Will I gain supernatural powers just by being enlightened?
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without meditation or cultivation? does eckhart tolle have supernatural powers? he gain enlightenment suddenly one day.
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There is no shortcut to enlightenment , does money ever fall from the sky to your pocket ?
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u will have smoke coming out from ur ears if u are enlightened
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Some people have supernatural powers even without practising meditation. Those people may have been ghosts in previous lifetimes and brought over some powers to this life. Or maybe there is some spirits giving him certain powers.
Enlightenment is not really related to supernatural powers, but usually an enlightened person have certain levels of Samadhi, and these powers come as a "side effect" of samadhi.
And yes, Eckhart Tolle does have some powers, if you read 'A New Earth' you will know. I dont know how powerful he is, but he is psychically sensitive. That is because he also have certain levels of samadhi. He mentions that he can enter deep states of absorption for hours at a time. -
In certain religions, a man's miraculous performance can help him to become a saint. But in Buddhism, miracles can be a hindrance for a person to attain sainthood, which is a gradual personal attainment and individual concern. Each person himself must work for his sainthood through self-purification and no one else can make another person a saint.
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so just enlightenment itself cannot give supernatural powers?
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Yes. And anyway there are different 'levels' of enlightenment.Originally posted by Cenarious:so just enlightenment itself cannot give supernatural powers?
The most enlightened, the Buddha, has all supernatural powers. -
The Buddha says that a person can gain miraculous power without gaining spiritual power. He teaches us that if we first gain spiritual power, then we automatically receive the miraculous or psychic powers too. But if we develop miraculous powers without spiritual development, then we are in danger. We can misuse this power for worldly gain. There are many who have deviated from the right path by using their miraculous powers without having any spiritual development. Many people who are supposed to have obtained some miraculous powers succumbed to the vain glory of obtaining some worldly gain.Originally posted by Cenarious:so just enlightenment itself cannot give supernatural powers?
Many so-called miracles talked about by people are merely imaginations and hallucinations created by their own minds due to a lack of understanding of things as they truly are. All these miracles remain as miracles as long as people fail to know what these powers really are. -
Buddhism does not stress on miracles and super natural powers. Acquiring wisdom is far more superior. Also super natural powers cannot overcome karmic consequences.
There are two same stories happened at the time of Buddha and Jesus Christ. Both mothers came to Buddha and Jesus Christ because their son died. Guess what happened to these mothers? -
According to the Buddha, the miracle of realisation is a real miracle. When a murderer, thief, terrorist, drunkard, or adulterer is made to realise that what he had been doing is wrong and gives up his bad, immoral and harmful way of life, this change can be regarded as a miracle. The change for the better arising from an understanding of Dharma is the highest miracle that any man can perform.
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First what will you be using them for?
If you want short-cuts there's always "spirits" boards to ask -
Reversing time...undoing what is doneOriginally posted by concerned_man:Buddhism does not stress on miracles and super natural powers. Acquiring wisdom is far more superior. Also super natural powers cannot overcome karmic consequences.
There are two same stories happened at the time of Buddha and Jesus Christ. Both mothers came to Buddha and Jesus Christ because their son died. Guess what happened to these mothers?
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Having psychic powers and special ability with life force and chi does not mean that one is enlightened. I know of many people that have these abilities... but they do not really know reality.
Sometimes these abilities can be misleading as well. For example, a person who can commuinicate with 'non-physical beings'... may fail to realise the illusionary nature of such interactions... and view these interactions as 'separate entities.' -
Regarding Jesus, it is true that healing is possible. My Master has healed 4 cancer patients by blessing them, but he has to suffer himself quite a while to clear the karma. Therefore he said, "If I bless too many people, I may even have to visit the doctor to 'clear karma'." Similarly, LZLS used to bless her mother and healed her of a long term illness, but she has to suffer for some time. Her sister tell her "Hey! Your blessings work so well, why don't you bless everyone" But of course they don't know that it isn't so simple, and master shen kai instructed her not to give public blessings for that reason.
