Have you ever wondered what kind of cultures lived on earth in our distant past, thousands of years ago for example? Various cultures around the planet from all continents talk about the dawn of creation, and have their creation myths, the story of the flood, and other epic tales that allude to astronomical events or alignments of constellations in the sky. Sometimes important astronomical events that mark significant moments in our long history are recorded for posterity in parables and mythic tales, so as to preserve them in the collective memory of society as a whole.
Over the millennia details or real meanings of the epic tales can be lost and all we may be left with are the parables themselves, without knowing what they are alluding to. And in these circumstances whole religions are sometimes formed around myths or parables that tell of one thing but actually allude to another. Besides the Egyptian legends and the Mayan mythology, there is also the Persian histories and my own personal favorite, the Vedic literature of ancient India. Volumes of fine Sanskrit poetry still remain in tact for all to read, as long as you have the right translation that is.
Over the ages the written words might be there in the ancient language but the exact interpretation or meaning may be lost. The words might not mean the same today as they did then. Or we may have simply forgotten some of the concepts referred to altogether. One specific Vedic revelation from the fantastic and marvelous tales tells of a time when yogis were masters of the mystic arts. They could perform austerities for years on end, going into deep trance in their meditation, and with this effort they could capture certain gifts, blessings or mystic powers.
We are all familiar with the concept of having extra-sensory powers due to the popularising of the concept in the Hollywood movies about superheros or X-Men. In ancient times yogis wouldn’t reveal their gifts as openly but would retreat to the forest where, after years of training and practice, they could emerge with what is known as the “asta-siddhis”, asta meaning eight and siddhi meaning powers or perfections. Some of these rewards included taking birth on higher planets. It is described that there are millions of possible planets to which the yogi could travel on leaving this body at death, depending on the state of consciousness attained.
In these upper planetary systems there are reported to be facilities thousands of times greater for material enjoyment than here on earth. The inhabitants there have these mystic perfections or abilities, They don’t need to train to manifest them but are born with them, so to speak. The eight particular abilities are described as
anima-siddhi: becoming as small as a particle
laghima-siddhi: becoming as light as air
prapti-siddhi: being able to manifest anything from a distant location instantly
mahima-siddhi: becoming heavier than anything
isitva-siddhi: the ability to create or destroy anything at will
vasista-siddhi: the ability to control the material elements
prakamya-siddhi: to never be frustrated in any desire
kamavasayita-siddhi: to be able to assume any shape or form desired
Besides that, there is no need of mechanized vehicles to travel in space, but they can move and travel at will from one planet to another in no time. Combustion machinery is considered a poor substitute from a lesser culture compared to the talents of the residents of these other planets.
Just as a curious person wants to travel the world to see all the various places, similarly the materially motivated yogi can sometimes desire to experience the subtle mystical gifts that are mere by-products of the yoga process. And in the material world most of us would like to have some kind of gift with which we can also work some magic. Well these mystic arts are possible, but they are not a cheap trick.
In the material world we want to dominate over the material energy and exploit it to our personal ends, but in the advanced yoga tradition the aspirant would rather renounce the external world of temporary illusory fulfillment and look within to find these gifts which are far greater than what we may have experienced so far. To us nowadays these concepts seem to be nothing more than sci-fi comic book pastimes, but there are specific references to these very abilities, as well as techniques whereby one can awaken them.
Much of this wisdom has been lost over the millennia or misunderstood, or is extremely difficult for our modern society to aspire to. Times have changed and today’s people are not familiar with the yogic arts of previous times, which take years to perfect. Today we are used to instant gratification, with no time to waste or contemplate the higher meaning too life. Nevertheless, just knowing that these potentials exist in all of us, in dormant form, is inspiring and revealing, as it tells us that we are capable of far more than our parents and teachers tell us about. They themselves are unaware, but the information is there for the discerning seeker of heightened consciousness, and that is an inspiration in itself.
