Day of the Dead Meditation (Nov. 1)

Ananda M. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly

The USA's largest Dia De Los Muertos celebration is in LA (ladayofthedead.com).

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Why did Spain ruin our native paradise?

What is MAGIC in meditation and Buddhism? The fantasy of Hermione and Harry Potter is all well and good, but what's the reality?

This evening's discussion centers on the cultivation of Buddhist supernatural powers called iddhi and the six super-knowledges (abhinna).

This is the "Day of the Dead" (Dia de los Muertos) in Mexican and pre-Mexican (pre-Columbus Mayan, Aztec) tradition. 

Our HARVEST FEST continues all month: we enjoy vegan chocolate, chips and salsa, snacks, kombucha, and drinks on ice.

• Magic in Meditation/Day of the Dead
• Dharma Meditation Initiative, L.A.
• Neighborhood UU Church
• 301 N. Orange Grove Bl., Room 23
• Pasadena, CA 91103

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Magic?

Ven. Nyanatiloka, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines

Legendary, charismatic magic man Carl Kasell shows off, NPR HQ, DC (Katie Burk).

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Superheroic powers are literally possible

MAGIC (iddhi): "power," "magical power: The magical powers constitute one of the six kinds of higher spiritual powers (abhiññā).

There are many kinds of magical powers to be distinguished:

1. the power of determination (adhitthān' iddhi), that is, the power of becoming manifold "division-bodies";
2. the power of transformation (vikubbana iddhi), adopting other forms, "shapeshifting";
3. the power of mental/spiritual creation (mano-maya iddhi), letting issue from this body another mentally-produced or "illusory" body [as of ectoplasm but as dense and real as this body];
4. the power of penetrating knowledge (ñāna-vipphara iddhi) to remain unharmed in danger;
5. the power of penetrating concentration (samādhi-vippharā iddhi) producing the same result.

The magical powers are treated in detail in The Path of Purification (Vis.M. XII; Pts.M., vibhana in the Appendix). They are not necessary for enlightenment and final liberation (bodhi and nirvana).

Insight

The power to see things and remain free

"Noble power" (ariyā-iddhi) is the power of controlling one's ideas in such a way that one can (by noting inherent qualities and excluding others) consider something that is not repulsive as repulsive or consider something that is repulsive as not repulsive, while remaining unperturbed and full of equanimity. This training of mind is frequently mentioned in the sutras (e.g., MN 152, A.V.144), but only once is the name of ariyā-iddhi applied to it (DN 28). More

• See further Pts.M., iddhi-kathā, Path of Purification (XII)