasing the ego in any manner through the employment of these powers.