Apart from the eight primary mystic perfections (aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prākāmya, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, and kāmāvasāyitā), which we discussed yesterday, wich are usually only achieved by great yogis and pure devotees, there are ten secondary mystic perfections that are more common. These ten perfections can be gradually acquired starting from a relatively beginning level of spiritual practice and are thus quite common, even in our day and age. Different from the eight main perfections, which are truly supernatural, these ten additional perfections are more about becoming free from the limitations of body and senses and thus expanding one’s awareness. Also different from the first eight, some of these perfections may be used by devotees.
They are explained by Krsna to Uddhava in the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.15.6-7).
The first is the ability to free himself from hunger thirst and other bodily disturbances. This means that one can fully control his senses and become indifferent to the needs of the body, as well as grief and illusion. By this perfection, one becomes undisturbed and can focus on his spirtual practice or any other beneficial activities.
Just like Krsna is omniscient, all souls in their liberated state have a level of awareness that goes much beyond what we can consider possible. Narada Muni, for example, knows what is happening all over the cosmos and can thus be present in so many important events. Similarly, the Vishnudutas know what is happening in many different universes and can swiftly appear to help any devotee who is in need. What prevents us from displaying a similar level of awareness in our conditioned state is our identification with the material body and the dull material senses we currently have. As this identification with the body slackens, one becomes less conditioned by the limitations of the senses and can start to hear and see things that are far away. It appears first as a kind of intuition, and later by directly experiencing it.
To see and to hear at a distance are counted as two separate perfections, although they may be used together. One example is Sanjaya narrating the Bhagavad-Gita to Drtarastra.
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