The Divine Powers

¹ Mental focus binds the mind into a single point.

² Dhyana is focusing all of the mind’s perceptual flow into one object ³ so that the mind sheds its own form and attains samadhi with that object.

⁴ These three then become one discipline:

1. Dharana (Mental Focus)
2. Dhyana (Intense Meditation on an Object)
3. Samadhi (Realization)

⁵ This leads to True Wisdom, ⁶ and is done in stages.

⁷ These three limbs are are more interiorized and seedless than the preceding five (Yama, Niyama, Asanas, Pranayama, Pratyahara) ⁸ external limbs.

⁹ The end of mental flow leads to the end of thought. These subjugate the external world and leads to the end of samskara, ¹⁰ letting the mind flow into tranquility.

¹¹ Through one-pointed focus, the mind flows into samadhi.

¹² Through one-pointed focus, the rise and fall of thought-waves cancel each other out. ¹³ Through this layer, the nature of the soul is revealed through time, condition, and dharma.

¹⁴ The nature of the manifest, unmanifest, and soon-to-manifest follow the dharma.

¹⁵ The variations of the flow cause a real transformation.

¹⁶ Observing the pattern of changes of the three (time, condition, and dharma) will lead to the knowledge of past and future.

¹⁷ Sound, words, and meaning get mixed up. Discernment through discipline sorts through the mess and reveals the knowledge of all the Layers of Reality.

¹⁸ Directly observing one’s samkaras with perfect discipline yields insight into previous births.

¹⁹ By applying perfect discipline on the perceptions of another person, one gains insights on that person’s mind ²⁰ even if such insights are not the acual reality now.

²¹ By applying perfect discipline on one’s own body, it becomes invisible. The eyes of others are disengaged from incoming light, and their power to perceive is suspended.

²² Likewise, through perfect discipline other percepts - sound, smell, taste, touch - can be made to disappear.

²³ The results of karma may come immediately or slowly. By applying perfect discipline on one’s actions, knowledge on death or omens is gained.

²⁴ By focusing with perfect discipline on friendliness and positive traits, one gains such strengths.

²⁵ For example, by focusing with perfect discipline on the strengths of an elephant, one acquires the strength of an elephant, and so on.

²⁶ Focusing on the brightness from activities yields insight about the subtle, hidden, and distant.

²⁷ Focusing with perfect discipline on the heart chakra or solar plexus [sun] yields insight about the universe.

²⁸ Focusing with perfect discipline on the third-eye chakra or lunar plexus [moon] yields insight about the stars’ positions [which is needed for predicting the future].

²⁹ Focusing with perfect discipline on the crown chakra [polestar] yields insight about their movements.

³⁰ Focusing with perfect discipline on the navel chakra yields insight about the organization of the body.

³¹ Focusing with perfect discipline on the throat chakra eradicates hunger and thirst.

³² Focusing with perfect discipline on the flow of air through the nostrils lets one cultiate steadiness.

³³ Focusing with perfect discipline on the crown chakra gives one visionary powers ³⁴ or spontaneous illumination.

³⁵ Focusing with perfect discipline on the heart chakra, one understands the nature of consciousness.

³⁶ Perfect discipline on one’s own nature leads to True Knowledge that separates the awareness of the sentient principle with the perceptions of the phenomenal world.

³⁷ Following this insight, the senses - hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, smelling - may suddenly be enhanced.

³⁸ These powers may feel like attainments, but they distract one from samadhi.

³⁹ By relaxing one’s attachment to the body, and becoming profoundly sensitive to its currents, consciousness can enter another’s body.

⁴⁰ By mastering the flow of energy in the head and neck, one can walk through water, mud, thorns, and other obstacles without touching down, but rather floating over them.

⁴¹ By mastering the flow of energy through the heart chakra or solar plexus, one becomes radiant.

⁴² By focusing with perfect discipline on the way sound travels through the ether, one acquires divine hearing.

⁴³ By focusing with perfect discipline on one’s aethereal body, it becomes as light as cotton and can travel through space.

⁴⁴ When consciousness completely disengages from external thought - as the ‘great disembodiment’ - then the veil that covers the brightness of the mind is lifted.

⁴⁵ By focusing with perfect discipline on the 5 Layers of Reality, one learns the function of the gross [material], subtle [aether], inherent [radiance], pervading [spacetime], and purposeful [convertible].

⁴⁶ These lead to the power to perceive the minutely small and those beyond normal perception. This leads to the perfection of the body as true dharma.

⁴⁷ This perfection includes beauty, grace, strength, and the durability of a diamond.

⁴⁸ Perfect discipline leads to the understanding of ego which then leads to the mastery of the senses.

⁴⁹ Then, free from the constraints of their organs, the senses perceive with the quickness of the mind, no longer in the sway of the phenomenal world.

⁵⁰ Through the awareness of the sentient principle, one can discern all the states of mind, leading to the mastery of the mind.

⁵¹ When the soul is unattached even to this omniscience and mastery, the seeds of suffering wither, and pure consciousness stands alone.

⁵² Even if the exalted praise you, you must avoid attachment and pride, or else suffering will recur.

⁵³ Focusing with perfect discipline on the nature of time gives an inborn discernment skill.

⁵⁴ This skill allows one to tell things apart which, through similarities of origin, feature, or situtation, had seemed continuous.

⁵⁵ In this way, discernment deconstructs all of the phenomenal world’s objects and conditions, setting them apart from pure awareness.

⁵⁶ Once the luminosity and transparency of consciousness have become as distilled as pure awareness, they can reflect the freedom of awareness back to itself.