yajvan
27 April 2007, 11:00 AM
Siddhi
from the root sidh, to attain. Many gravitate to super-normal yogic powers when one thinks of siddhi. Yet this word equally applies to attainment and modes of success one may attain during normal kriya and karma (actions) i.e. they do not need to be extraordinary. Siddhi is also associated with perfection.
Discussion
Some say there are 9 core siddhi's and some say there are 8. Lets outline the 8 discussed in the Srimad Bhagavatam by Krsna: ( for the other siddhi's please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi#Srimad_Bhagavatam_Version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi))
Animā or becoming smaller than the smallest (an atom)
Mahimā or becoming larger than the largest
Laghimā or becoming lighter than the lightest
Prāptị or acquiring anything from anywhere
Prākāmyam or obtaining or performing whatever one desires
Iśitā or manipulating the subpotencies of maya
Vaśitā or the power to bring others under control
Kāmāvasāyitā or obtaining any desired result, to the highest possible limit.
The question must be - How can one obtain these siddhi's? Enter Patanjali-muni and his work Patanjala Yogadarsana , or the Yoga Sutras.
His work is part of the 6 systems of Indian Philosophy. His Yoga works with the other systems that are reviewed at the following post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584) Together complete knowledge is offered, not competing knowledge.
Siddhi accomplishment is based upon samyama. It is a technique or condition one can practice that is made of the following components, that is, when all three of these components are present ( some say exercised) then one is practicing samyama .So, the three components are dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Dharana is this fixity or attention , consciousness of a single object, idea, etc. and the other senses are withdrawn i.e. do not apprehend the object/idea at hand. some say one-pointed .Dharana is fixity of the mind. Combine this with dhyana or meditation, and samadhi as concentrated mind, one has samyama.
Dhyana is that continuous flow of the same knowledge/idea in Dharana - some call this meditation. Continuous flow of the one-pointedness found in Dharana.
Samadhi is when the object of meditation (dhyana) only shines forth in the mind, as if devoid of the thought and is considered concentrated mind ( not concentration or the act of, but again, resolved to simple one pointedness). When these three are in sync, and pointed to the same object of reference, then one is practicing samyama.
Patanjali-ji says by mastering this, than the light of knowledge (prajana) dawns for the sadhu or native. It is by this samyama that one practices the siddhi's called out in Patanjali-ji's work of yoga sutras.
Now, how can one go right after this samyama? Not likely as one needs to groom the mind for this state. How so? By practicing meditation, this grooms the silence.
The acquaintance of samadhi, the concentrated mind... not concentrating (this is the misnomer of this technique). Over time the nervous system gets cultured to be with clarity of thought, that is no thought and the mind is clear. Some call this pure consciousness, just awareness itself., pure awareness on its own. Some even call this restful alertness. One then can introduce a concept or idea (a sutra of Patanjali) and this stays fixed in ones mind, just entertaining that one thought. When that erodes back to silence, it is brought there again, so fixity on one continuous flow of one idea, or dharana + dhyana.
This Nirodha
If you look at the 2nd sutra of Patanjali's work, he sets the ground rules for yoga:
"yoga citta vritti nirodhah" to describe/define yoga. He chose a key word nirodha. As you can see Patanjali-ji was not long winded and chose his word-selection very specifically & formulaically to deliver the instruction.
This nirodha is "ni"= down or into; "rudh" = to obstruct ,arrest. In the yoga of Patanjali this nirodha is both the PROCESS and the STATE of restriction of this ~ citta. Please consider reviewing the HDF post on this, as it is a key subject to siddhi's http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1)
References
Patanjala Yogadarsana by Swami Hariharanaanda Aranya, put to english by P.N.Mukerji.
