Mircea Eliade YOGA IMMORTALITY AND ... - Brihaspati.net

on. The essential element of shamanism is specific and the ecstasy: the cha-man is a
specialist of the sacred able to leave his body and take "in spirit" (in trance) cosmic
journey. The "po-session" by spirits, although recorded in large number of shamans, there
seems to have been a primary and essential element, but rather shows a phenomenon of
degeneration, since the ultimate goal of the shaman is to abandon his body and ascend to
Heaven and down into Hell, not left to "own" by his auxiliary spirits, by demons, or souls
of dead, the shaman's ideal is to master these spirits, not being dominated by ellos.10
io "possession" by a technique gandharva and even spiritualist community
Putting aside the recent influences (tantric elements, lamaists) exerted by India on the
Asian and Siberian shamanism, our problem is reduced to two distinct issues: 1) first,
determine which elements Indo-Europeans and pre-Aryan in India can be regarded as
belonging to shamanism in the strict sense, 2 °) then, put aside those elements that
presented certain similarities with the techniques of Yoga. In another book we have made
the study of shamanic complex in India (see Le Chamanisme, p. 362 et seq.) And not
dealt with here, the more we have had occasion to highlight certain particularities that
concern him, in chapters previous (record-ing the "magical heat" obtained by the lids,
rituals and myths of ascent, the magic flight, the descent into Hell (p. Ill), etc.. We could
also discuss other items Shamanic registered in India Vedic such as the reintegration of
the sick soul of the religious or the magician (Le Chamanisme, p. 372 et seq.).
Therefore confine the investigation to the symbolism and shamanic practices they may
encounter opposition in any of the techniques yogis or siddhis of fakirs. Only after having
established this comparative bundle can dedicate to the problem of structural links
between shamanism and yoga. As the most popular of the "miracles fakirs" is the "my-
Lagro rope" (rope-trick) and that has long been regarded as the prototype of yogic
powers, starting with our report.
When, after the enlightenment, the Buddha visited his hometown, Kapi-lavastu, for the
first time showed signs of having some "wonderful powers. To convince his people of
their spiritual forces and prepare for conversion, the air rises, cuts short his body,
dropping off his head and limbs, to vol-then see them together before the wondering eyes
of the spec -ers. This miracle is also evoked by Asvagosa (Buddhaca-rila, XIX, 12-13),
but so deeply belongs to the tradition of Indian magic that has become the prodigy-type
fakirs. This famous rope-trick of the fakirs creates the illusion of a rope
cacion with a medium, are registered and in Brhadaranyaha-Vpanhhad III
7, 1, but that has nothing "shamanic".
that rises high into the sky and on which the teacher makes up a young disciple until it
disappears before our eyes. . The fakir then throws his knife into the air, and members of
the "disciples fall to the ground one after another.
This has a long history in India, but found him -
We also in regions as diverse as China, Java, Mexico ancient and medieval Europe. The
Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuca the ob-served in China in the fourteenth century, Merton
saw him in Batavia in the seventeenth century and Sahagun recorded it in Mexico in
terms almost id6nticos (Le Chamanisme, p. 379 et seq.). Consider the testimony of Ibn
Battuta: "... Then take a wooden ball that had several acute-gers by which spent long
straps. The air shot and the ball rises to the point that we did not see more (. ..) • When
staying in your hand only one end of the strap, the minstrel ordered one of his apprentices
to be hung from it and go up in the air, what he did until he saw him more. The minstrel