What are Siddhis?

The siddhis can be grouped into the following categories: extra-normal, paranormal, ultranormal, and supernormal. The extra-normal powers are those that represent a heightening of the normal capacities, such as intuition, empathy, luck, inspiration, creative genius, and the advanced development of particular intelligences, including kinesthetic, interpersonal, etc.

The paranormal include such capacities as remote viewing, astral travel, telepathy, and the like. Ultranormal powers would include such abilities as being able to sit in a fire without getting burned; being able to go without eating or drinking for extended periods, even for years on end; shape-shifting; true mind reading; accurate prophecy; prodigious pranic healing power; etc. The supernormal powers include bi-location, enormous life-extension (many hundreds of years), truly miraculous healing powers, and all the classical yoga siddhis mentioned by Patanjali in their most dramatic forms.

Question:

Thank you, Master. I am grateful for your reply.

Do these siddhis manifest in that order and in direct proportion to the degree of realization of the Absolute?

If a human were fully Enlightened, would all of these siddhis be an available set of abilities that he/she could use at anytime to help other beings?

It saddens me that most of humanity lives in a comprehensive delusion of separation with seemingly no end in sight for their perpetual suffering.

May all beings be free of this madness.

Shunyamurti’s Reply:

1. No, the siddhis do not necessarily manifest in any order, and may not manifest at all, even in relation to the greatest of sages. There is no connection between the siddhis and the degree of realization of the Absolute. Many of the most exalted teachers have no interest in any of these siddhis, for many reasons, including humility, their specific teaching functions, and the karmic contexts of their manifestation, in which such powers would be inappropriate or even dangerous to the sages’ lives and greater mission.

2. This question shows a misunderstanding. Humans do not become enlightened. Enlightenment is the transcendence of the human. The siddhis function at the will of God, meaning the Whole, not the will of any particular being. The enlightened sage is without a sense of being separate from the world, and in fact for whom there is no world, since the appearance of the world is illusory.

3. There is no reason to be sad at the current condition of humanity, nor is it accurate to think that condition is perpetual nor one of suffering. The presence of the siddhis remains constant in every age, by the way. In the current age of Kali Yuga, humanity has chosen to project those siddhis into technology. So now, instead of having telepathy, we have cell phones. Instead of remote viewing, we have television. Instead of being able to bi-locate, we have live internet conferencing and jet planes, etc. The current age of apparent suffering is a necessary prelude to the next age (Sat Yuga) of peace, joy, and divine siddhis functioning effortlessly on behalf of everyone to create constant delight. That age too will be impermanent and will morph into different conditions. Each set of world conditions has its own beauty, lessons, and joys to offer. It is all perfect.

4. All beings are already free of this madness, even when they are still in the grip of the madness.