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/nine_siddhis.html (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/nine_siddhis.html)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi#Srimad_Bhagavatam_Version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi)
HDF Posts
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9745&postcount=7 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9745&postcount=7)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=11868&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=11868&postcount=1)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584)
from the root sidh, to attain. Many gravitate to super-normal yogic powers when one thinks of siddhi. Yet this word equally applies to attainment and modes of success one may attain during normal kriya and karma (actions) i.e. they do not need to be extraordinary. Siddhi is also associated with perfection.
Discussion
Some say there are 9 core siddhi's and some say there are 8. Lets outline the 8 discussed in the Srimad Bhagavatam by Krsna: ( for the other siddhi's please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi#Srimad_Bhagavatam_Version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi))
Animā or becoming smaller than the smallest (an atom)
Mahimā or becoming larger than the largest
Laghimā or becoming lighter than the lightest
Prāptị or acquiring anything from anywhere
Prākāmyam or obtaining or performing whatever one desires
Iśitā or manipulating the subpotencies of maya
Vaśitā or the power to bring others under control
Kāmāvasāyitā or obtaining any desired result, to the highest possible limit.
The question must be - How can one obtain these siddhi's? Enter Patanjali-muni and his work Patanjala Yogadarsana , or the Yoga Sutras.
His work is part of the 6 systems of Indian Philosophy. His Yoga works with the other systems that are reviewed at the following post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584) Together complete knowledge is offered, not competing knowledge.
Siddhi accomplishment is based upon samyama. It is a technique or condition one can practice that is made of the following components, that is, when all three of these components are present ( some say exercised) then one is practicing samyama .So, the three components are dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Dharana is this fixity or attention , consciousness of a single object, idea, etc. and the other senses are withdrawn i.e. do not apprehend the object/idea at hand. some say one-pointed .Dharana is fixity of the mind. Combine this with dhyana or meditation, and samadhi as concentrated mind, one has samyama.
Dhyana is that continuous flow of the same knowledge/idea in Dharana - some call this meditation. Continuous flow of the one-pointedness found in Dharana.
Samadhi is when the object of meditation (dhyana) only shines forth in the mind, as if devoid of the thought and is considered concentrated mind ( not concentration or the act of, but again, resolved to simple one pointedness). When these three are in sync, and pointed to the same object of reference, then one is practicing samyama.
Patanjali-ji says by mastering this, than the light of knowledge (prajana) dawns for the sadhu or native. It is by this samyama that one practices the siddhi's called out in Patanjali-ji's work of yoga sutras.
Now, how can one go right after this samyama? Not likely as one needs to groom the mind for this state. How so? By practicing meditation, this grooms the silence.
The acquaintance of samadhi, the concentrated mind... not concentrating (this is the misnomer of this technique). Over time the nervous system gets cultured to be with clarity of thought, that is no thought and the mind is clear. Some call this pure consciousness, just awareness itself., pure awareness on its own. Some even call this restful alertness. One then can introduce a concept or idea (a sutra of Patanjali) and this stays fixed in ones mind, just entertaining that one thought. When that erodes back to silence, it is brought there again, so fixity on one continuous flow of one idea, or dharana + dhyana.
This Nirodha
If you look at the 2nd sutra of Patanjali's work, he sets the ground rules for yoga:
"yoga citta vritti nirodhah" to describe/define yoga. He chose a key word nirodha. As you can see Patanjali-ji was not long winded and chose his word-selection very specifically & formulaically to deliver the instruction.
This nirodha is "ni"= down or into; "rudh" = to obstruct ,arrest. In the yoga of Patanjali this nirodha is both the PROCESS and the STATE of restriction of this ~ citta. Please consider reviewing the HDF post on this, as it is a key subject to siddhi's http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1)
References
Patanjala Yogadarsana by Swami Hariharanaanda Aranya, put to english by P.N.Mukerji.
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/nine_siddhis.html (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/nine_siddhis.html)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi#Srimad_Bhagavatam_Version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi)
HDF Posts
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9745&postcount=7 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9745&postcount=7)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=9717&postcount=1)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=11868&postcount=1 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=11868&postcount=1)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=584)