Siddhis for "World Peace"?

John, modified 8 Years ago at 7/14/15 7:47 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/14/15 7:47 PM

Siddhis for "World Peace"?

Posts: 14 Join Date: 7/14/15 Recent Posts
First post at DU!

I'm in the process of going for stream entry, and may have crossed into the 3Cs earlier this week. That said, I am genuinely curious to know if (and I recognize this is something for much, much later in the practice — like at least for anagamis and arahats) the siddhis could be used to, for example, slow down or stop acts of genocide in a given area abroad? Perhaps through a combination of OBE and pervading/suffusing the area with thoughts of metta and compassion?

I recognize that there's probably an unspoken Prime Directive with the siddhis, that they probably should not be used to interfere with the natural development of others karma. But surely, creating the causes for nonaggression and goodwill in the world is valid, right? Using them to prevent people from joining terrorist groups, raising mobs, killing and maiming women and children, &c? Or is this completely contrary to what the siddhis can accomplish or should be used for?
The Poster Formerly Known As RyanJ, modified 8 Years ago at 7/14/15 9:22 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/14/15 9:20 PM

RE: Siddhis for "World Peace"?

Posts: 85 Join Date: 6/19/15 Recent Posts
No one knows exactly how the Siddhi's work, how much or how little they work. If one assumes, roughly, the usual definition of siddhis as consciousness + intention = siddhis, then if one person wishes for peace and 10,000 wish for genocide, the 10,000 will win. So even if one person has good intentions, that doesn't factor in the countless, perhaps infinite other factors at play. Personally imo, that's why its better to be more strategic and invent sophisticated social structures and technological infrastructure to prevent mass violence in the first place. So from a strategic standpoint, its more optimal to invest in science and 'social progress', even if the Siddhi's 'are real' because clearly no one has demonstrated mass effacacy, that I know of at least.
The Poster Formerly Known As RyanJ, modified 8 Years ago at 7/15/15 4:20 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/15/15 4:15 AM

RE: Siddhis for "World Peace"? (Answer)

Posts: 85 Join Date: 6/19/15 Recent Posts
To add to my post, I wrote a post about magic and Jon Kabat-Zinn creating MBSR after a Siddhi experience that has had very large effects upon the world. That being said, my full views get rather detailed more than I have time to write about, but for example, MBSR is only effective because particular technological and social structures exist that enable it to happen in the first place. So, it's in the realm of the Siddhi's, simultaneously made possible by recent human progress.

Actually, I would recommend Siddhi's more for insight and or wholesome personal goals. Vajryana is an example of a path that utilizes Siddhi's for insight. Maybe intenting/meditative visualization to improve at various hobbies, exercise, being more friendly, enjoyable, etc. would be a reasonable aim. Not necessarily selflessly, but some sort of wellrounded balance of selfish and selfless. Things in the realm of your control, balanced, reasonable, etc. The usage of a strong meditation practice seems to make pulling off these changes of significantly easier.

The whole point of loving-kindness is radiating goodwill. That's a pretty well thought out spell. But for however much loving-kindness has been radiated into the Earth's atmosphere, I don't think we have any reason to believe it has mitigated any war. But we do have reason to believe things like technological infrastructure can go a long ways to mitigate war. I'm very pro-siddhi's by the way, but I fall into the camp that I don't think we really know much of anything about them quite yet. To expand, someone might come along and say, "Siddhi's clearly are for this and this and this case, and only a pure person can use them." When perhaps that's simply the programming they've received and that someone with entirely different programming has totally different logic to the Siddhi's, thereby causing them to experience magical events in line with their cultural programming.
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Jenny, modified 8 Years ago at 7/15/15 10:09 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/15/15 10:09 AM

RE: Siddhis for "World Peace"? (Answer)

Posts: 566 Join Date: 7/28/13 Recent Posts
There will be an entire new book division devoted to the siddhis, magick, and metta practice n MCTB2, so stay tuned.
Che, modified 8 Years ago at 7/16/15 1:23 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/16/15 1:22 AM

RE: Siddhis for "World Peace"? (Answer)

Posts: 35 Join Date: 3/20/14 Recent Posts
Let's say a person is very angry, and I wish for this person to not be angry while in jhana, and let's assume it works - for a single moment the person isn't angry, that's all. What happens next completely depends on the person. 

If the person didn't enjoy being angry, or wasn't particularly emotionally involved, perhaps the anger was out of habit like between parent and son, this moment of peace is a blessing, and they will quickly apologize to whoever they were angry with, or grow quiet and drop the anger or even grow enlightened. However, if they have good reasons (in their view) to remain angry and were actually enjoying the punishment they were handing out, they will be annoyed with the sudden interruption of peace, blame themselves for showing weakness and soon reinforce their anger.

Such interruptions don't always lead to insight. The automatic conditioning they are subject to won't let them know any better most times. Most people are likely to brush it off as just one of those things.

There is the story of Ven. Pattacara, who roamed the streets naked after losing her family in tragic circumstances. The Buddha happened to be in her town, and when she passed him by the crowds tried to shoo her off, but the Buddha compassionately intervened with his siddhi and gave her a clear mind for one moment. That one moment was enough - that was all she needed to recover herself, realize she was naked in the streets, and realize that this man was a great teacher. All because she didn't enjoy being mad.

A similar story with Ven. Angulimala whose anger was erased for a moment; and that one moment of not being angry shook him and reformed him, because he didn't really enjoy his anger.

Being the Buddha he knew whom to reform with his siddhis.

With someone who doesn't want to reform, repeatedly hitting them with the siddhis just adds to the violence.
Distant Admirer, modified 8 Years ago at 7/16/15 3:26 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/16/15 3:26 PM

RE: Siddhis for "World Peace"?

Posts: 13 Join Date: 6/26/15 Recent Posts
Best siddhis for world peace, in order:

1) Living a good life by example (others will follow you)

2) Metta

That's it

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