Beyond Super Natural to Super Spiritual...Attaining True Freedom in this Life..

 " When we spiritually rise to a level high above the one we are in now and look back at our selves with detachment and discrimination. Seeing where we were right or wrong..Our understanding and view change and then we take  a step towards being truly free..". ..
We are in the Class on Raja Yoga at the Vedanta Society of Toronto..Our teachers the spiritual head Revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj  a senior Monk of the Ramakrishna order of Monks who became an all renouncing Monk devoting his entire life to spirituality since an early age and  Professor Kumar Murty who is a world renowned Mathematician and Chair person at the University of Toronto's Mathematics department . He is also a firm Vedantist and teacher of Vedanta. They both explain to us not only the Spiritual truths of Vedanta but also how we can apply them to our every day lives and live as peaceful, well balanced , productive individuals who have a positive impact on everyone we interact with and in everything we do... The basis of all human psychology begins here..in our own journey. In the last many classes we studied the nature of Supernatural powers and their description and explanation..according to the ancient Vedic scriptures ...
Here we heard another Spiritual nugget..In order to reach the highest spirituality you must " Give up this Love for Power..Super natural or Worldly..and go beyond it and then and only then will you be truly Free"..In the book 'Meditation and contemplation on Patanjalis aphorisms' Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj quotes the Bible and the words of  The Christ who said " My Kingdom is not of this world" and that our teachers explain is the secret..dont look for power and glory, name and fame and importance in anything you do here..it is not worth it..The love for power may be a simple thing like the power struggle of couples in a marraige or a `power and control maniac' in the work place, or a politician with Dictatorial tendencies, the climb up the corporate ladder for many..the hankering for attention and self imporatance in a social setting.or the wish to acquire or display something super natural..whatever it is..it is a love for `Power'..that holds us back.from reaching the ultimate...In fact Sri Sarada Devi had once said.." God is like a child he gives to those who do not have hanker for anything" Power, Fame, Fortune and everything come to those who do not  want it and eludes those who do....and we are constantly reminded in our spiritual journey that this is not and never was our goal in life...
The Verse  of Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms which take us beyond the Supernatural to the Super Spiritual:
 सत्त्वपुरुषान्यताख्यातिमात्रस्य सर्वभावाधिष्ठातृत्वं सर्वज्ञातृत्वञ्च ॥५०॥ Patanjali
50. Swami Vivekananda's  notes: By making Samyama on the discrimination between the Sattva and the Purusha come omnipotence and omniscience.
When nature has been conquered, and the difference between the Purusha and nature realised — that the Purusha is indestructible, pure and perfect — then come omnipotence and omniscience.
 The discussion which includes the reading of treatise by Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj the late Head of the Vedanta society of Boston and the explanation by our two teachers on the night of 26th March..went something like this..
 Professor Kumar Murty : "Imagine you are on a high mountain looking down at a city ..You can be detached and see the sameness of the city below..when you were down there..you would have been part of the hustle the bustle .the quarrels and controversies ..but when you rise above it all  and give up the" Me and Mine"..and stand detached and unemotional you see it clearly and under stand it better.According to the aphorism 50...Meditation( Samayama which is meditation, continuation and culmination) on the purity of our own soul gives you this strength.
Mahatma Gandhi the great statesmen once said.".I became free when I gave up fear of fear and of failure.." He ( The Mahatma ) felt like a free man even when he was thrown in jail and spent a long time in solitary confinement..his faith in his God and the holy Gita ..made him a man of steel and of true freedom...He led an entire Sub continent into freedom and to this day is an icon of freedom and non violence for the world..
The treatise by the late Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj  gave us simple examples from astronomy about how one's view must change...example : Man thought Saturn looked a certain way when he looked at it through the telescope..but when he went up to the moon and the space stations and got a better look his `opinions' were revised..He further said that Freedom did not mean packing up our bags and kissing our families and our work goodbye but living through it as  a `True Free being"..
Prof Murty simplified the astronomical example  " For centuries man thought the Sun rose in the East and traveled to the West and the Earth stood still while the Sun moved on...As Science progressed we saw the solar system from another angle and realized that it was the exact opposite to what we thought..so we changed our `ideas' in the same way..no one can say that what they have understood is " "IT" the golden truth....we have to progress spiritually and  scientifically and in every possible way and as we `rise higher' our view changes...This is applicable to religion, human relationships, society, science and everything else..
The most beautiful example was from the treatise which was that of a Mother..she loves her family..looks upon all her children as dear and equal..works and serves them without any thought of reward or return and is therefore truly free . In the words of Swami Vivekananda
 " Work like a Master and not as a Slave"..that only comes with love.. our revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj explained the beauty of the statement " Unless we all work with a Mother's love in our hearts and have that attitude in our lives we cannot ever be free..Do not expect anything from anyone..not a single thing and then your work and your service and your love will take you to freedom " said our Swami.We are also reminded that `giving up power does not mean becoming a `Loser' which is very popular worldly term..Swami Vivekananda often reminds us that we should actually strive for the highest, reach for our goals, give everything our best shot..but not out of love of 'power and self importance' but just out of love for everything we stand for and believe in..in fact just for the sake of `True Love for the work and Love for Love in itself.." A musician composes Music out of Love for music not because he wants to make it to the Symphony orchestra ..an Artist paints because he loves his Art..and a true writer or Poet writes for the Love of writing not because he is looking at the million dollars that he may make one day on the best seller list..
 Below are the earlier five aphorisms which deal with Super Natural powers described by Patanjali and the explanation in a few words by Swami Vivekananda in the Book Raja Yoga:from his `Complete Works' .Note : The word ' Samyama' means deep Meditation which is Contemplation..Continuation and Culmination and leads to even the impossible becoming possible....A very important lesson in Vedanta as was taught by Sri Ramakrishna was to rise above and beyond the phenomena of super natural powers ,miracles and miracle mongering  in our spiritual journey..that is the greatest hindrance to the true spiritual growth and understanding . Swami Vivekananda once said the mark of a spiritual person is simply" His level of unselfishness and love for all " ..The Yoga aporisms detailed the phenomena which a  Yogi could achieve..yet these are the goals of our study..
 स्थूल-स्वरूप-सूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद्भूतजयः ॥४५॥
45. By making Samyama on the gross and fine forms of the elements, their essential traits, the inherence of the Gunas in them and on their contributing to the experience of the soul, comes mastery of the elements.
Swami Vivekananda : The Yogi makes Samyama on the elements, first on the gross, and then on the finer states. This Samyama is taken up more by a sect of the Buddhists. They take a lump of clay and make Samyama on that, and gradually they begin to see the fine materials of which it is composed, and when they have known all the fine materials in it, they get power over that element. So with all the elements. The Yogi can conquer them all.

