Ramji,
Just wanted explain something. As you rightly noted society is adharmic and has an ongoing victim mentality. I have no illusions that I need to be someone or do anything in order to complete myself.
My question about siddhis was purely hyposthetical curiosity about how scrpiture views rhese types of actions. As you know I have been getting a taste of how academia sees Yogis. One book I was required to read was Sinister Yogis by David Gordon White. The book focused on a historical perpective on Yoga from a western academic framework. This means only written accounts can be taken seruously. And the written accounts of the British encountering Yogis in the 18-19 centuries was that they were magicians and sinister practicioners of witchcraft. The book leaned very heavily on the fear regular Indian people had of Yogis. Which reminded me of the old stories of medicine men in our tradition. In short, you didnt want to piss one off. They might do something to you. That got me to thinking how it must have been more common for spirtual practitioners back then to use siddah powers against people they disagreed with. So that led me to wondering wether using those powers was intrinsically adharmic.
Ram: Actually siddhis only work on superstitious people. It is an eternal issue because society is based on fear. I had a friend in India who wanted permission from the government to sell some items she had inherited. The bureaucrat wanted a huge bribe and she was determined not to pay. So she asked me to dress up in-my guru stuff with a sandalwood third eye and my mala etc., sit motionless in the chair next to her and stare at the bureaucrat. The man lowered his price immediately, she paid, he signed off and that was that. Spiritual people are particularly inclined to superstition. If you don’t have a suspicious mind fear vibes just bounce off. It is the belief that fear is real that scares people, not fear itself. Fear is only a thought.
All that is to say please dont think I have back peddeled to such a degree that I feel the a need to go save the world by meditating in a cave for 30 years till I can lift rocks with my mind or some other such nonesense. Lol.
Ram: Not to worry, Joe. I know you’re good to go Vedantawise.
Yes… there is a tiny part of me that would love to punish the folks who raped, stabbed , murdered and set my niece on fire a few months back. But that sort of thing happens on a semi regular basis around here. So it is a challenge. But I have no illusion of needing to complete myself through such actions
Love
Joe
