Power

[bambi]

In Buddhism, it is recognized that supernatural or miraculous power is possible and can be attained through training. However, Buddha Sakyamuni discouraged all display of miraculous power as the proof of of spiritual attainment. The following story illustrates the Buddha's attitude towards miraculous powers.

One day the Buddha was waiting by the river bank for a boat to ferry him across the river. An ascetic passed by and proudly showed off his miraculous power, crossing the river back and forth by treading over the water.

The Buddha smiled and asked him, "How long did you train to attain such power?"

"It took me thirty years!", said the ascetic.

The Buddha replied, "Thirty years? Well, I can cross the river using the boat for only one penny!"

If a wicked man can become a pure religious man, this according to Buddhism, is a practical miracle.

Yes , I believe that supernatural or miraculous power DO happen when a being is highly attained BUT does this mean that one should display his 'power'? Buddha also taught humility. I have read about beings who can purify someone's karma by pushing or slapping them. Also the power to control the weather. Those actions are done out of compassion and not for selfishness like what the ascetic did.

Do you think its a good or bad thing to use those powers to 'show off'?

[Carpenter]

Well, showing off power whether good or bad? To me, it depends on out motivations, when our motivation is to show people how powerful we are, and to take advantage of people, then it is bad, because as a Buddhist, we should not encourage this kind action. We should be humble, to show our power by our knowledge and our daily action. Im sure some of you had met some high lama from your centre or Monastery, have you ever seen them showing off their divine power to gain reputation / recognition?

But it doesn’t mean that everyone cannot do it, if the motivation is correct, if the motivation is to bring Dharma to more people, then it will be different case, I show one example of a person who is showing off the power and he manage to attract people into their spiritual practice.

He is Birwawa, he is one of the 64 Mahasiddhas that manifest in that kind of attitude to spread Dharma.

Biwawa is among the earliest lineage-holders of the Chakrasamvara Tantra, which he achieved by diligently practicing Tantra at night in Nalanda Monastery. After practicing for a very long time without any apparent results, Biwawa had a series of nightmares which he took to be a bad omen so he threw his mala in the latrine out of sheer frustration. He was initially very disheartened but he later had a dream of the female Buddha Nairatmya, where the nightmares were revealed to be a sign of impending spiritual attainment. He recovered his mala, purified it with incense and resumed his practice.

As Biwawa performed his practices, mysterious women would appear. Eventually the female Buddha Nairatmya appeared and gave him initiation directly. In actuality, these women were divine Dakinis who came to partake of his Tsog offerings and Tantric rituals. However, many monks saw these Dakinis as ordinary women entering his quarters and Biwawa was expelled from the monastery. He freely excepted the blame and even called himself "Bira Wapa" or 'Goitered Hero'.

After his expulsion, Biwawa roamed the land as a disheveled yogin. At one time, he parted a river with his miraculous powers which was witnessed by some monks. The monks realised that he was actually a Mahasiddha, so monastic officials came to apologize to him and request his return to the monastery.

However, Biwawa had already taken off his robes, so he continued on his way and eventually came upon the forest of a nearby kingdom. As soon as the king heard that he was a Buddhist yogi, he ordered his arrest. Then, after he ordered the guards to bind him with chains, they attempted to drown him, bury him and subject him to many other such tortures. However, Biwawa was not harmed in any way and remained unperturbed. Eventually, the king developed tremendous faith in him and became Buddhist along with his whole kingdom.

On the way to south India, Biwawa came across a river that he wanted to cross but the boatman requested for payment. He said he didn’t have any money so he stopped the river with his miraculous powers and crossed the river on his own. The boatman developed faith in him and became one of his greatest students. He was called Dombi Heruka.

Then, Biwawa came to another kingdom and entered a local tavern. He began to drink a lot of beer and wouldn’t stop drinking so the bartender demanded that he pay for his beer. At first he refused to pay but the bartender insisted. Biwawa held his hand aloft to the sky in a threatening mudra to stop the sun and said that he would pay for the beer only when the sun set. The sun stayed in the sky for days which created much chaos and distress among the people. Subsequently, the King came and requested that he let the sun set and there was darkness for three days. By witnessing this display of Biwawa’s extraordinary powers, the people soon developed faith in him and the entire kingdom eventually entered the Buddhist path.

Along his travels, Biwawa arrived at a place in South India where the king kept five hundred dreadlocked yogis as ritual masters to slaughter tens of thousands of livestock for blood offerings to a statue of Ishvara. Biwawa went directly to the statue and as he pointed his finger at it, the statue broke into four parts, terrifying the king and his subjects. Then, Biwawa magically restored the statue to its original state with an image of Avalokiteshvara on its head. One of the dreadlocked yogis developed strong faith in Biwawa, became his student and was known as the famous Mahasiddha Krishnapada.