Supernormal Power
Throughout history, people who have used supernormal powers have found themselves in dangerous situations or met tragic ends because of their power. Even one of the Buddha's disciples died for this reason. People who use supernormal power must contend with the law of karma. When you help someone who is sick or in danger, you intercede in the karma that was affecting that person, and the karma now becomes directed towards you. It's like assuming someone else's debt. Now you have to pay.
Supernatural powers should not be used lightly. The account in the New Testament of Jesus is an example of redirected karma. I believe that Christ had supernormal powers -- the ability to heal the sick, make the blind see, and to drive out demons. You might think that with such powers, when he was nailed to the cross, he would have been able to make it disappear with a wave of his hand. But no, he had to die. You could say that Jesus died because of the sins of other people, because he had supernormal power, because he intervened in matters affecting other's lives. - Master Sheng Yen
Of course, this is from the perspective of Buddhist, Christians may not necessarily share this understanding. -
You need to verify the abilities with tests and trialsOriginally posted by longchen:Having psychic powers and special ability with life force and chi does not mean that one is enlightened. I know of many people that have these abilities... but they do not really know reality.
Sometimes these abilities can be misleading as well. For example, a person who can commuinicate with 'non-physical beings'... may fail to realise the illusionary nature of such interactions... and view these interactions as 'separate entities.'
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(partially pasted from the same url)
Mahayana and Theravadan (Hinayana) Buddhism differ in their classification of enlightened beings. There are four levels in Theravada, ten or sometimes eleven in Mahayana. Someone who is at the the first level, "stream-entry," according to the Therevadan classification, can truly hold to the precept of not killing. We might take this precept, but it is more than likely that we will inadvertantly step on an insect or somehow crush a bug during the course of the day. But the psychic power of a "stream-enterer" is such that when he walks, creatures move out of his way.
The last level in Theravada before Buddhahood is that of Arahat. You may have read that someone can attain this level without acquiring psychic powers. But Arahats can accomplish almost anything they wish to do. However, they may be unaware of their power. There is a story of a group of monks who arrived late one night at a vihara, an Indian temple. Their lamp had run out of oil and the night was pitch black. One of the monks said, "We can have light if there is an Arahat here." Sure enough, a monk stepped forward and said that he was an Arahat. The first monk suggested that he point his finger and illuminate the area. The Arahat did just that and the area was bathed in light. He was simply unaware of some of the powers he had attained.
In the literature of many cultures there are references to heavenly beings who answer the prayers of mortals with silver gold, or precious jewels that have been transformed from ordinary objects or substances. Buddhist sutras acknowledge this power, but caution that a transformed substance can revert to its original form. It may take eight, eighty, even five hundred years, but it will eventually change back. However, if an Arahat transforms something into gold, it will remain for a great kalpa.
Many people are curious about past and future lives. Devas and gods can know the past and future, but their power is limited to perhaps ten lives in either direction. The most powerful deva may be able to see one hundred lives in either direction, but no further. Arahats have even greater power. They can remember lives for ten thousand kalpas, but not even they can go back to their origins. They can, however, tell exactly what will happen in the future.
Now I will compare the power of an Arahat with that of a Buddha. Of all Arahats, the strongest in psychic power was Maha Maudgalyana. Once the Buddha said to him, "There is a world that lies to the west. If we go there together, you will not be able to keep up with me, so you start the journey before me." It took Maha Maudgalyana three months to reach his destination. When he arrived, the Buddha was already there. Maha Maudgalyana asked him when he had departed. The Buddha replied that he had just left a moment ago. For the Buddha there is no distance. This world or that world is close by, no matter how far it may seem to us. There is no time for the Buddha -- he sees limitless lives in the past, limitless lives in the future, all seen in the same instant.
A god can have jurisdiction over a particular region, or country. A deva who had power over this planet would be powerful indeed. But this is a small planet among myriads. An Arahat's power extends over thousands of world systems. He has the ability to know what transpires anywhere in his domain.
But the Buddha is everywhere at every time. The Bodhisattva Manjusri is very close to Buddhahood, so his power is comparable. He, too, is everywhere at all times. The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara can respond effortlessly to a thousand different beings at a thousand different places at the same time.
There was a Ch'an master who decided to urinate in front of a statue of the Buddha. Another monk rushed over and asked him what he was doing. The master said, "If you can show me where there is no Buddha, I'll go there."
