Occult Powers, Siddhis, Superhuman Abilities

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 10 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Rokazulu

I come to realize that it will be highly improbable for me to expand to these abilities without taking a trip to the Himalayas where it is known that many practice such feats.

It might interest you to also read "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda. Since you wrote that "it will be highly improbable for me to expand to these abilities without taking a trip to the Himalayas where it is known that many practice such feats", the next best thing might be to read this book about the travels of one yogi who indeed did search for those who practice such feats. There are also hints in the book regarding how such things are possible even though that is certainly not the purpose of the book. It's an inspirational book.

Check out Yogananda's book. It's quite good and I have recommended it to many people. It's very easy, interesting reading.

(I was fortunate to have been able to travel to the Himalayas for the 1998 Khumba Mela with my spiritual mentor where I was able to see some of these things first-hand ... in addition to meeting extraordinary beings in various wisdom traditions in almost 50 countries. I still enjoy Yogananda's classic book myself. )

[Rokazulu]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

It might interest you to also read "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda.

It was one of my favorite books.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Rokazulu

It was one of my favorite books.

I was wondering whether you had already read Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yoga" and it doesn't surprise me that "it was one of my favorite books". Sri Yukteswar, the guru of Yogananda, is one of my favorites. Like my own teacher, Yukteswar had a very small following as he was a tough taskmaster. My teacher was featured in Linda Johnsen's Book "Living Women Saints of India" and my teacher was referred to as the "No Nonsense Yogini" for reasons which I am certain that you can intuit.

[Rokazulu]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

"No Nonsense Yogini" for reasons which I am certain that you can intuit.

One of the most interesting parts of that book is when his guru returned to Yogananda, after death, to describe to him the astral existence.

The guru mentioned something along the lines of being "too harsh" in his teaching, because apparently the higher spirit world makes all sense of urgency fade away.

Though every story of siddhi abilities were astounding and promising towards our future potential. It is this idea of a very light-hearted eternity, that stuck with me the most.

Truly, there is no rush in our destiny towards greatness.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 14 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Rokazulu

One of the most interesting parts of that book is when his guru returned to Yogananda, after death, to describe to him the astral existence.

The guru mentioned something along the lines of being "too harsh" in his teaching, because apparently the higher spirit world makes all sense of urgency fade away.

I remember that part well for a number of reasons. Yukteswar's description of the astral existence is very consistent with all the info I have gleaned from intense meditation, meetings with extraordinary sages, documented NDEs (near death experiences, like my own), ADCs (after death communications), hypnotic regressions (such as in Michael Newton's "Journey of Souls"), and so on. Also, his appearance to Yogananda after his physical death is yet another example of beings who have "risen from the dead" and have spokes about what it's like there.

Yukteswar was indeed a tough teacher and did concede that he might have been "too harsh". While Yukteswar understandably accepted only a few disciples, Yogananda was "less harsh" and had many, many disciples. However, if I had the opportunity to become a follower of either of them, I would most assuredly have gravitated to Yukteswar. As I mentioned before, my spiritual mentor ("The No-Nonsense Yogini) could have been Yukteswar's soul-sister from a perspective of toughness.