Please refer to http://www.dorjeshugden.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=824:mahasiddha-biwawa&catid=9:incarnation-lineage&Itemid=87
For further reading.

[bambi]

I believe that if a non Buddhist witness any of the miracles, they cannot fully comprehend the meaning.

For example, like the story of Naropa and Tilopa. How Tilopa told Naropa to jump of a cliff to show his Guru devotion of which Naropa did. Naropa broke his bones but Tilopa healed him after that. Tilopa told Naropa the reason for asking him to jump down the cliff. Tilopa said that because Naropa's negative karma was so strong from wrong views and hesitations, Naropa couldn't purify it him hence Tilopa had to help him.

I know that the highly attained masters are indeed not showing off but helping those who are really in need of it. As said in the 50 stanzas of Guru Devotion.

(A Guru should be) stable (in his actions), cultivated (in his speech), wise, patient and honest. He should neither conceal his shortcomings, nor pretend to possess qualities he lacks. He should be an expert in the meanings (of tantra) and in its ritual procedures (of medicine and turning back obstacles). Also he should have loving compassion and a complete knowledge of the scriptures.

[Positive Change]

For me, miraculous powers are a by product of one's attainments through certain practices. It is NOT meant to be used to further inflate one's ego. It should however be used, if one possesses the ability, in order to stop others from doing unwholesome actions as stated in the Forty-Six Secondary Downfalls of the Bodhisattva Vows.

Sometimes the miraculous displays of a certain highly attained master's power can manifest in most interesting manners and places. I feel these manifest perhaps as a morale "boost" or even to give a renewed faith to the students who after all are susceptible to such positive "influences". However in these degenerate times, the use of one's miraculous powers without the proper understanding and motivation, or the manifestation of miraculous signs ascertaining the powers of an highly attained being/teacher may have negative connotations.

Buddha was alleged to possess superhuman powers and abilities; however, due to an understanding of the workings of the skeptical mind, he reportedly responded to a request for miracles by saying, "...I dislike, reject and despise them," and refused to comply. He allegedly attained his abilities through deep meditation during the time when he had renounced the world and lived as an ascetic. He supposedly performed such miracles to bring the most benefit to sentient beings and he warned that miraculous powers should not be the reason for practising his path.


Interesting Article:

If a wicked man can become religious, to Buddhism, this is a practical miracle. In every religion we hear some sort of miracles performed by either the founders of these religions or by some of their disciples. In the case of the Buddha, we also come across some miracles from the day of his birth up to his passing away into Nibbana. Many of the psychic powers (called 'miraculous powers' in other religions) of the Buddha were attained through his long and intense training meditation. The Buddha meditated and passed through four stages of contemplation that culminated in pure self-possession and equanimity; he became free from emotions. Such meditation was considered nothing miraculous but within the power of any trained ascetic. Then there arose within the Buddha a vision of his previous births, the hundreds and thousands of existences with all their details. He remembered his previous births and how he had made use of these births to gain his enlightenment. Then the Buddha had a second and wider vision in which he saw the whole universe as a system of kamma and rebirth. He saw the universe made up of beings that were noble and wicked, happy and unhappy. He saw them all continually "passing away according to their deeds", leaving one form of existence and taking shape in another. Finally, he understood the nature of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.

Then a third vision arose within the Buddha. He realized that he was completely free from all bandages, human or divine. He realized that he had done what had to be done. He realized he has no more rebirths to go through because he was living with his final body. This knowledge destroyed all ignorance, all darkness and light arose within him. Such is the psychic power and the wisdom that arose within the Buddha as he sat meditating under the Bodhi tree.

The Buddha had a natural birth; he lived in a normal way. But he was an extraordinary man as far as his enlightenment was concerned. Those who have not learned how to appreciate his supreme wisdom, try to find out his greatness by peeping into his life and looking for miracles. However, the Buddha's supreme enlightenment is more than enough for us to understand the greatness of the Buddha. There is no need to introduce any miraculous power in him to make him a great man.

The Buddha was aware of the powers that could be developed by training the human mind. He was also aware that his disciples could train themselves to develop such powers. Thus the Buddha advised his disciples not to exercise such psychic power in order to convert less intelligent people. He was refering to the 'miracle' or power to walk on water exorcise spirits, raising the dead, and so on. He was also referring to the 'miracles of prophecy' such as thought-reading, sooth-saying, fortune-telling, and so on. When the uneducated believers see such powers, their faith deepens. But the nominal converts who are attracted by these miraculous powers are not valuable assets to any religion. These people embrace the new faith, not because they realize the truth, but because they harbour hallucinations. Therefore the Buddha drew converts only by appealing to their reason.

