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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The Secrets behind the Mind of a Genius according to Raja Yoga..and more..

As the Northern winds continue to blow cold and winter still holds its icy grip over Canada..A much loved spiritual teacher Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj the head of the Vedanta Society of Toronto and a handful of `Die hard' students sit around a table in the Vedanta Society of Toronto Canada and listen to the immortal words of the Vedas handed down through the centuries from teacher to student...They explore the spiritual mysteries and truths of the most ancient sages and Rishis of yore..here they continue the study of Raja Yoga which is a form of dynamic meditation which the rishis practised for many many years and even life times.
Here the Powers of the Mind which this dynamic meditation produces has been described.Today we studied the spiritual and mystical explanation of what makes a person a Genius and master of all knowledge in any field according to the ancient science of Raja Yoga..( The Royal meditative path). The teacher refers to two books. Raja Yoga from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda and an explanation of the four paths by Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj the late president and head of the Vedanta Society of Boston and Providence USA.

Before and after each class the Spiritual Teacher reminds his students that These powers are great impediments in the search for true spirituality. The aim of meditation and spiritual practice is not the attainment of powers . The powers can destroy a person if he does not have the moral and spiritual purity and ability to go beyond them. Meditation and all spiritual practices need to begin with the guidance of a spiritual master. The powers described have often been experienced in the lives of great saints and prophets of every religion . There are not the results of ` a few yoga classes' or ` a few hours of meditation here and there' ..they are Mile stones in the spiritual path that indicate where the yogi ( spiritual aspirant has reached) they are Not the destination and goal of spiritual practices..however they show us how amazing and wonderful the mind and the soul is and how it can reach the farthest limits imaginable and unimaginable to man ..The Book Raja Yoga from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda. This book is a study of the Yoga aporisims  of Patajnaji .
The Yoga we are studying is the serious meditative methods and their Science . The spiritual truths of the Vedas ( Ancient Indian scriptures date back thousands of years. ) The compilation and commentaries by Patanjali are believed to date back to 322–185 BCE according to Wikipedia.We studied the spiritual and mystical explanation of what makes a person a Genius and master of all knowledge in any field according to the ancient science of Raja Yoga..( The Royal meditative path).

                   Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms; Raja Yoga : Powers of the Mind.

प्रातिभाद्वा सर्वम् ॥३४॥34. By the power of Prâtibha, all knowledge.

All these can come without any Samyama ( Meditation that is deep and continuous over a long period of time and over the ages ) To the man who has the power of Pratibha (spontaneous enlightenment from purity). When a man has risen to a high state of Pratibha, he has that great light. All things are apparent to him. Everything comes to him naturally without making Samyama.

Discussion : Our teacher the Revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj explained that Genius on any field whether as in a Scientist like Einstein or a legendry world leader like Abraham Lincoln, a film director like Satyajit Ray, a poet like Rabindranath Tagore or William Shakespear..any where and every where that we see incredible intelligence and insight and brilliance..is a result of great spiritual practices from former life times.." It is the result of ' Sadhana' ( spiritual austerity)and purity that comes from great spiritual discipline...finally when that `genius' benefits the world it comes from God..

A question arose about meditation. Was it easier to meditate on the `abstract qualities'  as described by Patanjali on on a particular form or name of God we believe in.
Swami K said that meditating on the form of God which appeals to the devotee most will give him the qualities of that form. Example for the followers of Christ  , meditation on Christ makes them Christlike..which is merciful, forgiving, saving and serving others, self sacrifice and extremely spiritual. For those who love Krishna..the qualities of Krishna such as non violence, kindness to all creatures, happiness, freindship, courage and so forth..for the follower of Hanuman great strength and courage and great devotion to their chosen ideal.In fact in India , traditional wrestlers always keep the image of Hanuman in their practice rooms just as Musicians and Artists in India ( even the Muslims) keep the pictures of Ma Saraswati in their practice rooms. Another question arose whether it was easier or even right to meditate as one with God or separate..Swami K answered that one discarded all ego and arrogance and spiritual pride and thought of self as one with God..then the path was quicker. However he has always cautioned that meditation and other spiritual should be performed under the guidance of a true spiritual teacher or mentor.

