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} Its a
momentum that actually controls his entire mind, but its 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. Its ok to have
that. But were 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, its 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 its 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.