Question for 林愛偉

[Todd]

In another thread you mentioned that wisdom/enlightenment without powers, and powers without wisdom/enlightenment are both dangerous for cultivators and those around them. I am specifically interested in the wisdom/enlightenment (I'm sorry I can't remember what word you used) without powers part of that statement.

 

Why do you say this?

 

I'll tell you where my mind goes with this, so your answer might be more inclusive of that. I'm not sure what to think of powers. I don't have any powers beyond a bit of intelligence, and my intuition, and the millions of other things that we get to do as human beings. I mean I don't have any powers beyond the pale, whatever that means. Anything that has seemed like a power, was actually more like something I was watching, and it was never really definite, which I kind've like. Who really wants power anyway?

 

Very rarely, my teacher speaks about powers that he has come across. He has mentioned being able to make anyone wake up, by shifting a few things around energetically. He usually says this to make the point that it didn't do any good unless the true seeing is coming from the person. He's mentioned being able to heal someone, like flipping a switch. He says he can give people energetic experiences, but he doesn't really want to. None of this is a major part of his teaching. In the many hours that I have spent listening to him, I have only heard him mention things like this 5-6 times, and it was always to make some other point. His teaching really boils down to love and wisdom, with wisdom really taking the cake. Love seems to be more like a sign that we aren't getting stuck anywhere. I am assuming that powers would probably fall somewhere significantly below love, considering how little they are mentioned, and how quickly they are moved past when they are mentioned.

 

So where does the necessity of powers come in? Is it just that they tend to come up as one moves deeper into truth, or are they something that needs to be specifically cultivated? And if they need to be specifically cultivated, why would one want to, if one is primarily interested in truth?

 

Of course, these questions are beyond my experience, and I will remain with my experience no matter what the answer, but I am really interested in what your answer might be. A little bit more experience, I guess we might say.

 

Thank you.

[林愛偉]

In another thread you mentioned that wisdom/enlightenment without powers, and powers without wisdom/enlightenment are both dangerous for cultivators and those around them. I am specifically interested in the wisdom/enlightenment (I'm sorry I can't remember what word you used) without powers part of that statement.

 

Why do you say this?

 

I'll tell you where my mind goes with this, so your answer might be more inclusive of that. I'm not sure what to think of powers. I don't have any powers beyond a bit of intelligence, and my intuition, and the millions of other things that we get to do as human beings. I mean I don't have any powers beyond the pale, whatever that means. Anything that has seemed like a power, was actually more like something I was watching, and it was never really definite, which I kind've like. Who really wants power anyway?

 

Very rarely, my teacher speaks about powers that he has come across. He has mentioned being able to make anyone wake up, by shifting a few things around energetically. He usually says this to make the point that it didn't do any good unless the true seeing is coming from the person. He's mentioned being able to heal someone, like flipping a switch. He says he can give people energetic experiences, but he doesn't really want to. None of this is a major part of his teaching. In the many hours that I have spent listening to him, I have only heard him mention things like this 5-6 times, and it was always to make some other point. His teaching really boils down to love and wisdom, with wisdom really taking the cake. Love seems to be more like a sign that we aren't getting stuck anywhere. I am assuming that powers would probably fall somewhere significantly below love, considering how little they are mentioned, and how quickly they are moved past when they are mentioned.

 

So where does the necessity of powers come in? Is it just that they tend to come up as one moves deeper into truth, or are they something that needs to be specifically cultivated? And if they need to be specifically cultivated, why would one want to, if one is primarily interested in truth?

 

Of course, these questions are beyond my experience, and I will remain with my experience no matter what the answer, but I am really interested in what your answer might be. A little bit more experience, I guess we might say.

 

Thank you.

 

 

From what you say of your teacher, he is taking you on the right path.

 

As for power development, though there are specific methods to cultivate them, it is not mandatory to do so. For one reason; if one has wisdom, they will never put themselves in the range of demons and or situations which cause them or others harm. So, they will not need powers to fight back so to say. Another reason for not needing to develop powers is that if one has wisdom, they will never unwillingly be in a situation which leads to their unpleasantness...for they will not be in "view" of pleasant and unpleasant. Therefore, they will not need powers to alter their reality. Wisdom will automatically do that.

