(Context: Why Buddhist monastics are not allowed to perform miracles in public.) The story of Devadatta illustrates how developing psychic powers in your meditation does not necessarily do anything to help you to attain enlightenment. Buddhism is primarily...
(Context: Why Buddhist monastics are not allowed to perform miracles in public.) Devadatta was a first cousin of the Buddha who became his disciple. He was a talented meditator who developed great psychic powers.[1] He used his powers to gain fame, power...
In most religious traditions, miracles occupy a central place. In contrast, in early Buddhism, miracles are at best greeted with “meh”. In fact, Buddhist monks are even explicitly banned from performing miracles in public. The monastic code the Buddha...
(Context: Susan’s excellent adventure, Part I, Part II, and Part III.) Steps 6 through 8 might jump out at you. Those steps best illustrate why it is important to work with a qualified teacher. This is a challenging path, and like all challenging...
(Continued from Part II.) Step 7: Wrestling with profound resistance. Like Helena finding that her most powerful enemy was an even mightier duplicate of herself, and that her only solution was to charge at it without any hesitation, Susan would soon find no way...