Talk:Supernatural Powers

Does Sikhism believes in Supernatural Powers????

Dear Hari Singh ji,

Thanks for your analysis. I respect your faith and beliefs.

It is not that I don't believe in supernatural powers of GOD, He is capable of anything.

But I just wanted to clarify that our Guru ji were Human Beings with divine knowledge and They have labelled all these powers as lowly and useless on our way to realise one GOD.

Please Go through first 10 references highlighted in your provided link.

Reference to Supernatural Powers in SGGS

Approach I followed: To Go through the complete shabd and understand the underlying theme being conveyed.

Please correct me if I have misinterpreted any Shabad wrongly. I would be more than happy to see things from your perspective.

1. ਸਭਿ ਨਿਧਾਨ ਦਸ ਅਸਟ ਸਿਧਾਨ ਠਾਕ੝ਰ ਕਰ ਤਲ ਧਰਿਆ ॥ All the nine treasures, and the eighteen supernatural powers are held by our Lord and Master in the Palm of His Hand. Page 10, Line 13

Gurbani is saying that GOD has all the powers be it natural or supernatural, 
If we go through the whole shabad of the above [[pankti]], the theme explains capabilities
of GOD not a human being.

2. [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=17&punjabi=t&id=709#l709 ਨਾਉ ਸਦਾਝ ਆਪਣਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਸਿਧ੝ ਸ੝ਮਾਰ੝ ॥ you may adopt a lofty name, and be known to have supernatural spiritual powers - Page 17, Line 6

If we go through the complete shabad, Guru ji is saying if one practices all the rituals, 
even adopt a lofty name and be known to possess supernatural spiritual powers...even so, 
if you are not accepted in the court of the lord, then all this adoration is false.

3.ਤਿਨਾ ਪਿਛੈ ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਫਿਰੈ ਓਨਾ ਤਿਲ੝ ਨ ਤਮਾਇ ॥੪॥ ... wealth and supernatural spiritual powers follow them, but they do not care for such things at all. ||4|| Page 26, Line 18

If we go through the complete shabad, it highlights that Those who focus their conscious
on ONE GOD, wealth, treasures and supernatural powers are nothing for them, and 
they do not care for such things
at all.

Wahtever pleases God's Will comes to pass (ie. only that thing happens). Nothing else can be done.
In the last line Guru Nanak Requests to GOD, "Servant Nanak lives by chanting the Naam. O Lord,
please give it (ie. NAAM ) to me, in Your Natural Way"

Please read the last line of this shabad which emphasises on "Natural Way" of GOD's realization.

4.ਅਠਾਰਹ ਸਿਧੀ ਪਿਛੈ ਲਗੀਆ ਫਿਰਨਿ ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਸੈ ਨਿਜ ਥਾਇ ॥ The Siddhis-the eighteen supernatural spiritual powers-follow in my footsteps; I dwell in my own home, within my own self. Page 91, Line 11

In this shabad (whole shabad) Guru ji is saying that on realisation of GOD, I am in a state that
all the treasures and all so called supernatural powers posses no value for me rather 
I dwell in my own home, within my own self, I am lovingly absorbed in LORD.

5.ਨਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਰਿਧਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਮੇਰੈ ॥ My Lord, Har, Har, Har, is the nine treasures, the supernatural spiritual powers of the Siddhas, wealth and prosperity. Page 101, Line 5

Guru ji is saying..My GOD is everything for me...For me he is the nine treasures, 
the supernatural spiritual powers of the Siddhas, wealth and prosperity. 
Please go through the complete shabad.

6.ਸਿਧ੝ ਕਹਾਵਉ ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਬ੝ਲਾਵਉ ॥ He may be called a Siddha, a man of spiritual perfection, and he may summon riches and supernatural powers; Page 225, Line 12

Theme of the complete Shabad is that even if person may be called a man of spiritual perfection 
and he may summon riches and supernatural powers, but without the LORD of the universe, 
Truth cant be found.

7. ਜਾ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਦਸ ਅਸਟ ਸਿਧਾਈ ॥ One who is served by the eighteen supernatural powers of the Siddhas - Page 390, Line 3

Guru ji is saying Worship that ONE GOD, Even the eighteen supernatural powers of the sidhas
serve him.. one who grasps GOD's feet even for an instant,  he does not lack 
anything i.e. does not wishes for anything else.

8. ਤੇਤੀਸ ਕਰੋੜੀ ਦਾਸ ਤ੝ਮ੝ਹ੝ਹਾਰੇ ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਪ੝ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰੀ ॥ Three hundred thirty million gods are Your servants. You bestow wealth, and the supernatural powers of the Siddhas; You are the Support of the breath of life. Page 422, Line 19

Three hundred thirty million gods and all those people possessing supernatural powers 
according to Hindu Myths are your (GOD's) servants, you are the support of breath of 
all these people. i.e. they are nothing without GOD.

9. ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਸਭ੝ ਮੋਹ੝ ਹੈ ਨਾਮ੝ ਨ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥ Riches and the supernatural spiritual powers of the Siddhas are all emotional attachments; through them, the Naam, the Name of the Lord, does not come to dwell in the mind. Page 593, Line 18

Guru ji is clarifying  that all those Riches and Supernatural powers are nothing 
but emotional attachments, through them NAME of lord does not come to dwell in 
the mind.

Whereas Serving the Guru, the mind becomes immaculately pure, and the darkness of 
spiritual 
ignorance is dispelled

10. ਜੋਗ ਸਿਧ ਆਸਣ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਝ ਭੀ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਰਹਿਆ ॥ He practices the eighty-four postures of Yoga, and acquires the supernatural powers of the Siddhas, but he gets tired of practicing these. Page 642, Line 4

Theme of the whole shabad is that even of one practices eighty four postures of yoga 
and acquires the supernatural powers of the sidhas, and even if he gets tired of practising
all these, he has not met with lord.

Guru ji says Singing the Kirtan of the Lord's praises is the highest of all actions.