Buddhist Magic: What is Possible with the Powers?

Have you ever considered what it would be like to cultivate, what in the Buddhist tradition are called the siddhis or magical powers? Buddhist magic is an endlessly fascinating topic, and in this episode we speak with Daniel Ingram, one of our favorite guests here on Buddhist Geeks, about the powers.

We cover their historical treatment by some of the major traditions, including the Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada. Daniel also gives us his first-hand experience having explored the powers, and considers the implications of doing public magic, and whether or not this kind of magic is “objectively real”. We also discuss the ethical issues involved in using magic and issues of reproducibility.

Finally, we take a look at the ancient text, The Fruits of the Homeless Life, and explore what was said in that text about the powers, especially about the greatest power of all, the power of insight.

Episode Links:

• Mahasi Sayadaw ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasi_Sayadaw )
• InteractiveBuddha.com
• Pa Auk Sayadaw ( http://www.paauk.org )
• The Fruits of the Homeless Life ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html )
• Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha ( http://bit.ly/E1tF )

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