The power of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas exists at all places and at all times, and far surpasses the power of other beings: Arahats, deities, and common people. -
Yes true... in fact i tink i said before, my taiwanese teacher asks his all his students not to try to develope powers prior to awakening of Prajna Wisdom. Because when some people have certain powers, they will be excited and "seeks" to know more about the external world. In this way wisdom cannot development and becomes a hindrance.Originally posted by longchen:Having psychic powers and special ability with life force and chi does not mean that one is enlightened. I know of many people that have these abilities... but they do not really know reality.
Sometimes these abilities can be misleading as well. For example, a person who can commuinicate with 'non-physical beings'... may fail to realise the illusionary nature of such interactions... and view these interactions as 'separate entities.' -
The Buddha also expressly forbade His disciples to use miracles to prove the superiority of his teachings. On one occasion he said that the use of miracles to gain converts was like using dancing girls to tempt people to do something. Anyone with the proper mental training can perform miracles because they are simply an expression of the superiority of mind over matter
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Supernatural power should not be the focus in Buddhism. Although there were indeed rare displays of miracle power.
But what I wanted to point out is that with all the miracle power one has, cannot and will not overcome his own and others karmic consequences. Just look at what is happening out there.
According to Master Chin Kung. Buddha is indeed intelligent, because He did not focus his teaching on supernatural powers, but on wisdom. Buddha knew demons/devils can also perform such supernatural power acts, but not the wisdom.
According to Ajahm Brahm, supernatural powers and miracles do happen in all religions. -
Psychic powers in Buddhism are summed up in six categories
Attainment of the fourth Dhyana and Buddhahood leads to the Six Psychic Powers (Abhijna), namely,
1.Divyacaksus - divine eye, instantaneous view of anything in the Form Realm.
2.Divyasrotra - divine ear, ability to hear any sound anywhere.
3.Paracitta-jnana - ability to know the thoughts of all other minds.
4.Purvanivasanusmrti-jnana - knowledge of all former existences of self and others.
5.Raddi-saksatkriya - magic power to be anywhere or do anything at will, such as walking on water, levitation
6.Asravaksaya-jnana - supernatural consciousness of eliminating all vicious/minds, also known as the extinction of asrava (i.e. outflow).
The first five abilites are natural "bonus side effects" of deepened mental cultivation, possible since "mind over matter".The first five abilities are considered mundane, while only the last is supramundane, realised only when enlightened. It is its attainment that clearly differentiates the liberated from the mere "wizard". -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Finally someone post something familiar to me
Psychic powers in Buddhism are summed up in six categories
Attainment of the fourth Dhyana and Buddhahood leads to the Six Psychic Powers ([b]Abhijna), namely,
1.Divyacaksus - divine eye, instantaneous view of anything in the Form Realm.
2.Divyasrotra - divine ear, ability to hear any sound anywhere.
3.Paracitta-jnana - ability to know the thoughts of all other minds.
4.Purvanivasanusmrti-jnana - knowledge of all former existences of self and others.
5.Raddi-saksatkriya - magic power to be anywhere or do anything at will, such as walking on water, levitation
6.Asravaksaya-jnana - supernatural consciousness of eliminating all vicious/minds, also known as the extinction of asrava (i.e. outflow).
The first five abilites are natural "bonus side effects" of deepened mental cultivation, possible since "mind over matter".The first five abilities are considered mundane, while only the last is supramundane, realised only when enlightened. It is its attainment that clearly differentiates the liberated from the mere "wizard".
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Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
In fact, it is against Buddha's monastic rules to do public miracle display.
The Buddha also expressly forbade His disciples to use miracles to prove the superiority of his teachings. On one occasion he said that the [b]use of miracles to gain converts was like using dancing girls to tempt people to do something. Anyone with the proper mental training can perform miracles because they are simply an expression of the superiority of mind over matter[/b]
That is why you dont see it in public. The disciples will know, though. -
Originally posted by maggot:Finally someone post something familiar to me
How about the 6th supernatural power? -
They come in sequenceOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:
How about the 6th supernatural power? 
I will be happy to have just 5
No point saying how many I have now