Siddhis

Sri Lakshmana Swamy

You will never find a jnani giving  exhibition of siddhis. For whom is the jnani to show off his power? Where is the "I" that is going to perform the siddhis? The jnani knows that only the Self exists. Miracles may sometimes happen in the proximity of a jnani, but he will never claim responsibility for them. If someone brings a problem to a jnani, the problem is registered in the Heart, and the response comes automatically. The automatic activity of the Heart attend to all such problems. There is no question of the jnani doing anything; it is all automatic.

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Many people see lights and visions during their meditation and some people develop siddhis. All these phenomena belong to the mind and have nothing to do with the Self or with Realization. Muktananda's Guru, Nityananda, had many siddhis, and he frequently gave public displays of them. I cannot imagine why a jnani would want to behave like this. Many miracles happened in the presence of Ramana Maharshi but he never claimed responsibility for them and he certainly never gave public displays of them. Miracles may happen spontaneously in the presence of a jnani, or even at a distance if the devotee's faith in his guru is strong, but the jnani himself does nothing. He knows that everything needs to be done is done automatically by the Self. Consequently, he has no need or desire to indulge in siddhis.

Many miracles happened around Christ, but he never displayed his powers of entertainment, and he never claimed, "I have done this miracle." The miracles happened spontaneously through the power of the Self.

Who is displaying siddhis if there is no mind?

Q: Some books say that siddhis come automatically to one who has realized the Self. They just manifest themselves as part of his prarabdha.

LS: The jnani has no prarabdha. If there is no mind, where is the prarabdha? Siddhis happen in his presence automatically. He need not worry about performing siddhis; that is all automatic action. He won't display siddhis; they will happen in his presence, that's all. If you ask him he will say that he has no siddhis.

Who is displaying siddhis to whom, as there is only one without a second. I don't care for siddhis, however wonderful they may be. I never saw Ramana Maharshi displaying siddhis. They happened in his presence that's all. He was unconcerned about them and untroubled by them.

I am not impressed by miracles. Miracles only occur if there is a mind. If there is no mind, there are no miracles.