Mundane siddhis
The mundane siddhis (Skt. sādhāraṇasiddhi; T. thun mong gi dngos grub ཐུན་མོང་གི་དངོས་གྲུབ་; C. gongtong chenjiu 共同成就)[1] are one of the two types of siddhis that can be attained through tantric practice. The other type of siddhi is the supreme siddhi (of enlightenment).
The mundane siddhis are similar in kind to those acquired by the practitioners of some non-Buddhist traditions, and are not regarded as ends in themselves. When they arise, however, they are taken as signs of progress on the path and are employed for the benefit of the teachings and disciples.[2]
Eight mundane siddhis
Traditional texts typically identify a list of eight mundane siddhis (aṣṭa-sādhāraṇasiddhi). There are different versions of this list in traditional sources.
The Great Tibetan Dictionary identifies the following eight mundane siddhis:[3]
- 1) the sword that enables one to travel through the sky and space,
- 2) pills that allow one to be invisible and shift shape,
- 3) eye salve that allows one to see any worldly form as nonexistent,
- 4) swift-footedness,
- 5) the ability to extract and sustain oneself on the essences of plants and minerals (including the practice of alchemy),
- 6) the ability to travel to celestial realms,
- 7) invisibility, and
- 8) the ability to extract treasures from the earth and provide beings with what they desire.
Erik Pema Kunsang identifies the following eight mundane siddhis:[4]
- 1) siddhi of flying in space (T. nam mkhar 'gro ba dngos grub [alt. nam mkhar 'gro ba'i dngos grub])
- 2) siddhi of seeing treasures under the ground (T. sa 'og gi gter mthong ba'i dngos grub)
- 3) siddhi of alchemy (T. gser 'gyur rtsi'i dngos grub)
- 4) siddhi of swift-footedness (T. rkang 'gyog gi dngos grub)
- 5) siddhi of the sword (T. ral gri'i dngos grub)
- 6) siddhi of the eye medicine of knowledge (T. mig sman gyi shes pa'i dngos grub)
- 7) siddhi of higher perceptions/superknowledges (T. mngon par shes pa'i dngos grub [alt. dngon par shes pa'i dngos grub])
- 8) siddhis mastered by humans, non-humans, kins, and so forth (T. mi dang mi ma yin pa dang mkha' 'gro ma sogs dbang du sdud pa'i dngos grub)
Alternate translations
- common siddhis (Rangjung Yeshe wiki)
- common accomplishments (Princeton Dictionary, Treasury of Precious Qualities)
- common attainments
- mundande siddhis
- ordinary accomplishments (Treasury of Precious Qualities, Rigpawiki)
- mundane spiritual accomplishments (Diety, Mantra, and Wisdom)
Notes
- ↑ Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. List of lists, "eight common accomplishments".
- ↑ Jigme Lingpa & Kangyur Rinpoche 2010, Glossary, sv. "accomplishment".
- ↑ Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche & Getse Mahapandita 2006, Glossary, sv. "Mundane spiritual accomplishments"..
- ↑
thun_mong_gi_dngos_grub_brgyad, Rangjung Yeshe Wiki
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Jigme Lingpa; Kangyur Rinpoche (2010), Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book One, translated by Padmakara Translation Group, Boston: Shambhala Publications- Jigme Lingpa; Patrul Rinpoche; Getse Mahapandita (2006), Deity, Mantra, and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications
External links
- thun_mong_gi_dngos_grub_brgyad, Rangjung Yeshe Wiki
- Common_Siddhis, Rangjung Yeshe Wiki
ཐུན་མོང་གི་དངོས་གྲུབ་བརྒྱད་, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
Eight ordinary accomplishments, Rigpa Shedra Wiki
