John Jr wrote: > Siddhis are not restricted to the vedic literature. > The mastery of 'siddhis' is attained through the practice of 'yoga', as described in the 'Yoga Sutras' of Patanjali (circa 200 BC). According to Mircea Eliade, the practice of yogic enstasis is unique to South Asia.
The events you're describing are exhibited by the magical power of a diety - they have nothing to do with self-mastery through the practice of samyama, that is, by following the Eightfold Path, including yogic meditation (dhyana) and isolation (dharana). Magical powers have nothing to do with Siddha Yoga. Siddha Yogis do not depend on any 'force' outside themselves - Yoga is the original 'self-help' program originating in India. Eliade does not support the notion that yogic practices are found in 'Shamanism' or Christian, Islamic, or Pagan mysticism. According to the Maharishi, the attainment of 'cosmic consciousness' is a purely mechanical process - there's no magic in it at all. The mastery of specific Siddhis, according to Patanjali, (3rd Chapter) is attained through the a specific kind of samadhi. There is no equivalent to 'samadhi' in any Western literature. The first historical yogin in India was the Buddha, Shakya the Muni. According to the records of the early Buddhists, the Buddha exhibited yogic 'flying' when he rose up in the air and hovered above the city of Vaisali, in about 578 B.C. The Shakya is the founder of the Enlightenment Tradition in India.
