Mantra Siddhi? What is it? - IV

Now where does this leave the Spiritual seekers?

Mantra Siddhi has no relevance to Spiritual seekers.

There are many Mantras which give only spiritual powers. The Taraka Mantram is that which enables its invokers to cross over the ocean of samsara and attain liberation. Then almost all the other Mantras have also ability to take the Sadhaka towards his/her spiritual goal.

The Spirtual seeker has no necessity for Prayogam or application. The Mantra automatically takes you to a higher level. When you chant the name of Krishna or Rama or Devi you are not thinking of Siddhis or powers. You are seeking GOD.

Does it mean that spiritual seekers will not get Siddhi?

NO. The spiritual seeker also gets Siddhis.

The Ashtama Siddhi and its achievement are quite different. Of course there are Siddhis other than Ashtma Siddhi. Things like the body glowing, getting younger, hair growing on bald head and so on. Many of these powers are bestowed without even asking for it. I have heard of a person who had attained a power which ensured that all the flowers he offered the Deity fell on the Deity in the form of a garland. May be years of practice. The other common Siddhis are the power of healing and clairvoyance.

Is getting Siddhis an obstacle to Spirtual Progress?

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is always a likelihood of a Sadhaka getting Siddhi or Power forgetting his/her spiritual goals. 

That is how we see many Sadhus and Holy men who have stopped pursuing their spiritual goals after attaining Siddhi/Siddhis. We also see Holy men who have Siddhis and who continue in their Spirtual paths without bothering about the Siddhis. 

Another feature of Mantra siddhi is that it does have a tendency to make one proud. Pride in achivement. This bloats the EGO. We have all seen many Sadhus and Holymen who are full of SELF IMPORTANCE. This is a big impediment to Spirtual Progress.

Then the Power of Healing and Clairvoyance can lead to the seeker forgetting his/her ultimate goals. They become Heelers and Clairvoyants. Because these powers lead to an increase in popularity (Fame) and also could lead to prosperity, the ultimate goal is forgotten.

None of these fault of the Siddhi but of the Seeker.

It is better for Spiritual Seekers to keep off Mantra Siddhi. Lead us not into temptations, My Lord.

Total and absolute surrender is the only way of achieving the lotus feet of GOD. 


शरणागत दीनार्त परित्र्याण परायणे।
सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते। 

तां ढुर्गां दुर्गमां देवीं दुराचारविघातिनीम् ।
नमामि भवभीतोऽहं संसारार्णवतारिणीम् ।

Jai MAA !!!

Religion and Spirituality

This was posted by me in 2001. I am still searching for an answer.


Sometime back a friend of mine asked me a question that set methinking. He asked me about a person who we all knew to be a person who bore malice towards one and all and more harm he did to people around him the happier he felt. His wife deserted him being unable to stand his cruelty.


He was thoroughly disliked by everyone. But this man used to visit the Temple everyday, perform Poojas, even used to deliver lectures to the public on Bhagavath Geeta. He was also quite successful in his career.


We see nowadays a lot of people who have become famous and rich by selling religion and more often Vedanta to top executives in posh hotels. I had attended a couple of programmes on Stress Management, which included sessions on Vedanta and Meditation.


On the face of it this looks very bad to a serious Devotee and a Spiritual aspirant. But the question is it so?


To find an answer we have to see what is religion and what is spirituality.


Religion is a set of beliefs and practices. To put it better it is a set of practices based on a set of beliefs.


People tend to be religious for a variety of reasons.


To get something done with divine help. To attain Moksha or Heaven. To attain happiness. To get spiritual elevation.


The meaning of Spiritual is given in the Oxford Dictionary as "of the spirit or soul, of religion, not of material things." The most important thing here is the meaning not of material things. This meaning that spiritual is not of material things is universally accepted.


Now if we say that only people who give up material things are spiritual, we will be totally wrong. It is not the acquisition of material things, which is wrong, but attachment to them. 


But do we stop here? If all spiritual people give up their worldly attachments and go off into the forest or Ashram how does it benefit humanity? I believe that having been born a man we have an obligation to do something for the betterment of humanity. That is why we talk about doing good deeds. I would consider a person to be spiritual only when he not only gives up his worldly attachments and but also does something to spread happiness in the world and also does not do any harm to his fellow living things. Bagavan Sri Ramakrishna was born intothis world for two purposes. One to prove by personal example that the real Hindu religion is the acceptance of all religions and two to guide his Disciples who will change the entire face of the world with their messages.


But the question here is between either being spiritual or religious. As I said people tend to be religious for four reasons. But if we are religious for getting material benefit, to attain Moksha, to achieve Happiness for ourselves, Nirvana and realise parabrahman (I do not know what this means. It is beyond my comprehension) then we are
religious and not spiritual.


But if we do something for the good of others, not harm other living things, spread the knowledge around then we become spiritual. Fortunately the world has been blessed with a lot of such good Samaritans. I do not know how many of you have heard of Dr. Dooly an American Doctor who was born into a rich family and who one fine morning decided to throw it all away and go to Laos, live in miserable conditions and serve the poor people. Dr.
Dooly was spiritual not religious. Now a Sannyasin may give up his worldly attachments and go into the forest and attain Moksha. But he is not spiritual since he has not served humanity.


The only saying of Swami Vivekananda, which I always remember is "Service to Humanity is service to God".


Am I saying that being religious is wrong? No. All of us cannot be like Dr. Dooly. Practice of all religions especially Hinduism makes a person progress towards spirituality. Having been a Hippie (The flower people of the sixties) and having moved very closely with many of them (from materially advanced nations), I know what materialism
can do to your soul? But does it mean rejection of material comforts? Definitely not. As long as we think materialism is not the end of all of our life, there is always hope for us. The very fact that we come to the internet and discuss spirituality means that there is a yearning in us for doing something.


Talking about giving up material things, even Sannyasins find it difficult to give up two things. One is fame and the other hearing others praising us. That is why find great Gurus vying with each other for Fame. Then they get trapped in the praise of their Disciples and get caught in the Maya and forget the purpose of their life.


I was talking about a religious person earlier. He became successful because of his Bhakthi. He conducted courses in Bhagavad-Gita because it brought him fame. But even then he might become spiritual because of the benefit the others got because of his lectures in Bhagavad-Gita, if he stops harming others. The Swamiji who gives discourses in posh hotels to the rich and famous thinks that he is doing a great service by trying to turn them spiritual. May be he is right.


The entire purpose of writing this posting is to make you think. We may be Bhakthas, Saadhaks, Saadhikas, Tantrics, Mantrics, and Siddhas. But until and unless we do good to others and stop causing harm to other living things we cannot consider ourselves to be spiritual.