What is so interesting to me is that if some guy jumped out of a van and handed you these claims, you would judge them as crazy.
But then apply the magic of far away, and long ago and voila! People take it seriously. The Shiva Samhita is by an unknown author from the 16th or 17th century. That is pretty late in the game for having a supposed connection to Vedic times. It is the equivalent of finding a pamphlet on the ground near the freak's midway at a carnival and saying: hey these claims are very likely to be true! Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. These flimsy references don't cut it. There is no reason for modern people to take the claims of the supernatural feat of "flying" seriously. First it was a way from Maharishi to get people to flock to more expensive courses with bogus promises. Then when that didn't pan out(magical things did not happen) it became a reason to get people to flock to big courses to "save the world". Now if anyone wants to make a case that Maharishi believed his own hype instead of being a straight up con, I think you could make that case. On seeing "flyers' for the first time, he reportedly said "Is that all they can do?" (That story is from Jerry) So maybe he believed it too. But by now I think it is more reasonable to think more carefully about the source of the belief in flying and noting that if this was such a big deal in Vedic times, don't you think it would have been mentioned a lot earlier? --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@...> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/310458 > > > > Both cardmeister and I have quoted extensively from these in earlier > > threads in FFL. > > Excellent job. > > 54. As a frog moves by leaps, so the Yogin sitting in the Padma posture moves > on the earth. With a (further) increased practice, he is able to rise from > the ground. > > 55. He, while seated in Padma posture, levitates. There arises to him the > power to perform extraordinary feats. > > 56. He does (or should) not disclose to others his feats of great powers (in > the path). Any pain small or great, does not affect the Yogin. > > 57. Then excretions and sleep are diminished; tears, rheum in the eye, > salivary flow, sweat and bad smell in the mouth do not arise in him. > > I shall follow the instructions to the letter, except maybe the > bit about giving up walking and washing in the morning... and > a few of the others, but am fascinated to see what life without > saliva or sweat is going to be like. > > I guess the next question is, has anyone in this day and age > achieved it? I bet they've tried. But if they are following the instructions > properly we'll never know, which is a tad annoying. > It's all up to the publicity hungry TMO to tell the world should anyone > actually manage it. Which I doubt, obviously. But nice to > know there is at least a precedent for strange ideas like these. > > > > L > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > ...what ancient texts actually mention levitation as > > > occuring in three stages - hopping, floating, flying? > > > > > > I ask because an hours Googling has failed to come up > > > with anything other than a mention that the TMO teach > > > levitation as occuring in these three stages and have, > > > as yet, to achieve more than the first stage. > > > > > > I've read Patanjali and a good many upanishads but > > > to no avail, I don't have all day so it would be cool > > > if any experts could put me in the right direction.... > > > > > > Ta. > > > > > >