ततोऽणिमादिप्रादुर्भावः कायसम्पत्तद्धर्मानभिघातश्च ॥४६॥46. From that comes minuteness and the rest of the powers, "glorification of the body," and indestructibleness of the bodily qualities.
Swami Vivekananda :This means that the Yogi has attained the eight powers. He can make himself as minute as a particle, or as huge as a mountain, as heavy as the earth, or as light as the air; he can reach anything he likes, he can rule everything he wants, he can conquer everything he wants, and so on. A lion will sit at his feet like a lamb, and all his desires will be fulfilled at will.
रूप-लावण्य-बल-वज्रसंहननत्वानि कायसम्पत् ॥४७॥
47. Swami Vivekananda: The "glorification of the body" is beauty, complexion, strength, adamantine hardness.
The body becomes indestructible. Nothing can injure it. Nothing can destroy it until the Yogi wishes. "Breaking the rod of time he lives in this universe with his body." In the Vedas it is written that for that man there is no more disease, death or pain.

ग्रहण-स्वरूपास्मितान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमादिन्द्रियजयः ॥४८॥
48. By making Samyama on the objectivity and power of illumination of the organs, on egoism, the inherence of the Gunas in them and on their contributing to the experience of the soul, comes the conquest of the organs.
Swami Vivekananda :In the perception of external objects the organs leave their place in the mind and go towards the object; this is followed by knowledge. Egoism also is present in the act. When the Yogi makes Samyama on these and the other two by gradation, he conquers the organs. Take up anything that you see or feel, a book for instance; first concentrate the mind on it, then on the knowledge that is in the form of a book, and then on the Ego that sees the book, and so on. By that practice all the organs will be conquered.

ततो मनोजवित्वं विकरणभावः प्रधानजयश्च ॥४९॥
49. Swami Vivekananda: From that comes to the body the power of rapid movement like the mind, power of the organs independently of the body, and conquest of nature.
Just as by the conquest of the elements comes glorified body, so from the conquest of the organs will come the above-mentioned powers.

