--- In [email protected], Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > OK, so this is some guy's commentary on Patanjali. I always wondered why > Patanjali devoted one chapter of a 4-chapter book to siddhis if siddhis were > so bad. Interesting that after 25 years of sidhi practice no one that I know > of has demonstrated any of them. Some people have subjective experiences > with them, of course, but nothing verifiable. If they aren't working, how > can they be blocking CC? > Maybe all the subtle effort and manifest time spent on grasping after something that remains unattainable for 99.9% of the practioners is what blocks the natural inner evolutionary process from unfolding.
Even if a tm-sidhi person understands intellectually that his sidhi practice is really to unfold higher consciousness, and not attain powers, I think that over time a subtle but very strong "grasping after" certain experiences can get structured in the person's mind, esp if doing long programs, and that is not fertile soil for experiencing true cc. > on 4/19/05 6:54 PM, Vaj at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > > On Apr 19, 2005, at 6:49 PM, Rick Archer wrote: > > > >> Would you mind posting a few key verses for us? > > > > Sure, but it'll help to explain what going on. In the third chapter > > Vidyaranya talks about the means to Cosmic Consciousness and this is by > > "Dissolution of the Mind". The previous chapter is on how to obliterate > > the vasanas and ignorance. Without going into a lot of detail--he > > describes various methods to get the mind to stop. He talks of the > > importance svadhayaya and right knowledge. Eventually he starts > > interspersing his method with Patanjali--but like many initiated > > approaches to tantric or yogic texts--the linear, written order of the > > text is not how it really goes. In his typical style, he quotes from > > all the relevant Vedantic and yogic texts interspersed with his own > > clarifications. > > > > Eventually, as he weaves his way to the end of chapter two of > > Patanjali--he goes into chapter 3--the pada on the siddhis. He mentions > > the first three verses--which describe samadhi--and he deliberately > > skips verse 4 on samyama (he does mention samyama in the final chapter, > > but only as a warning). He then talks about the real goals, use and > > purpose of samadhi then comments: > > > > "Although Patanjali has dwelt upon at length samprajnata and savikalpa > > samadhis have their objects as material objects, gross elements and > > subtle elements, sense and egoism--we do not like to pay attention to > > them inasmuch as they being the cause of siddhis such as invisibility, > > etc. as they are opposed to the type of samadhi that leads to > > liberation." > > > > He gives an interesting quote from the Laghu Yogavasistha: > > > > Vasistha: 'Through the power of some substance, formula, some sort of > > practice, time, etc. one can, O Raghava, acquire such occult powers as > > levitation, etc. although still in bondage and ignorant of the Self. > > > > This object is not for him, who is knower of the Self, for he, the > > knower of the Self, has in view only the Self. He is content by himself > > and in himself and does not go after these products of ignorance." > > > > After a couple more interesting examples he adds: > > > > 'Any of the things of the world whatever cannot attract the knower of > > Reality, even as the townsman, having as wife a town-bred lady of > > refinement, is not enamored by the ugly rustic womenfolk.' > > > > He later concludes: > > > > As the samprajnata samadhi, concerned with the Self leads to the > > destruction of desire and brings about the nirodha samadhi, therefore > > we have paid attention to this." > > > > It's interesting that while he does quote from pada three of > > Patanjali--not one of the quotes is any of the siddhi formulae--he > > entirely skips them. He later warns you will never attain CC if you > > practice samyama: > > > > In this way he (the samyama yogi) falls away from the attainment of the > > goal of life (CC). > > > > Then he repeats Patanjali for a second time: > > > > "These are obstacles to samadhi; they are powers in the worldly state." > > > > He continues with even more warnings. > > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Or go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > and click 'Join This Group!' > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Rick Archer > SearchSummit > 1108 South B Street > Fairfield, IA 52556 > Phone: 641-472-9336 > > http://searchsummit.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
