The Thirty Subsidiary Attainments

In addition to the eight main Attainments, there are thirty subsidiary ones which are gained through simple processes of concentration.

(1) THE ATTAINMENT OF THE RESULT OF MENTAL CONTROL (nirodha parinama siddhi) is the fruit of self-control and of concentration on the three kinds of results, those due to natural laws (dharma), to particularities (lakshana) and to conditions (avastha). With this Attainment the adept knows the past, the present and the future.

(2) THE ATTAINMENT OF WORDS AND THEIR MEANING. Words, meanings and knowledge of them are the three aspects of an indivisible entity. By concentrating on them separately, the adept understands the language of all creatures.

(3) THE KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS is attained by concentrating on the marks they have left on our being.

(4) THOUGHT-READING is done by concentrating on the faculty of knowing.

(5) TO BE INVISIBLE. By concentrating on the form of the body, the radiance by which it is perceived becomes dulled and the light emanating from the eyes of others can no longer establish contact with the body of the adept. The same is true for the other senses.

(6) THE KNOWLEDGE OF DEATH. By concentrating on the nature of the actions which yield immediate results and that of those which give results later, the adept understands the nature of death and its process.

(7) THE POWER OF THE SOUL (atma bala) or, OF THE WHOLE MIND (purna mano bala) is obtained by concentrating on the power of friendship, of enjoyment, of pity, of detachment. By this attainment the powers connected with these are obtained.

(8) ACQUIRING THE PHYSICAL POWER OF ALL CREATURES is obtained by concentrating on their power.

(9) TO KNOW THINGS SUBTLE, HIDDEN, FAR AWAY, is attained by attracting the light of Nature to subtle things and concentrating on it.

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