Siddhi

The spiritual seeker gets  a number of siddhi and can performs miracles. The eight siddhi enumerated start with anima, girima, etc. and the onlookers will be mesmerized seeing these miracles. However, these are mere by-products and an obstacle for attaining the final goal. Some sadhakas are carried away by these achievements and stop further practice and start enjoying the little benefits.These accounts of miracles are too many to quote here. It is also possible that the spiritually attained persons are not even aware of what is happening when they are performing miracles. They do not give any attention to these and treat them as trivialities.

   But, then what are the qualities of the spiritually attained persons. It is explained in the Gita. When Arjuna asks Bhagavan Shree Krishna: sthitaprajnyasya ka bhasha samadhistastha keshava | The lord answers, sthita dheehir muniruchyate | It is thus clear that a spiritually attained person is a sage, a muni. He is not perturbed by profit and loss; he is not affected by the praise or abuses, neither loves nor hates. nabhinandati na dveshti | ragadvesha vimuktaistu | He appears normal in his day to day activities and will not exhibit any special powers; it is difficult to recognize him as an attained person, Arjuna begs pardon of Lord Shree Krishna and says, Krishna, please pardon me. He begs pardon again and again and says, "I am so sorry that I addressed you as my friend and talked lightly of you when we were together in camps without knowing who you are!"

    Many are the surprising ways of great men! They talk illegibly, blabber anything. Most of the time, they do not make any sense. They are revel in their own moods and ecstasy. They are not engaged in the worldly pursuits. They have nothing to do here and there is no where to go. They are happy as they are! This is the ultimate joy, freedom, and attainment. These great souls do not even know when they discard their mortal bodies and do not need any funeral rites. They are released from bondage even while living here, the real jivanmukta.  
   Siddhi is not what we want.Any attainments other than total liberation from the repeated embodiments is not important. One has to strive hard to discard, not acquire. Any acquisition is a blemish., stain, becomes a upadhi that covers the ever-glowing Light, the soul, Ayman. One has to clearly understand this. Otherwise evn spiritual exercise becomes a bondage. Ultimately everything should lead to nothingness, a state of dynamic silence, not total silence!
Once it so happened that Sage Durvasa, known for his ego and anger was seen by Sage Devarishi Narada. Sage Narada respectfully addressed the great sage and said, "Sir, why are you carryig so much burden?" Durvasa Muni was shocked to hear this since he was not carrying anything. However, he contained his anger and took three dips in the sacred R. Viraja and refreshed himself. He felt so relived that he really understood what the great Devarishi Narada meant. Even knowledge is a burden at the end. It is the R.Viraja, the gateway to Brahma loka that can relieve a person of all his attachments. Even a Brahma Rishi cannot attain to the state of 'brahmn; until he drops his Rishi state and become nothing! All names,forms, and functions are blemishes attached to the soul.

  Hence, it is worthwhile to take to spiritual practice only as a means of total redemption. It is not easy to gain moksha for the mortals who are so immersed in samsara. The karma klesha, the karma phala that one has earned due to commissions and omissions have to be spent before one can turn to spiritual pursuits. One should lead a pious (satvika) life. It is essential to cleanse oneself of all afflictions such as moha, krodha, lobha, mada, matsarya, etc. The supreme Lord says, tasmaadyogirbhavaarjunaa |