If you show occult power⁹

Unfortunately, some people show their occult power right in front of the public. When they show occult power, immediately people feel or think that they are God-realised. God-realisation has nothing to do with occult power. When you realise God, if God gives you occult power, that is one thing. But some people say, “If I amass occult power, then I will realise God.” That is absurd; it is impossible.

Swami Vivekananda was so great. When Sri Ramakrishna wanted to give him occult power, he said, “Will it help me in realising God?”

Sri Ramakrishna said, “No, it will not help you. But by showing occult power, you will be able to inspire people and work for humanity.”

Swami Vivekananda said, “I do not want it. First things first: I want to realise God.”

Some spiritual Masters never, never cared for occult power. While they were in the process of realising God or after they realised God, sometimes they compared occult power with cats and dogs. Cats and dogs come and bother us. Like that, occult powers can take away the seeker who is on the verge of God-realisation. Even for one who has realised God, these occult powers can stand as absolutely real obstructions. Those individuals cannot think of God; they can only display their occult power.

Sometimes God-realised souls do not want occult power. But just because they have been showing it, they continue. One of my uncles realised God, and he always used to use occult power in his village. He did millions of things. Finally he cried and cried to Mother Kali, “What am I doing? I am only feeding people’s curiosity.” He did not want to be bothered by people any more. Then deliberately he started saying wrong things. He knew what was true, but he used to make false statements. Then people stopped coming to him.

Some spiritual Masters are very wise. They use occult power secretly, inwardly, so that nobody can see it. They do not make any outer statement. As a matter of fact, there is not a single spiritual Master of the highest order who does not use occult power inwardly. But outwardly if you show occult powers, then you will be in serious trouble. You will not help anybody; you will only feed people’s curiosity. And tomorrow if you do not show or cannot show occult powers, then you will lose those followers.

Again, some people come to the Master not for a display of occult power. They love their Master so much. They say, “Who cares for occult power? Will it help me?” Never, never has occult power helped anybody to realise God. While one is realising God if occult powers come, then that individual will not misuse them. But some people pray to God only for occult power, not for spiritual power or spiritual wisdom. They pray and pray only to get occult power, and sometimes they do get some occult power, But that occult power has nothing to do with God-realisation. So many spiritual Masters are of the same opinion. Occult power if you use, you can make serious blunders. You can commit absolutely the worst possible blunder. But spiritual power does not do that. Spiritual power is totally different. Spiritual power will always take permission from the Absolute Supreme. Without permission, spiritual power one does not use. When people use occult power, they show off. They do not find the time to ask permission from the Highest, whether they will listen or not. If somebody comes to them with an immediate need, they want to show their compassion or their capacity.

Quite often I say that occult power is a mad elephant. But spiritual power is not like that. There is such a difference between occult power and spiritual power!