Siddhi

Powers of the mind from a Buddhist Perspective Five Siddhis of Yoga and Meditation

Siddhi (Devanagari सिद्धि; IAST: siddhi; Tibetan:          ; Wylie: dngos grub[1]) is a Sanskrit noun that can be translated as "perfection", "accomplishment", "attainment", or "success".[2] The term is first attested in the Mahabharata. In the Pancatantra, a siddhi may be any unusual skill or faculty or capability of the mind. As a legal term in the Manusmriti, it refers to the settlement of a debt. Below are some of the siddhis listed in the Eastern literature. 

In the Bhagavata Purana the Five Siddhis of Yoga and Meditation are described as below:

 tri-kāla-jñatvam: Knowing the past, present and future;   advandvam: Tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities;   para citta ādi abhijñatā: Knowing the minds of others and so on;   agni arka ambu viṣa ādīnām pratiṣṭambhaḥ: Checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on;   aparājayah: Remaining unconquered by others  Eight Primary Siddhis 

Ganesha with the Ashta (8) Siddhis. The Ashtasiddhi are shown as attendants of Ganesha. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906)

There is the concept of the Ashta Siddhi (eight siddhis) in Hinduism. These are:

 Aṇimā: 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   Prāpti: having unrestricted access to all places   Prākāmya: realizing whatever one desires   Iṣṭva: possessing absolute lordship;   Vaśtva: the power to subjugate all. 

Nine main Siddhis

 Parkaya Pravesha: Parkaya Pravesh means one’s soul entering into the body of some other person or animal or bird . Through this knowledge even a dead body can be brought to life.   Haadi Vidya: This Vidya or knowledge has been mentioned in several ancient texts. On acquiring this Vidya, a person feels neither hunger nor thirst, and can remain without eating food or drinking water for several years at a stretch.   Kaadi Vidya: Just as one does not feel hungry or thirsty in Haadi Vidya, similarly in Kaadi Vidya a person is not affected by change of seasons, i.e. by summer, winter, rain, etc. After accomplishing this Vidya, a person shall not feel cold even if he sits in the snow-laden mountains, and shall not feel hot even if he sits in the fire.   Vayu Gaman Siddhi: Through this Siddhi a person can become capable of flying in the skies and traveling from one place to another in just a few seconds. 

 Madalasa Vidya: On accomplishing this Vidya, a person becomes capable of increasing or decreasing the size of his body according to his wish. Lord Hanuman had miniaturized his body through this Vidya while entering the city of Lanka.   Kanakdhara Siddhi: One can acquire immense and unlimited wealth through this Siddhi.   Prakya Sadhana: Through this Sadhana a Yogi can direct his disciple to take birth from the womb of a woman who is childless or cannot bear children.   Surya Vigyan: This solar science is one of the most significant sciences of ancient India . This science has been known only to the Indian Yogis; using it, one substance can be transformed into another through the medium of sun rays.   Mrit Sanjivani: this science allow people to bring back the dead to life.  

Ten Secondary Siddhis

In the Bhagavata Purana Lord Krishna describes the Ten Secondary Siddhis as:

 anūrmi-mattvam: Being undisturbed by hunger, thirst, and other bodily disturbances   dūra-śravaṇa: Hearing things far away   dūra-darśanam: Seeing things far away   manaḥ-javah: Moving the body wherever thought goes (teleportation)   kāma-rūpam: Assuming any form desired   para-kāya praveśanam: Entering the bodies of others   sva-chanda mṛtyuh: Dying when one desires   devānām saha krīḍā anudarśanam: Witnessing and participating in the pastimes of the Apsaras   yathā sańkalpa saḿsiddhiḥ: Perfect accomplishment of one's determination   ājñā apratihatā gatiḥ: Orders or Commands being unimpeded   

These are some of the powers of the mind that are possible and will happen to you on your path. But don’t forget non-judgmental awareness is the goal. Don’t get caught up in a siddhi trap.

The Meaning of Siddhis Swami Amritananda Saraswati

The science of siddhis, or advanced mental powers, has been known throughout the world for thousands of years, as long as tantra has existed. One can derive these powers from the practice of particular techniques, or they can be gained through direct contact with a proper teacher. When the teacher blesses the disciple by placing his hands on the disciple's forehead and back, then the transformation begins to take place.

When this change is going on within you, your vision expands into a new dimension. You can see clearly the ulterior motives of the people around you. For example, you may be able to sense someone coming before they are physically there. It is a definite change in the physiology of the physical body and in the conscious body which enables you to have this experience and many others.

It is the same as when you have a thought of a loved one. Usually you can only imagine them, but if your thoughts were to take gross, material form, and you could actually see your loved one sitting right beside you. Can you contain the emotion?

Because you cannot tolerate or understand it, you might be unable to bear this type of experience. You have so much fear that you can easily make yourself crazy. Fear brings imbalance to the mind and emotions, and when there is too much it may also bring some sickness to the body. this is one of the siddhi traps of the mind. 

You see, the mind and its promptings, urges and impulses, whether instinctive or man-made, are so strong that you have to learn how to bear them. This is called siddhi. Developing your mental power, your emotional power, or even making your body healthy, these are all siddhis.

Excellence in the smallest of things

What you have heard about siddhis is not exact, and not the right concept. You have been given either too high a concept about siddhis or too low; neither are right. 'Siddha' means to fulfil, to perfect, as when it is said in day to day life, 'You have to make your action siddha.' When you attain excellence and complete something that is siddhi.

For example, suppose you have a disease such as diabetes. Now, for you, to cure this disease is to obtain a siddhi, the perfection of a completely healthy state. How can we obtain this state, this little siddhi? This is why we practise asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, concentration, mantra japa and the purification techniques of hatha yoga, such as neti, kunjal and shankhaprakshalana. The little siddhis are not what you understand as miracles; they are the result of excellence in one's practice. The best method of attaining excellence is through regularity. Therefore, even if you practise Sirshasana for only one and a half minutes, or shashankasana for three minutes or just sing kirtan every evening, you should do it with absolute regularity. You can fix the time to fit into your work and family situation, but then that time should be kept every day. You should not get up today at 4 a.m. during brahmamuhurta and then tomorrow at 9 a.m. and another day at midnight. This type of irregularity just will not work.

The first niyama in yoga is to become niyamit, regular. It is the greatest samyama, the greatest achievement. Be regular in all your activities, not only sadhana. Be regular in bathing, eating and sleeping, which none of you are. When you are irregular, then the body behaves in the same manner.

 Regularity works in the same way as crystallisation. When you put a drop of water in a freezer, after fifteen days it will have grown in size. And so it will happen in the course of time, perhaps after one year, that you will notice many little changes in yourself. You will behave better with your children and be more polite with your boss and subordinates, not trying to hurt others physically or having bitter feelings mentally. These are all little siddhis which will occur. 

Memory siddhi

There is one simple pranayama which is very important and useful, especially for business people who have a lot of responsibility. This is brahmari pranayama, in which you plug your ears and shut the lips, separate the teeth, and make the sound of Om, opening the mouth. The sound becomes like the humming of a bee. After doing brahmari pranayama ten or eleven times, you will find that you are not experiencing as much pain in the body as you felt prior to the practice. Neither will you feel as angry or as insecure as you did before. Why?

Resonant standing waves capable of changing your vibratory state.