Buddhism FAQ3 Magical powers

=Buddhism FAQ=

(Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)

3. Are there any magical powers described in Buddhism?
Ans : With meditation a person achieves many trance states

Trance states :

Buddha has described many supernatural powers associated with advanced trance states, these are descried in :

Samannaphala Sutta (Digha Nikaya 1.2) and also in many places

1. Body as a sheath : The person can come out of body like a sword from its sheath or like a snake from its dwelling.

2. One to many & many to one : The person can create many replicas, make them work as per wish and them make many to one.

3. Vanish : The person can vanish or reappear

4. Goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water.

5. Walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land.

6. Fly through the air like a winged bird while in sitting posture in meditation

7. Touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful

8. Exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds(Arch-angel worlds).

9. Clairaudience : Hears by divine ear any sounds far or near, divine or human

10. Mind Reading : One knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with one's own awareness. One can read minds of others & know presence of passion, aversion, etc just like a person watching reflection in mirror

Besides these, one can recollect past lives of others (earlier rebirths) and also after death one can discern where that person has gone (reborn in what state) by the divine eye.