The following story illustrates the Buddha's attitude toward miraculous powers: one day the Buddha met an ascetic who sat by the bank of a river. This ascetic had practiced austerities for 25 years. The Buddha asked him what he had received for all his labour. The ascetic proudly replied that now at last he could cross the river by walking on the water. The Buddha tried to point out that this was such little gain for so much labour, since for one penny the ferry would take him across the river.

In certain religions, man's miracles can help him to become a saint. But in Buddhism, miracles can bar a person from sainthood. Buddhist sainthood is a gradual attainment and nobody else can make another person a saint. Sainthood is an individual concern. Each person himself must work for his sainthood through self-purification.

Many people who are supposed to have obtained some miraculous power, have succumbed to vain glory at having obtained some personal gain. According to the Buddha, a real miracle is the miracle of instruction: when a murderer, thief, terrorist, drunkard, or adulterer is made to realize that what he is doing is wrong and then gives up his bad and sinful way of life, this action is a real miracle. This is also the highest miracle that a man can perform. Many of the other miracles talked about by people are merely imaginations and hallucinations create' own mind due to lack of understanding of things as they are. All these miracles remain as miracles until people know what these powers really are.

Buddha says that anyone can gain supernormal power without also gaining spiritual power. He taught us that if we first gain spiritual power, then we automatically receive the miraculous or psychic powers too. But if we develop miraculous without spiritual development, then we are in danger. There are many who have fallen away from the right path by using their miraculous powers without having any spiritual development

From:"What Buddhist Believe" by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda, published by Buddhist Missionary Society

[Positive Change]

Buddhism and Miracles

Among Buddha's many abilities were the power to levitate, to multiply his body, to read the minds of others, to pass through solid rock and such.  These abilities were performed during many episodes of his life and were considered common events by his disciples and those who encountered him. The Buddha taught that such powers can be acquired through training in meditation. They are not considered miracles by those who understand them and they fall within the ability of any person who trains his mind through meditation and mental concentration to very high levels.

Once a man named Kevatta went up to the Buddha, paid homage, and said, "Lord, Nalanda is a successful city. The people living in Nalanda are prosperous, and they have confidence in the Blessed One.  Lord, it would be good if the Blessed One appointed a monk to work a marvel of supernormal power, so that the people of Nalanda might become much more confident in the Blessed One."

The Buddha replied, "Kevatta, I do not teach the Law to monks in that way".  The Buddha gave the same reply when the question was put to him the second and third time. After the third question, the Buddha replied that there were three kinds of supernormal levels:

1. The marvel of supernormal power to appear as many persons, to pass through walls, to fly through the air, walk on water. All these are physical actions the ordinary people cannot perform.
2. The supernormal power to read other people's minds.
3. The supernormal power to be able to guide people according to their mental development, for their own good, using suitable methods that fit these people.

He taught that a monk who displays the first two supernormal powers for their own sake in order to impress people, is no different from the performance of a shaman or a magician.  The Buddha said that a monk who practices such worldly miracles is a source of shame, humiliation and disgust. This is because such actions may impress and win converts and followers, but they do not help them put an end to their suffering.
The third kind of supernormal power which the Buddha calls "the miracle of instruction" helps people to get rid of suffering. This is the only supernormal power that is fit to be practiced and is encouraged and praised by the Buddha.

"Furthermore, there is the case where a Tathagata appears in the world, worthy and rightly self-awakened. He teaches the Dhamma admirable in its beginning, admirable in its middle, admirable in its end. He proclaims the holy life both in its particulars and in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. ~ Kevatta Sutta"

When the uneducated, the unsophisticated and the naive see the performance of miracles, their faith and incredulity deepens. The converts who are attracted to a religion through witnessing these powers embrace a faith, not because they realize the truth or gain in wisdom, but because they are either frightened or impressed by matters they do not understand.  In contrast, the Buddha appealed to the reasoning power of people to consider his teachings. This is best illustrated in the Kalama Sutta.

It is possible and even quite common for a person to gain psychic abilities  without gaining any wisdom. The Buddha teaches that if we first gain spiritual power, then we can easily develop the miraculous or psychic powers too. But if we develop psychic abilities without spiritual development, then we are in danger.  Because of man's ego it is easy for him to misuse this power for worldly gain, to impress others and for other selfish purposes. Indeed, many people who have obtained some psychic abilities have merely succumbed to their ego and vanity.

[ratanasutra]

Do you think its a good or bad thing to use those powers to 'show off'?