Snow Storms and the Evangelist missions of our teachers to other cities caused  a break in our lessons for a few weeks..but we were all ` Back with a Bang ' this Wednesday to learn the simple truth " All these powers are meaningless in this little journey of life..know God and know yourself and see his divinity reflected in the inner most beauty of your own soul and in that of others and it will change your vision of the world and you will be free"  This was the lesson in a nut Shell....!.  

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The Secret of Winning the Heart of the World from Raja Yoga..and the meaning of Shiva worship..

  How One works through the minds and bodies of millions              

The secret of a Magnetic     Personality  ...........

    Plus the symbolism of Shiva

The secret of all the great masters has been their ability to act through the minds and hearts of millions ..Once Sri Sarada Devi when asked why she did not eat she..said “ I am eating through hundreds of mouths..not just this one.”.

It is said that Sant Gynaneshwar the 17^th century saint in Maharashtra( India) to prove a point that the scriptures were for everyone and not just the high and mighty Brahmin priests” made a buffalo recite the Vedas ..( the Holy scriptures). 


The spiritual Master Sri Ramakrishna  spent his life in intense spiritual practice and devotion to the point that boggles the ordinary mind..he never delivered a single lecture....not wrote a single book but through his disciple Swami Vivekananda he  spread the meaning of what he had acquired and understood in a single life time of deep and intense spiritual practice.. The complete work of Swami Vivekananda.... Is the spiritual message of Sri Ramakrishna. He transferred or transmitted his life time of spiritual understanding to his disciple in order that Swami Vivekananda  could spread the message of Vedanta to the whole world..
Like him many Masters have passed on from their physical frames but the noble spiritual and work they started is still being done through thousands of their devotees and so has been the case for all great world spiritual incarnations of God....whether Christ or Krishna... .they work through the hearts and minds of their devotees.. ..they inspired and continue to inspire ..
This ability of a world master whether spiritual or other...to work through the minds and bodies of millions is a spiritual quality...
The 44^th aphorism of Patanjali explains this spiritual power as..

बहिरकल्पितावृत्तिर्महाविदेहाततःप्रकाशावरणक्षयः॥४४॥

44. By making Samyama on the "real modifications" of the mind, outside of the body, called great disembodiment, comes disappearance of the covering to light.

( Swami Vivekananda’s explanation) :The mind in its foolishness thinks that it is working in this body. Why should I be bound by one system of nerves, and put the Ego only in one body, if the mind is omnipresent? There is no reason why I should. The Yogi wants to feel the Ego wherever he likes. The mental waves which arise in the absence of egoism in the body are called "real modifications" or "great disembodiment". When he has succeeded in making Samyama on these modifications, all covering to light goes away, and all darkness and ignorance vanish. Everything appears to him to be full of knowledge.

In the spiritual class led by the Reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj head of the Vedanta Society of Toronto , we..a handful of students continue to study the works of the great Master Patanjali..explained by the Spiritual Master Swami Vivekananda in the book Raja Yoga and a further explanation on the aphorisms by the late Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj who was the head of the Vedanta society of Boston USA in his treatise... "Meditation ad contemplation on Patajali." These notes are based on the class held on February 19th  2014 at the Vedanta Society of Toronto in Canada.

Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj’s treatise gives a deep look at what makes a true and great world leader even in the political sense or military sense. He says that the basis of all greatness starts with UNSELFISHNESS at the basic individual level..first we are one..then we marry and learn to be unselfish to our partners and then towards out children..then the greater community and so on..the less we think of ourselves and the more we think of others..the greater is our power...
There are two qualities in a great leader says the Swami..they are 'Psycho Social' and 'Psycho spiritual'. (To be socially aware and spiritually aware to the point of what is considered extraordinary .)... Both begin with extreme unselfishness where the interest of one’s own self and one’s own family and friends is the not the top priority of the leader but he truly cares for the well being of the larger community and then the masses. In history we have seen great leaders through time immemorial..Alexander the Great was known as a Noble King in Greece as were Emperor Ashoka and Emperor Akbar of India who worked towards religious harmony of the people..In modern history...President Abraham Lincoln , Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela come to mind..
Our Teacher the revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj further explained that unselfishness and understanding the needs and hearts of the people is what makes a leader a leader because the people you love and serve actually understand that... " To deeply feel the pain, the hunger, the loneliness and suffering of another person as if it were our own" This power may have been attained by much good in other lives..The Secret of true leadership qualities in anyone is their ability to act unselfishly and be ready to give their lives for others..

All leaders have attained that power which comes from total unselfishness and thinking of the greater good of others...in a small or big way...but they fall and become corrupt when selfishness and `limited-ness' enter their hearts..

When a leaders thinks only of the good of his `own' people, community and `circle' he becomes selfish..in another level..

This is true about political leaders who can carry this hate for other people and races and religions ( outside their own ) to the extent where like Hitler they begin to exterminate and destroy others..that is when a Demonic spirit and not a spiritual power works through them..
 In the political realm greatness that transcends all barriers was seen in the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela,who forgave even their worst enemies..and won over people from all walks of life..however most political leaders are ego and self driven , power and control freaks and the good of the masses is the last thing on their minds..Their own personality and self importance is the driving force in their lives..
Even today we see Religious leaders whose love and compassion cannot extend beyond that of their own `religion' and denomination and so they are no longer spiritual but have become hateful and narrow in their views..

When Mahatma Gandhi explained why during the time of Indian Independence he wanted India to be a secular state and not just for the Hindu majority he is believed to have said “ I am a Hindu and I am a Muslim..I am a Christian and I am a Jew. I am a Sikh and I am a Parsi”..that is the true view and outlook of a Vedantist and Mahatma Gandhi proved by his noble life that he was both a Psycho Social as well as a psycho Spiritual leader..In the meantime his counter part Jinnah was creating a Pakistan meant exclusively for the Muslims.
Throughout ancient times India was a country based on the Vedantic principles that welcomed seekers of refuge and recognized people of all faith as true..and therefore gave shelter to groups of the most ancient Jews, and the noble Parsis as well as the Tibetans who fled Chinese intrusion in the 1950’s....Western Historians try to supress the true story of the eclectic character of India through the ages...However the ancient Synagogues and Fire temples of the Jews and Zoroastrians in India bear testimony to the great tolerant and peace loving  spirit of the Hindu kings of India hundreds of years ago..Today in ordinary everyday politics everywhere the mega ego’s, selfishness, love of power and privilege drive the actions of most politicians so much so that they are no longer examples of greatness but have become objects of public jokes and ridicule..( As we in Toronto know too well)
In religion too..the Fundamentalist message of `Our path is the Only True path' has become the `mantra' of many religions heads and has lead to hate and divisiveness being spread under the garb of religious`light'...unspoken injustice in homes and nations is the outcome of this `Hate' which poses as the greatest ' Love for one God".." and justify s the feelings of people who say " I cannot connect with anyone who cannot love my God in my way"....That is what the fanatics truly believe and live their lives by..and that is the only message they have taken from their faith..not that of Peace and Love and tolerance. A Vedantist would look at the nature God..as the many colours of the Rainbow..and say " I see your view point and that of many others too and all the `views' are `colours' are correct but I also see the Rainbow in all its beauty, its colours and all its dimensions and enjoy the view from all sides not just one..narrow prism"
As an example of fanaticism The Revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj spoke about how the selfishness of a few fanatical terrorists has led to flight disruptions and long check ins and discomfort for millions of passengers for years to come..and almost every act of world violence today can be traced to Religious Fanaticism...and it starts closer to home than we realize. and .It is not limited to the followers of one religion alone..

The next aphorism of Patanjali explains how Samayama helps us understand almost anything we want to know about a chosen `subject'...
 स्वरूप-सूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद्भूतजयः॥४५॥(Patanjali)

45. By making Samyama on the gross and fine forms of the elements, their essential traits, the inherence of the Gunas in them and on their contributing to the experience of the soul, comes mastery of the elements.

( Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda):The Yogi makes Samyama on the elements, first on the gross, and then on the finer states. This Samyama is taken up more by a sect of the Buddhists. They take a lump of clay and make Samyama on that, and gradually they begin to see the fine materials of which it is composed, and when they have known all the fine materials in it, they get power over that element. So with all the elements. The Yogi can conquer them all. 
Our teacher the Reverend Swami Kripamayanandamaharaj explained that Samyama means extreme deep concentration and meditation) that can lead to one understanding the secret of anything one puts one mind to..that is how spiritual masters can understand the secrets of the minds of others and how scientists understand and solve scientific mysteries. And make discoveries. As do masters in all their respective fields. Even a Mother understands the heart of her child..by her total love and devotion..which is a Meditation..   

