Forwarded message from Marko Manninen

[S. V. Subrahmanian]

Shri Markoji wrote:

I ment with last question that why possible jivanmuktas has different kind
of teaching methods (doctrines) and spiritual"powers", siddhis if all
jivanmuktas are supposed to be "enlightened" from the _same_ source? Or are
there specific degrees of jivanmukta?

My 2c worth:

A man can swim, fly kites, ski, ride horses.  But he does not have to do any
of these to be a man.  The "siddhis" still are in the realm of subtler
states of existence.  One may have acquired them or may not have acquired
them in their sadhana towards the Absolute.  A jivanmuktha has crossed all
the "AvaranAs" that cover the Truth and has become one with it.  When he has
woken up from the dream where is the question of trying to manipulate the
events in the dream by whatever means.  Whatever his grosser states of
existence had acquired by virtue of effort they will exist till the gross
body falls off.

If you look at Ramana Maharshi's life, a thief once entered the Ashram,
ransacked it and beat up everybody including even Ramana M.  So do we
conclued that Ramana M. was powerless and hence not realized ?

Siddhis have nothing to do with TRUTH.  They are also outside of it, as much
your illusory perceptions, material possessions etc.

Postscript:

(An anecdote):  Buddha was teaching his disciples in a forest and he was
explaining to them that the phenomenal world was nothing but an illusion.
Suddenly a horde of wild elephants started charging towards the teacher and
disciples.  All the disciples ran for shelter and even Buddha ran for
shelter.  The elephants did whatever damage they could and proceeded on.
When the teacher and disciples gathered again, one of the students asked
Buddha, if the whole world is an illusion, how come you also ran with us.
You could have stayed on for the coming of the elephants is only an
illusion.

Buddha replied:  If the coming of the elephants was an illusion, then my
running away was only an illusion.

S. V. Subrahmanian
svs_shankara at hotmail.com
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