Finally God is one and all pervading and Vedantists believe that he can take on any form and any name and that is why they say that each path is true and ultimately leads to the same goal. That is why Vedantists do not subscribe to any one fanatical/ dogmatic view as the `only' truth .as Sri Ramakrsihan said..all ghats ( steps that lead to the river..) take us to that same Ocean of truth and bliss..the truly spiritual and enlightened man will never fight with others about their views.
 That is why Swami Vivekananda firmly said that Religion and Politics Cannot go hand in hand..wherever they do..there spiritual truth does not exist.

ह्रदये चित्त-संवित् ॥३५॥35. In the heart, knowledge of minds.

Discussion :Spiritual masters can read the minds of people because they have meditated in their hearts. The spiritual master Sri Ramakrishna would say that he could look into the mind and hearts of people like looking into  clear glass..he could understand the true character and potential of a person just in one short glance..or meeting..

सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषाद् भोगः परार्थत्वात् स्वार्थसंयमात् पुरुषज्ञानम् ॥३६॥
36. All action of Sattva, a modification of Prakriti characterized by light and happiness, is for the soul. When Sattva is free from egoism and illuminated with the pure intelligence of Purusha, it is called the self-centred one, because in that state it becomes independent of all relations.

Discussion :Here again Swami Kripamayananda maharaj spoke and length about the need to discard and kill our little ' ego's when we tread on the spiritual path. " A person can grow spiritually only if he renounces his or her ego completely..a few  `supernatural' or ` Yogic' powers bring extreme egotism in the `spiritual aspirants' of any religion. They can mislead and misguide others and finally theses people destroy themselves .Even in modern times we are all witness to `popular and famous " evangelists and `prophets' and ' Cult leaders' who have had steep falls..after a period of great fame and popularity..that have led to self destruction. 
Swami K referred to a story often told by Sri Ramakrishna : A man had gone away for 12 years to practice extreme spiritual austerity in the wilderness while his younger brother stayed home to care for their old and frail parents. The man returned and told his brother that he had miraculous powers.." Can you show me some ? asked the brother .." ..the ' spiritual brother' then displayed his ability to walk on water..and cross the river.." is that all "asked his sibling?" I can pay a couple of cents and cross by boat..what have you achieved that money cannot do..? what spirituality did you achieve by these tricks?" Most people crave name and fame once they get some powers..There is  a saying in the Indian scriptures " if you have and use even one of these powers you cannot reach God" you lose the goal..
Swami Kripamayananda maharaj also spoke on how growing and rising to higher spiritual levels changes our view.." It is like being in a plane over the city..everything looks beautiful and the `same' below..that is why those who are truly spiritually evolved do not see difference between people, races, creeds, faiths..they do not teach the fanatical path of
 " Only my way is right and everyone else is false". They do not stand on podiums and say 
" They follow false paths, condemn them " The true man of God realizes that everything has come from the same God and all he has is love, compassion and a feeling of unity..the true man of God does not try to disunite people or destroy unity and love and oneness with the message of hate and pride.."People who are spiritual are forgiving" he said.
On the subject of hate he said " All spiritual teachers from Jesus Christ to Sri Sarada devi taught is not to hate..we have to lower ourselves and take the same evil nature when we recognize the bad in another..he spoke of Sri Sarada Ma's lesson of trying to see the good and noble even in the the person we dislike the most..much like the lessons of Tao which is to find the tiny white spot in a black circle as an exercise in meditation.." said Swami K.
"Religious and `spiritual pride" is from the Ego and one cannot grow unless one destroys the little self..cautioned our spiritual teacher..It is our ego that discolors everything..our relationships , our work , our lives..give it up..make time to connect with God every day in the silence and depths of your heart and reach for the highest.." said our teacher..
 
Our teacher Reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj will be visiting Belur Math in India from 20th January for the celebration of the concluding program of 150 th Birth anniversary  of Swami Vivekananda (Whose works we study). Hundreds of Monks( Sanyasis and Sanyassins) and thousands of devotees from all over the world will be attending this celebration:
See http://www.belurmath.org/ for more .. 
Our freinds Dr Neel and Soumya are soon leaving Canada to join the University of Stanford California. Dr Neel was granted a Post doctorate research position in the field of Pharmacutical Sciences. Our Swami prayed a special blessing over their lives and wished them both well...in everyway..in the years to come..
Our class will resume in Mid February 2014.  though we will miss our Swami dearly we know that where ever we are and where ever we go..we are always together in our journey towards our goals....