Our Revered and much loved spiritual teacher Swami Kripamayananda maharaj recently gave a talk on Lord Shiva of the Hindu trinity. A special day in February is celebrated as the `Night of Shiva’ who is the greatest of ascetics. Shiva is often described as the Destroyer. But our Swami described this as his power to destroy the evil and bad tendencies of his devotees. Destruction of evil means laying the foundation for a new beginning...This year Mahashivaratri was on the 27<sup>th</sup>of February.Women fast and pray for a Good husband on this day and married women fast and pray for the well being of their husbands as Shiva is described as the best of husbands.he is unselfish and easily pleased... He gives one the ultimate love for God and renunciation of all selfishness and greed. He is the most unselfishness and tolerant of all and is known to be pleased with just simple heart felt prayers and offerings... The specialty of Shiva as with Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Jesus Christ and all spiritual leaders was that they called all `rejects’ of society........ The free souls. The misfits, the `failures’ the non conformists’ the unwanted and unloved, the imperfect and weary to themselves and gave them refuge…"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden” said The Christ and that is the essence of Shiva in another form..the one who gives refuge and solace to all..The Son of God and all the other incarnations through the ages.. who come to earth echo the qualities of that eternal God whom some call  Shiva..and others the Father..the one who is known by many names.. The Video recording of this lecture on Shiva can be viewed on The Vedanta Society of Toronto website/ Media/ Sunday lectures.

How the Prophets walked on water..explained by Patanjali before 120 BCE

Hundreds of years before the advent of Jesus Christ..the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali described how  the prophets or   Spiritual Masters who come from age to age and are masters of their own souls and the elements could control their life forces by will and perform seemingly impossible feats if they should so wish..They could walk on water..Fire and thorns and even control the moment of their death…These aphorisms by Patanjali were written thousands of years ago . ( Before 120 BCE   ) . Jesus Christ walked on water..this story is known to the world....But what is not known to the world is that walking on water was a common `yogic power' in ancient India and in the `Kathamrita' of Sri Ramakrishna a few stories of this Yogic feat have been mentioned as one of the ` eight miraculous powers' which spiritual aspirants are cautioned is not the goal or end of Spiritual life in anyway.....

Vedantists' consider Christ to be an Incarnation of God and hold that All great religions were established by the `One God'  through his Various incarnations from age to age..that is why they have deep reverence and respect for all paths and all people of all faiths... A Vedantist looks for the similiarities and not the differences between people and their paths..

In the complete works of Swami Vivekananda chapter 3 Raja Yoga..describes the powers of the mind and soul.according to Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms.However in each step of the way we the students of Vedanta are cautioned that super natural powers and miracles are not the life goal of spiritual aspirants and that seeking or displaying them is not ` a mark of spirituality’. Sri Ramakrishna often said that even the possession of one of these powers can lead to the down fall of the greatest of spiritual aspirants. Many people of all faiths claim to have supernatural powers and millions of people `follow' and adore them for these powers....but for Vedantists the ultimate goal of life is to Love God..to awaken the divinity which is within each of us and to become a better human being in every way..one of .which means becoming completely unselfish....

 Here is the aphorism on being able to walk on water.. from Patanjali in Sanskrit and English..

उदानजयाज्जलपङ्ककण्टकादिष्वसङ्ग उत्क्रान्तिश्च ॥४०॥

40. By conquering the current called Udâna the Yogi does not sink in water or in swamps, he can walk on thorns etc., and can, die at will.

Udana is the name of the nerve current that governs the lungs and all the upper parts of the body, and when he is master of it, he becomes light in weight. He does not sink in water; he can walk on thorns and sword blades, and stand in fire, and can depart this life whenever he likes.The Majjhima Nikāya states that the Buddha had many super Natural powers being able to walk on water which is further verified in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. (563 BCE to 483 BCE)

 In the class on Vedanta at the Vedanta Society of Toronto Canada, the spiritual Head The revered Swami Kripamayananda maharaj leads a small group of students on their spiritual journey into the amazing world of exploration about  how Man conquers even nature when he has become master of his own soul..

