The Powers of a Yogi

SIDDHIS AND RIDDHIS

There are nine Riddhis and eight Siddhis (major) and eighteen Siddhis (minor). The eight Siddhis are Anima (reducing one's body even to the size of an atom), Mahima (expanding one's body to an infinitely large size), Garima (becoming infinitely heavy), Laghima (becoming almost weightless), Prapti (having unrestricted access to all places), Prakamya (attainment of whatever one desires), Isatva (possessing absolute lordship) and Vasitva (the power to subjugate all). Riddhi means affluence. It is inferior to Siddhi.

CONQUEST OVER FIVE ELEMENTS

A Raja Yogi gets conquest over the mind through Nirvikalpa (thoughtless) or Nirbija (without seeds or Impression) Samadhi and, through conquest over the mind, gets also conquest over the five elements). Fire will not burn such a Yogi. Water will not drown him.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST

The Yogi has got the power to plunge deep into the depths of his subconscious mind wherein the Impressions are embedded and to have direct vision and understanding of the Impressions of different births through his new Yogic eye. “He makes the Yogic Samyama (Concentration, Meditation and Samadhi) on these latent impression which are only the past experiences in a subtler form. Thus he gets the knowledge of his past life.

MULTI-TASKING

An untrained mind can only see or hear at a time, but a perfected mind can see and hear at the same time. It can be linked to several organs, to one or to none. It can be manipulated in any way the Yogi likes. It can do eight things at a time. This is called Ashtavadhana. It can do hundred things at a time. This is Satavadhana.

SEPARATION OF ASTRAL BODY FROM PHYSICAL BODY

A Yogi separates his astral body from the physical body, travels to different parts of the world, as well as to higher planes, in the twinkling of an eye and returns to this physical body like a bird returning to its prison of a cage. A slender thread of Prana connects the physical and the astral bodies. The moment he gets out of the body, the Yogi sees with his astral vision his physical body as a cast-off slough. The process is a very simple one when you know the Yogic technique of separating yourself from the physical body.

PSYCHIC SIDDHIS— - A SOURCE OF GREAT DANGER TO SPIRITUAL ASPIRANTS

A man may have psychic powers and Siddhis through concentration of the mind. But, he may not have mental purity. Mental purity is of paramount importance for Self-realization. Do not think too much of psychic Siddhis. Clairvoyance and clairaudience are not worth having when far greater illumination and peace are possible without the Siddhis than with them.

Why do you care for psychic Siddhis? They are absolutely useless. Shun them ruthlessly even when they try to manifest. They will mislead you and cause your downfall. Beware, Lord Buddha shunned Mara (temptations and Siddhis). Try to get Brahma-Jnana. Then you will have everything. All spiritual Siddhis will welcome you with outstretched hands. You cannot have a downfall then. A Jnani (Wise being) never cares for psychic powers, for he does not need them in his daily life. Through his Sat-Sankalpa, a Jnani does whatever a Raja Yogi does through his Yogic Samyama. He simply wills. Whatever he desires, then and there it materializes.

REFERENCE

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda