Buddha has predicted that in the dharma-ending age, which is now, fake monks will florish everywhere preaching distorted dharma and confusing the masses.
There is a saying that goes， "地狱门å‰�佛僧多“ - The entrance to Hell, is crowded with monks and priests.
http://www.dharmasite.net/bdh70/TheOffspringoftheDemonKing.html
There had never been more con-men and swindlers like now, putting on monk robes, going around attracting followers and cheating them. Most of these people have supernatural ability and most commonly it is mind-reading.
They will use psychology tactics such as fear to manipulate followers.
That goes the same for any spiritual help outside of religion, such as the new-age, witch-craft, sorcery, etc. More and more people are using such means to make money. If you fall for it, you are creating more problems for yourself in future. They use fear and threat to control you. Making you superstition and losing your logical reasoning.
Most of the new-age practitioners have schizophrenia problem.
http://ybamswk.cdc.net.my/ebook/faq/quest40.htm (For those who read Chinese).
Please be extra careful. Don't seek help for spiritual or psychic problem from outside of your religion belief. Even if you seek help from your own religious authority, be extra selective and check the background of the person. Be sensible. Don't end up losing all your have and having to see psychiatrist every week.
Haha , mind reading is called 它心通
Please look at the 6 general supernatural abilities of buddhism
By the way there's a sutra which purely teaches supernatural powers written by the tibetans
幻�� of 时轮乘
Those who understand tibetan language can go and find
Originally posted by maggot:
By the way there's a sutra which purely teaches supernatural powers written by the tibetans
幻�� of 时轮乘
Those who understand tibetan language can go and find
It is taught in Theravada and Mahayana as well, though Buddhists never encourage people to develope these powers, until you have developed sufficient insights and wisdom which is much much more important, which otherwise becomes a distraction. Without wisdom it can also land you in lots of trouble.
Do listen to http://www.fallingfruit.tv/episodes/buddhist-magic-what-possible-powers
23:46 Hosted by:
Guests:Have you ever considered what it would be like to cultivate, what in the Buddhist tradition are called the siddhis or magical powers? Buddhist magic is an endlessly fascinating topic, and in this episode we speak with Daniel Ingram, one of our favorite guests here on Buddhist Geeks, about the powers.
We cover their historical treatment by some of the major traditions, including the Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada. Daniel also gives us his first-hand experience having explored the powers, and considers the implications of doing public magic, and whether or not this kind of magic is "objectively real". We also discuss the ethical issues involved in using magic and issues of reproducibility.
Finally, we take a look at the ancient text, The Fruits of the Homeless Life, and explore what was said in that text about the powers, especially about the greatest power of all, the power of insight.
Supernatural power is a by-product of cultivation. When you are able to tame, quiet and focus your mind to one-pointedness, you could achieve the state of samadhi. When you achieved that one-pointedness, the supernatural powers your mind originally has, are now restored.
Think of the common mind as a fluorescent light. The light-rays are scattered around shedding lights on everything around it. On the other hand, a laser light-rays are focused to a point althought the light-rays are the same. But we can cut diamonds with laser. The principle is the same.
Buddhist do not aim to develop supernatural power. It is just a by-product rather than an end itself. It could hinters cultivation if one do not know how to deal with it. It is like money.
The purpose of this topic is to warn fellow Buddhists not to fall prey to scam and bogus monks, or seek help outside Buddhism which we called "wai dao".
Originally posted by Caitaokue:Supernatural power is a by-product of cultivation. When you are able to tame, quiet and focus your mind to one-pointedness, you could achieve the state of samadhi. When you achieved that one-pointedness, the supernatural powers your mind originally has, are now restored.
Think of the common mind as a fluorescent light. The light-rays are scattered around shedding lights on everything around it. On the other hand, a laser light-rays are focused to a point althought the light-rays are the same. But we can cut diamonds with laser. The principle is the same.
Buddhist do not aim to develop supernatural power. It is just a by-product rather than an end itself. It could hinters cultivation if one do not know how to deal with it. It is like money.
The purpose of this topic is to warn fellow Buddhists not to fall prey to scam and bogus monks, or seek help outside Buddhism which we called "wai dao".
Well said... in Buddhism, supernatural powers are treated as the byproduct of Precept, Samadhi, Wisdom..
But unfortunately as you've known... not all supernatural powers are by-products of proper cultivation -- in fact "wai4 dao4" are the easiest and fastest way to cultivate supernatural powers (with exception of the 6th supernatural power which is peculiar to Buddhism, the power of insight and liberation). I think what is important is to let go of these and simply be a sincere Buddhist practitioners, this will do us and others much more good.. especially when we become true Bodhisattvas.
Anyway, our moderator Thusness also said before that he dabbled with powers during a young age... sometimes we go through certain phase of facination with these things, but eventually we must go pass them.
http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/262408
Participant 1: Is it that when
that arises, the so called momentum cause us to label it?
Thusness: Yes, the first thing
{inaudible} the Seventh Consciousness will actually label it and
then lead to the “self”. But there are other forms of attachment,
other forms of thoughts, that are as strong as “self”. Like for
example, Nub, to look for spiritual powers. {laughs} ItÂ’s a
momentum that actually controls his entire mind, but itÂ’s OK you
know, just like Ren Cheng said you know, it is ok to seek, but you
cannot let things control you that way. To know something that is
beyond has always been inside us. Even for scientists. It has
always been part of us. Curiosity to know that we are more than
this. We are more than what you see as surface. ItÂ’s ok to have
that. But weÂ’re so engrossed and so controlled by it that you fail
to see what it is it, what it means. To me, it is our nature. But
if you were to see it as something to seek, to go for, to find, and
then to grab, then you are leading to a very dangerous path because
there is a momentum that you cannot control. Alright?
I think when we are young, somehow we are very attracted by all
these, itÂ’s OK. You know when I was very young, probably 20 years
ago. I can stare at a candle day and night for six hours, ten
hours. Then everytime I practise one hour, one and a half hour,
without blinking my eyes, then tears kept running down my eyes. I
just stared at the candle only. This is what we call “Qi Men Tian
Shu”, one of the practise. We are so excited by all these. Then
because of the power of concentration, because you kept on
concentrating, it was so intense... then your concentration becomes
very powerful and it just stays there. Then one day, you close your
eyes, the next stage, I practised that for a few months and then
just close your eyes, and you just focus something on your
forehead... Wah, that one is very.... Then later the thing that you
focus in your forehead, you just cannot get rid of it. You know how
painful is that? When you sleep, it is also there. It is something
like sticking down there, you know. But itÂ’s fun mah, just dunno
mah, read some books {laughs} then looked for some master and then
start practising. Can you see what I mean? That is very dangerous.
You see, everybody goes through certain phases. So the right kind
of understanding is very important.
p.s. as you can see in what Thusness said, Daniel (Dharma Dan)'s case, and the tantric practices, usually powers are developed through visualisations and visualisation of deep colours... My Master also practiced I think 8 years of tantra and through visualisation developed powers through it, but eventually dropped those practices, thinking that the powers aren't ultimately helpful to one's liberation and also that he didn't have much affinity with tantra practice.
But as Thusness said, this is dangerous and we should not practice all these at all without proper guidance.. and in the first place we should have the right understanding and motivation of practice (to awaken/liberate self and others, attain buddhahood).
And then there are also people who seem to have supernatural powers with little or no cultivation... they may think they have these powers but actually, its the spirits and ghosts giving them such "abilities". They're building a very dangerous connection with the ghosts and the spirit world... both in this life and after death...
Ok anyway, let's get back to topic.
Originally posted by maggot:Haha , mind reading is called 它心通
Please look at the 6 general supernatural abilities of buddhism
By the way there's a sutra which purely teaches supernatural powers written by the tibetans
幻�� of 时轮乘
Those who understand tibetan language can go and find
oh shit, you have know the secret already...
But there is another bigger secret you may not know.
i abide by middle way. i don't totally reject non agree. eveything boils down to skillfulness.
yes what it's said is a common begginer/hina teaching in Buddhism. Buddha never encourage spiritual powers, because He afraid people can become very greedy for these powers and in the end become a fetter of the path.
however for the path toward bodhisattvahood, they are not totally rejected, after they have accomplish bodhicitta and Prajnaparamita.
I concur that we should not focus on supernatural powers.Observe the precepts and practise honestly,and such abilities come naturally with time if one is diligent and follow the right path.