He also refers to the treatise on Swami Vivekananda’s works by Swami Sarvagathananda maharaj..in this paragraph he the Swami dwells on the subject of death which is often the most painful of human experiences for both the dying and their loved ones..but is an inevitable part of human existence. He cites the example of a Swami who chose the moment of his death..even though he was in a US hospital..and predicted the exact moment he would depart..the incident has been recorded by the hospital since it was exact to the last second. ( details to be added soon).

Here are some of the other super natural Powers from Patanjali which were discussed in the class on Wednesday February 19th 2014.These are the powers of being surrounded by light..of Clairovoyance and of being able to travel through space like a bird..

समानजयात् प्रज्वलनम् ॥४१॥

41. By the conquest of the current Samâna he is surrounded by a blaze of light. Whenever he likes, light flashes from his body.

In the book Ramakrishna Leelaprasanga which is the book describing Sri Ramakrishna’s intense period of spiritual austerities for many years..there is an example of Chandra,a disciple of Bhairavi Brahmani..( one of the spiritual teachers of Sri Ramakrishna ) who could produce light from his body and light up the road on a dark and moonless night..

श्रोत्राकाशयोः सम्बन्धसंयमाद्दिव्यं श्रोत्रम् ॥४२॥

42. By making Samyama on the relation between the ear and the Akâsha comes divine hearing. ( clairvoyance).

There is the Akasha, the ether, and the instrument, the ear. By making Samyama on them the Yogi gets supernormal hearing; he hears everything. Anything spoken or sounded miles away he can hear.

From time immemorial, spiritual masters have been known to have the power of clairvoyance. So much so that there are examples of them hearing words that are yet to be spoken or have been spoken thousands of miles away…

Swami Kripamayananda maharaj also spoke about `Divine hearing’ which is how spiritual masters acquired their spiritual knowledge..Moses `heard’ God speak the words of the Ten commandments as did the composers of all sacred literature .

In India..Rishi Markandaya composed the Devi Saptha Sathi and like him thousands of Vedic sages have written and composed the immortal Sanskrit hymns and verses of the four Vedas which are the oldest known scriptures known to mankind.  

Muslims say that Mohammed was given the words of the Quran by the Angel Gabrial..
In The ancient Persian religion of the Zoroastrians.. is a section called the Gathas or hymns. These hymns are believed to be the original words of Zarathushtra, given to him By God.. faithfully preserved as an oral tradition through the generations. Zarathushtra, and later tradition, refer to the Gathas as mathra (later called a manthra). In every race and religion there is the `story’ of how divine truth was heard and imparted..

Our Swami K also spoke about the Vedantic point of view as described by Swami Vivekananda who often said that all knowledge is within us..the `library ‘ of the universe was within ourselves and when we concentrated with purity of heart and mind..we could understand it all..Divine scriptures are imparted ( or downloaded) to those souls who are perfected. This theory also explains `discovery and invention' in every field..whether it be Science, Technology, Music, Art..Literature or any field..those who have gone `beyond meditation' into the depth of their research have then made break through discoveries ...

 कायाकाशयोः सम्बन्धसंयमाल्लघुतूलसमापत्तेश्चाकाशगमनम् ॥४३॥

43. By making Samyama on the relation between the Akasha and the body and becoming light as cotton-wool etc., through meditation on them, the yogi goes through the skies.

This Akasha is the material of this body; it is only Akasha in a certain form that has become the body. If the Yogi makes a Sanyama on this Akasha material of his body, it acquires the lightness of Akasha, and he can go anywhere through the air. So in the other case also..

In the ancient Indian spiritual texts of the Ramayana and Mahabharata there are several examples of the War heroes and especially  the Hindu God Hanuman who could fly at will from land to the high Himalayas and back..

Throughout the Bible we read of contact between human beings and flying Angels..or Beings..

In the Buddhist stories of Buddha here is an extract from :legends of Buddha Miracles of Gautama Buddha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :The Majjhima Nikāya states that the Buddha had more superpowers than any other being including being able to walk on water which is further verified in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. The Buddha could multiply into a million and then return, he could travel through space, he could make himself as big as a giant and then as small as an ant, walk through mountains, he could dive in and out of the earth, he could travel to Heavens to school the Gods and return to earth.View shared post

In the Greek stories of Zeus the God with winged feet resonates with many stories from ancient Indian Mythology.Ahura Mazda, the Iranian sky god, the Wise Lord or Lord Wisdom, and god of order, is depicted as a bearded man on a winged disk, was the principal god of the ancient Zoroastrians. 