 

In terms of attaining wisdom, and enlightenment, one will naturally, as an outcome of proper enlightenment, be able to tell the difference between beneficial and not beneficial for the choice of living they wish. They will not be subject to the ebbs and flows of their karma, and will realize their faults, and conditions in order to change them through wise discrimination. These abilities are inherent within proper wisdom, and come as a result of proper cultivation.

Developing powers purposely without wisdom results in harmful states, and harmful realities, experiences. If one develops the ability to move others with energy/mind, they may put themselves in a situation where they have to show their skill, and most times than not, they cannot produce it, and then they get either beat up or pushed out of a quiet living.

If one develops high skill abilities, and shows it off, they may cause a problem within society, and thus the law gets involved, taking those whom were taught the abilities, and the person teaching. THis will cause bad outcomes for many people.

Within this, wisdom would not be present. A wise person who also cultivates abilities would seldom talk about them in terms of his own development, and would very rarely perform it for students or the public. He would utilize the abilities when it is life or death situations, such as saving one's life, assisting in one's awakening, and or assisting in helping a being heal themselves. A person can never heal another person through energetic means. They only move things around, transform here and there, and the person themself makes the change in mind and behavior. This is true healing.

 

I asked your questions before as well. Who needs, or wants abilities?! Then it came down to, those who have wisdom, usually shake up the foundation of an unaware society. It is good to know how to alter reality when things change through other people's intervention. In this case, only wisdom would be needed in order to alter reality for the good of others, not for self benefit.

 

So on one hand, wisdom is the overall key to it all, and on the other, wisdom results in realizing how to work with mind. Therefore, abilities come from proper wisdom, but only beneficial outcomes result form the cultivation of proper wisdom.

 

Peace and Blessings,

Lin

[rain]

tank you. it is good to know that it is far to go.

[林愛偉]

tank you. it is good to know that it is far to go.

 

 

 

Wisdom has many levels to it as well. On one hand one can be wise enough to recognize their faults, but lack the will to change them. THerefore, further cultivation is needed. It doesn't end until it does.

 

There is a saying in the Buddhist school; "The Dharma is neither sudden nor gradual. Ignorant beings take a long time to awaken, while enlighten beings drop everything on an instant."

 

It is a long ways to go in terms of changing our behavior and mind, habits. If we had one inkling of special ability, but was irresponsible with our own daily life, then we would cause more harm than good, and not only to ourselves but our environment.

As long as we are in our states/views we will be subject to their ebb and flow. Wisdom is the shears that cut off our ignorance. Constant delving into our wisdom mind strengthens that influence in all states, and eventually dissolves our states of mind, revealing the purity of wisdom.

So wisdom is the mirror reflecting back to itself only to reveal no form of itself..which is Thus.

 

Mouthful...

 

Peace,

Lin

[rex]

The way I've been given to understand it is that minor and major siddhis arise naturally as one purifies one's mind stream of cognitive and emotional obscurations.

[rain]

thank you Lin

food for thought and thoughts for laughter.

 

*bows*

i suspect i have a fondness for little details these days..

[林愛偉]

The way I've been given to understand it is that minor and major siddhis arise naturally as one purifies one's mind stream of cognitive and emotional obscurations.

 

 

yes. Arising is just a term used for when something is no longer there, what has always been there appears to the cultivator.

---just to clear up the "arising" word for some---

 

Peace,

Lin

[宁]

interesting and wise words, you all. this is what i seek indeed. Todd, i like how your teacher does things, it reminds me of the way one of my main teachers thinks and acts. he can show a lot, but chooses not to, he can give a lot of knowledge, but chooses to cultivate and share wisdom and health. this is, for me, the real deal. not fancy powers, especially if they go together with immature attitude. i'm not judging anyone, as i think, with little exceptions, that somehow all of us will come to this someday.

 

there is something special about the tao, that makes it look not so special.

but it has the gift of moving the world.

when we feel this, there is no doubt left.

it's so subtle.

 

thank you for your words too, Lin.

somehow they reminded me of someone who said to me one day: "in a seeker's journey, one will have to reach a point where he has to choose. the choise is between power and wisdom. you will surely get there too, everyone does." he said he is pretty sure of what i would choose - but i'm not i mean i wasn't because there was still a little piece missing. Lin's message cleared it up for me.

 

Todd, who is your teacher?

[Todd]

Thanks for the clarification, Lin.

 

Todd, who is your teacher?

 

Adyashanti

[Mal]