--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "WillyTex" <willy...@...> wrote: > > > > 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.
WillyTex, You're missing my point. What I'm saying is that the siddhis are universal and can be attained in any of the major religions today. Specifically, the Judeo-Christian traditions have recorded these experiences but have called it by other names than their vedic equivalence. For example, 1. Walking on water is equivalent to "levitation". 2. Jesus' disappearance when he was about to be thrown down the cliff is equivalent to "invisibility". In other words, siddhis are the results of actions in the field of meditation. All of the major religions have some type of meditation, although not exactly the same as the Hindu tradition. Simple faith in itself can be considered a form of meditation. Why? Because it transcends thoughts, logic and reason. > 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). That's not what I said. See above. > 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. I'm not talking about magical powers. > 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. MMY says this. That's correct. But he does not deny the validity of the other religions. I don't believe you understand what samadhi is. To me samadhi is a function of the meditation process. All religions have individuals or saints who have experienced samadhi. It is written that St. Teresa of Avila was able to float in the air for several minutes at a time. Are you saying that she did not experience samadhi? > 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. St. Thomas Aquinas was able to levitate as well, although this is not generally known to people within or without the Christian church.
