Gaining Everything

Working Miracles

A poor young fisherman called Judar finds, well-hidden, the Treasure House of the world. He knocks at the door. A porter, armed with an axe, opens and says: "Stretch out your neck so that I can cut off your head." Un-afraid, Judar does so, and the blow is painless. He sees that the porter is a body without a soul. After further adventures, he proceeds to the Treasure itself, which consists of the four Valuables - the Celestial Disc (whose owner sees all lands as near), the Sword (whose owner can slay all creatures), the Seal-Ring (whose owner possesses and rules the world), and the Collyrium Pot (whose owner can see all the world's treasures).  Condensed from Arabian Nights Entertainments

In our language, Judar, losing his head and seeing Who he really is, finds himself exercising the Powers of that One - astral travel, annihilation and re-creation, ownership of all things, and knowledge of the Clear Essence of all things. These Powers he wields naturally as 1st person singular. In addition, he may well find himself exercising 'supernatural' powers or siddhis: 'miracles' are indeed apt to occur around Self-realised persons. But these are comparatively trivial. They can prove a trap for the unwary - which is why the experts advise that they may be thankfully noted, but never cultivated.

The true Supernatural Power is one's own Natural State, in which one is the real Self, and which is won by becoming aware of that Self which one already is. The other siddhis are like those that are won in a dream.
In fact, Realisation comprises everything and the realised man will not waste a thought on powers. Let people first get Realisation and then seek powers if they still want to.  Ramana Maharshi

Can you walk on water? You have done no better than a straw. Can you fly in the air? You have done no better than a bluebottle. Conquer your heart; then you may become somebody.  Ansari of Herat 

One ounce of sanctifying grace is worth more than a hundred-weight of those graces which the theologians call 'gratuitous', among which is the gift of miracles.  St. Francis de Sales

Priest: The founder of our sect has such remarkable powers that he held a brush in his hand on one bank of the river and wrote the name Amida on a piece of paper on the other bank. Can you do such a thing?
Bankei: Perhaps your fox can perform that trick, but that is not the manner of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink.


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