The real purpose of siddhis?
Question
Hello sir, I always read you, hope you are fine.
You answered a question of mine months ago about Siddhi-s (super-human powers) of the Yogi (2012-02). In that answer you claim the following: "They [the Siddhi-s] do not help him [the Yogi] transcend the planes of worldliness nor help merge into the final plane of pure consciousness [...] Such activity poses a very real risk of breaking his practice for attaining Kaivalya [...] Hence the wise Yogi does not take pleasure in claiming to possess such powers [...] for he knows the dangers of such unjustified use."
After reading your answer now I ask: why does the Yogi adquire Siddhi-s then if they represent a risk to him and his practice? Are the Siddhi-s then a method of the Lord for testing the will and worth of the Yogi? why is the Yogi granted Shiddi-s?
In a similar fashion, you claim in some of your answers that the Yogi eventually can acquire fame, wealth and 'Ojas and Tejas' that give him a divine, charismatic aura that can attract people. Why does this happen? Doesn't all this (fame, wealth, etc.) represent more risk to the Yogi? He may succumb to worldly pleasures, to Maya, develop an unhealthy ego and much more. Is this another way of the Lord for testing the Yogi or is part of the Lord's Leela? Why would a Yogi want wealth and fame and recognition? Why are those granted by the Lord?
Thank you so much.
Answer
Both Siddhi-s or super-normal powers and the attractive qualities that accrue from transmutation of vital fluid into Ojas are the by-products of a life of Brahmacharya. These results of advanced practice can be made use of by the Yogi under justified conditions, for select, positive purposes. If used in an unjustified manner, without proper warrant, they work negatively and lead to his downfall.
Evolution of the Jiva (embodied soul) always leads to the manifestation of better faculties and abilities. Just as the abilities of the Jiva were limited in animal form, but have become pronounced in human form (ex. an animal cannot use a computer, while a human being can), the advanced Yogi who has gained certain siddhi-s can do some things which the ordinary man cannot. This is a very natural phenomenon considering the fact that the powers of the Atman are manifesting themselves to a higher degree in the Siddha-Yogi.
Greater power also acts as a means to test the character of the Yogi. Any man will be humble and meek under impoverishment. The true character of a man is testable only when he is under the influence of great power and reach. Give power, name, fame and wealth to a man, and even the most saintly person starts showing his lower traits and tendencies under the sway of his Ego which inevitably kindles under such circumstances. In the same way, the ascending Yogi is tested by nature as regards his true worth. While one who is still under the influence of his ego gets carried away with the euphoria of power he accesses further to the floweing of siddhi-s, the wise Yogi always remains calm and unaffected, knowing that the powers he has are not his own but that of the Lord shining through him. He firmly rests in the fact that the effects of such power are in effect the results of Maya (cosmic illusion). He does not give the least importance to their effects but continues to function as an ordinary man, full of devotion and love for the Lord.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)