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In Abnormal Births Due To Gandhabba Transformations post, I noticed a video toward the end that discusses the ability of a yogi being able to live without water and food. This reminded me of a documentary I watched a couple years ago about a yogi who meditates while lying on top of a burning fire. His robe doesn’t catch fire and his exposed body parts (like arm, hair, etc.) don’t burn either. This has got me puzzled.
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It is an interesting video.
- It seems this yogi has perfected the anariya “tejo kasina” meditation using fire as the meditation object.
- Breath meditation is an anariya “vayo kasina” meditation using the breath as the meditation object.
- They also do anariya “pathavi and apo kasina” meditations using a ball of clay and a bowl of water as meditation objects.
As we have discussed pathavi, apo, tejo, vayo all have the mind as their precursor. See “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka.”
- It is possible to “control those elements” with the mind and exploit that to engage in various “supernormal activities.”
- For example, even during the Buddha’s time, some yogis who perfected breath meditation (vayo kasina) could travel through the air by making their bodies “light.”
- Even these days, there are yogis who can lie on “beds of nails,” who have likely developed anariya “pathavi kasina” meditation.
- I have discussed some of these aspects in “Buddhahood Associated Controversies.”
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I see, thank you for the explanation! The world is more mysterious than we often realize.
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Even though we are amazed by the ability of that yogi in Taryal’s video to withstand fire and not get burned, the supernormal abilities of some Arahants (not all) to engage in various supernormal activities is mind-boggling.
See, for example, “Mahāsakuludāyi Sutta (MN 77),” where the Buddha says:
“Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to wield the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; appearing and disappearing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. They control the body as far as the realm of divinity.”
- In that verse, “touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon” requires one to reach the Sun and touch it. Of course, one would do that with the manomaya kaya, made of only a few suddhatthaka. That manomaya kaya can instantly travel to the Sun and not be burned by the unimaginable heat there. As discussed in the “Buddhism and Evolution – Aggañña Sutta (DN 27)” the higher Brahma realms (where Brahmas’ “bodies” are made of only a few suddhatthaka) are not destroyed in a “loka vinasaya” (destruction of the lower realms) caused by a supernova event, which causes the heat of “seven Suns.” Once the fundamentals are understood, such phenomena are no longer “miracles.”
- Several suttas describe similar capabilities. I have discussed a few in the link provided above. See, for example, “Pāṭihāriya (Supernormal Abilities) of a Buddha – Part I” and Part II.
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- The video Taryal sent reminds me of the story of Venerable Arahant Dabba, who achieved Parinibbāna through fire. To my knowledge, two other arahants have also attained Parinibbāna by the fire element: Venerable Santati and Venerable Ananda.
So I have heard.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
Then Venerable Dabba the Mallian went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
Atha kho āyasmā dabbo mallaputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā dabbo mallaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Holy One, it is the time for my full extinguishment.”
“parinibbānakālo me dāni, sugatā”ti.
“Please, Dabba, do as you see fit.”
“Yassadāni tvaṁ, dabba, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.
Then Dabba rose from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right. Then he rose into the air and, sitting cross-legged in midair, entered and withdrew from the fire element before becoming fully extinguished.
Atha kho āyasmā dabbo mallaputto uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbāyi.
Then when he was fully quenched while sitting cross-legged in midair, his body burning and combusting left neither ashes nor soot to be found.
Atha kho āyasmato dabbassa mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masi.
It’s like when ghee or oil blaze and burn, and neither ashes nor soot are found.
Seyyathāpi nāma sappissa vā telassa vā jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyati na masi;
evamevaṁ āyasmato dabbassa mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masīti.
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion, the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“The body is broken up, perception has ceased,
“Abhedi kāyo nirodhi saññā,
all feelings have become cool;
Vedanā sītibhaviṁsu sabbā;
choices are stilled,
Vūpasamiṁsu saṅkhārā,
and consciousness come to an end.”
Viññāṇaṁ atthamāgamā”ti.
- See also the Dutiyadabbasutta
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