Our Spiritual teacher Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj..remarked the in truth spiritual life and feats were more fantastic than even science fiction and many of the stories of the scriptures that are considered `as symbolic or `fairy tales' have more truth than untruth..and as Science unfolds and new discoveries are made..and before our very eyes we seem `the impossible becoming possible' we realise that much of what lies in the scripture is coming to pass..

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Raja Yoga on the spiritiual mystery of Mediums and the secret behind great Leaders

 Through time immemorial..many mysteries of the human soul have left mankind mystified and wonderstruck...These have lead many into the study and  search of the unknown.

Some of these mystic occurences have occured in almost every religion and race known to man and even till today the are documented and researched.
One of these mysteries is whether a Human being can become a " Medium" for some unseen spiritual or other being..The Yoga Aphorisms of Patnajali explain this phenomena which has been reported till this day and through the ages in various countries and in people of all religions..In these aphorisims the view point is presented from the point of view of the Spiritual Masters themselves..

On Wednesday February 12th 2014 a group of students sit around The Most revered Swami Kripamayananda maharaj head of the Vedanta society of Toronto Canada. The Swami reads and explains to these students the ancient mysteries of Spiritual powers which the Yogis ( spiritual masters ) of yore have mastered. Here is the lesson from the Spiritual powers of the Mind . Chapter taken from the book Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda and published in 1920.  This is based on Patanjali's Yoga which is thousands of years old and Vedanta derived from the Vedas which are the oldest known spiritual documents of Mankind.

The Revered Spiritual teacher Swami Kripamayananda maharaj also cites the story of Sri Sancaracarya the great sage whose soul entered the body of the dead King Digvijaya in order to teach mankind the lessons of Kingliness : Reference :Shankara Digvijaya - Part 3 | Sringeri Sharada Peetham www.sringeri.net › ... › Madhaviya Shankara Digvijayam.

The story is simple. It is told in the Vedic scriptures. The great Spritual Master Sri Sancaracraya was a spiritual teacher and a Celibate Monk. His body was pure. He was asked by a devotee  to teach the world the art of  Kingship. In order to that he had to be a King. He then in a secret cave in the Himalayas withdrew his sences from his ' Monk" body and asked a few of his trusted " Monk" students to guard the Body untill he returned.
He in his spirit form then entered into the ' Just dead' body of a King Digvijaya. When the King opened his eyes and returned to ' his wife' and family...from that time onwards something in the land changed..for the better..an auspiciousness entered the place....the land became more prosperous..the fields yielded crop..the rivers flowed and the King Digvijaya seemed to be possessed by a more Nobler and Selfless spirit than before. His wisdom and intelligence blessed all...the Kingdom became all powerful. Some courtiers realised that this was not the " old' King but a great soul who had taken over his body and they conducted  a search for the truth. They did not want their King to Flee.. 
Far away near the mountains they found the Body of a great Saint who seemed to be in great slumber and decided to destroy his body before he returned..as they set him ablaze on a Cremation Pyre..then " King Digvijaya' Through his spiritual insight realised the the danger and quickly `flew' to his hermitage..Just as his body was about to be destroyed he re- entered it and woke up and thus saved it. Sri Sancaracarya is considered to be one of the Ten Great Incarnations of God in the Vedantic ages.
The aphorism follows:

बन्धकारणशैथिल्यात् प्रचारसंवेदनाच्च चित्तस्य परशरीरावेशः ॥३९ ॥

Aphorism 39. When the cause of bondage of the Chitta has become loosened, the Yogi, by his knowledge of its channels of activity (the nerves), enters another's body.The Yogi can enter a dead body and make it get up and move, even while he himself is working in another body. Or he can enter a living body and hold that man's mind and organs in check, and for the time being act through the body of that man. That is done by the Yogi coming to this discrimination of Purusha and nature. If he wants to enter another's body, he makes a Samyama on that body and enters it, because, not only is his soul omnipresent, but his mind also, as the Yogi teaches. It is one bit of the universal mind. Now, however, it can only work through the nerve currents in this body, but when the Yogi has loosened himself from these nerve currents, he can work through other things. 

Here are some modern examples  expereinced by a devotee of Christ.

