The famous A Course In Miracles occurred in September 1995. Devotees spread the news that Ganesha, a well-known Hindu elephant-headed deity, drank milk, as it disappeared from under the Ganesha’s statues.
Mystical Powers In Hinduism
Hinduism and miracles are tightly connected. Miracles have their place in the Puranas and in other books like the Mahabharata. There are many written records that describe how Lord Krishna used his sharp spinning miraculous discus (Sudarsana discus) to protect justice and Dharma. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna miraculously saved Draupadi from being humiliated.
A number of Hindu gurus have healing powers. Sai Baba’s miraculous healings are very famous, too. Recognized Hindu spiritual thinkers say that Babaji – “the eternal yogi” – is immortal and that he sometimes appears to people. One of such thinkers was a well-known yogi Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) who mentions Babaji in his bestselling book Autobiography of a Yogi. In this book, Paramahansa Yogananda also speaks how Babaji materialized a magnificent palace in the Himalayas.
When Paramahansa Yogananda died, people noticed that his body did not manifest visual signs of decay.
Hinduism categorizes the character of miracles. Other religions like Islam or Christianity do not face miracles this way. Miracles (in addition to those described in the scriptures) in Hinduism are:
1) Related to Hindu saints.
2) Related to specific paths.
Tantric Hinduism is a specific path with many schools that also deal with mystical powers. Tantrism has the same seat in Hinduism as Sufism in Islam (or Gnosticism in Christianity). Throughout history, mainstream religious orthodoxy has always banned mystical approaches. The tragedy is that the religious orthodoxy has always been friendly with world rulers whose main ambition was to abuse power, which also happens today. The gist of Sufism, Tantrism, or Gnostic Christianity is to serve God and not the privileged group of people.
Hinduism is familiar with eight types of supernatural powers the Hindu scholars refer to as Ashta Ma Siddhis. However, not all schools of yoga focus on developing these supernatural powers. If they nevertheless do so, they become secret because of the aforementioned reasons. One of such secret Hindu schools was 64 Yoginis. It started in the 9th century A.D. and mysteriously ended in the 13th century A.D. Vidya Dehejia, in his book YOGINI CULT AND TEMPLES: A Tantric Tradition, says that, “The Jnanarnava Tantra similarly tells us that a person transmitting sacred and secret knowledge to one who is uninitiated, will become food for the Yoginis.”