In South America there is  the story of the Brazilian `medium' Joan Teixeira de Faria

Joan (born June 24, 1942), known also as João de Deus ("John of God"),  He is a self-described medium and "psychic surgeon" from Brazil. He is based in Abadiânia, a small town in the state of Goiás, southwest of Brasília.The Readers Digest carried his story which is now available online and in Wikepedia. João de Deus (medium) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Another extract from http://www.healingjourneys.net/content_articles

 

 Joao de Deus was a young teenager when he began to heal people.  Born into a poor family that rarely had enough to eat, he had exhibited some psychic and clairvoyant talents as a young boy.  One day in his early teens, more than forty years ago, the young Joao went to a river to bathe, and the spirit of a radiant woman – who later turned into a ball of light – told him to go to a nearby Spiritist center (associated with the teachings of Allan Kardec).  Following her instructions, Joao found the center, walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door – and that was the last thing he remembered until he came to, three hours later, with a circle of people standing over him.  He immediately apologized and tried to reassure them that he must have fainted from hunger and that he would be fine.  They told him, "No, you don’t understand.   You have been healing people for the last few hours."

Having no recall of what had happened, Joao thought they might be teasing him, but they invited him to stay, have a good meal and stay there the night.  The next day, several hundred people gathered at the center, and the director told them that, once again, the spirit of King Solomon was going to heal people as he had done the day before – through the medium Joao.  The young man still had no idea what the director was talking about, but as they began to pray, he slipped once more into a faint, this time aware as he was doing so, left his body, and entered a warm light.  Upon returning to his body several hours later, he was informed that miraculous healings had happened through him once again.

The young Joao spent an extended stay at the Spiritist center, where the members explained to him about mediumship – including trance mediumship of incorporation of spirits - various kinds of non-corporal spirits, and other aspects of Kardec’s teachings, helping him to understand and integrate his spontaneous "initiation" as a trance medium healer.  .

Reference http://www.healingjourneys.net/content_articles and Wikepedia.http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Do-You-Believe-in-Miracles_1

Here is a story dating back to the 17th century in India where many of the saints had supernatural powers. This extract is taken from the Wikipedia article on St Dyaneshwar of Alandi. The child saint had mastery over not only living beings but even inanimate lifeless objects..this aroused the jealousy of an ancient sage named Changa dev, the temples and  final resting places of all these saints stands till today in Maharashtra India.  

Changdev Maharaj is most commonly known today due to his popular first encounter with Dnyaneshwar. As the story goes, when the four siblings of Nivritti − Dnyanadev, Sopandev, and Muktai − attained enlightenment , Changdev Maharaj wanted to test them, and hence sent them a blank note. When the siblings received this note, they laughed at the gesture and, on Nivritti’s asking, Dnyaneshwar wrote 65 verses which were the quintessence of Vedanta on it. When the paper reached Changdev Maharaj, he had difficulty understanding what was written, and decided to meet the siblings to show them his yogic powers in person. For this visit he chose to ride on back of a tiger, wielding a poisonous cobra as a whip. When the siblings, then sitting on a masonry wall, saw the procession of Changdev Maharaj and thousands of his devotees walking toward their house, they decided to break his pride. They patted on the wall and it rose up to move forward as a respect to Changdev maharaj. This use of wall amazed everyone present. Changdev realized the greatness of these children. He became one of their disciples and overcame his pride and ego.^[6]These verses sent by Dnyaneshwar later became known as Changdev Pasashti (Pasast means 65 in Marathi) and are one of the holy scriptures amongst followers of Dnyaneshwar.

Here the child saints had control over even the inanimate objects while the old saint could only control all forms of nature..he recognised their greatness. He also accepted that upernatural powers are not the marks of a saint but his love for God and for human kind is what makes one a man of God The ancient temples of both saints stand till today in Alandi and Narayanpur in India ,Maharashtra

Our teacher also refers to the detailed treatise on the complete works of Swami Vivekananda by the late revered Swami Sarvagathananda maharaj who was the late president of the Vedanta Society of Boston USA.He was known for his deep knowledege and respect for the secriptures of all religions and was held in very high respect by many respected Christian evangelists and teachers in N America.He lived his faith as a true Vedantists which was respect and reverence for all people and all paths leading to God

For further reading: The Death of a Swami, and His Bliss | America Magazineamericamagazine.org/content/all-things/death-swami-and-his-bliss‎

 

 

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