To attain the power one need to be discipline, study and practice etc like this ascetic who took thirty years to practice it but sadly after he gained the power he just used it to show off which only feed his big ego, this is wrong motivation and nobody get benefit.

In ancient time, sometime mahasiddha will show some miracle or some power in order to help people or teach people a lesson and as a result more people gain faith in Buddhism like what happened in the Mahasiddha Biwawa life.

To answer your question, it bad thing to use those power to show off, it should be used to gain benefit to people that is the right thing.

[brian]

well, it has always been in the Gelugpa tradition that any High Lama with clairvoyance or power as per described DO NOT show off their power. It should be discreet and nobody is supposed to show it to the world. My take on this is that if situation really needed the Lama to use his 'powers', then it will have to be done based on the motivation of saving life or for the benefit of the people. Otherwise, one should not even mentioned anything about their practice or how they have helped the particular being or people.

The basis in Gelugpa is to show humility and humbleness. Many High Lamas will just be as humble to each other even in inter-sect events. Things like showing ritual performing right to the debating power. they will just do their 'job' and not supposed to brag about it for it will spur up hatred, jealousy and self ego.

[Vajraprotector]

All surviving versions of the Buddhist monastic rule (vinaya) recount a version of the story of Pindola Bharadvaja.

It is said that one day a sceptical merchant, seeking proof of the extraordinary powers of holy men, suspended a sandalwood alms bowl from the top of a bamboo pole with the challenge that if there were any holy man with the ability, he should fly up and take the bowl.

No one rose to the challenge until two of the Buddha's disciples came by: Pindola and Maudgalyayana. Eventually it was Pindola who flew up and took the bowl. The excitement this caused alerted the Buddha, who arrived and suggested that such an exhibition should be likened to a woman exposing herself for a few coins. Adding that it neither aroused faith in those lacking faith nor strengthened faith in those with faith, he pronounced a monastic rule: 'a display of miraculous power beyond the capacity of ordinary men should not be exhibited to the laity '.

I don’t think it means that miracles cannot be performed at all. It is one of Buddha's ten imperative duties to perform great miracles. Gautama Buddha himself set the example when he converted Mahakasyapa and his 2 brothers by means of 500 miracles. The exhibition of miracles is also one of the 27 means of ripening the creatures that should be employed by a Bodhisattva. So in relations what Buddha said, I think miracles can be performed in order to arouse faith or increase faith, judged by skillful means, and not to be used to 'show off', which is a 'no' as mentioned above by the Buddha himself.

[bambi]

Yes, carpenter, in ancient times there are great mahasiddhas who show their power to help people and 1 of them is Mahasiddha Biwawa. But did you know that He is also the reincarnation of Manjushri?  How beautiful! That reincarnation is the start of beautiful Dorje Shugden.

Read more about it here http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?page_id=2181

Later, to help the Buddhadharma flourish, Manjushri took rebirth as the Mahasiddha Biwawa. Biwawa was born in India, to the east of Bodh Gaya, and joined Nalanda Monastery at a young age. Although he was an emanation of Manjushri and therefore a fully enlightened being, Biwawa studied and practised Buddha’s teachings at Nalanda so as to demonstrate a perfect example of how to practise the path to liberation and enlightenment. During the day he studied and meditated on the Sutra teachings and during the night he practised the yogas of Heruka Tantra. As a result of his pure practice he was able to see Vajrayogini and her retinue directly. Whenever he made tsog offerings, Vajrayogini together with fifteen other Dakinis with whom he had a particularly strong karmic connection would come to his room to participate in the feast.
Unfortunately, the other monks at Nalanda did not recognize Vajrayogini and the Dakinis but saw them as ordinary women. Believing that he was breaking his ordination vows, they became very critical of him and nicknamed him “Biwawa”, which means “bad man”. Thinking that Biwawa’s behaviour gave the monastery a bad reputation, they asked him to leave. Although Biwawa had never broken any of his Vinaya vows, he agreed to leave Nalanda saying, “Yes, I am a bad man, I will leave.” He handed back his robes, changed into lay clothes, and left the monastery. Then, just like a poor, homeless beggar, he began wandering from place to place.
He first went to an area near Varanasi and lived in a cave deep in the forest. The land belonged to a non-Buddhist king who had an intense hatred of Buddhists. One day the king met Biwawa and invited him back to the palace, but when he learnt that Biwawa was a Buddhist he ordered his servants to kill him. The servants first tried drowning Biwawa, but they were unable to pick him up to throw him into the river. They then tried to bury him alive, but he reappeared the next day unharmed. Finally they tried to burn him to death, but again he emerged unharmed. When the king saw that Biwawa was able to protect himself through his miracle powers he developed strong faith in him and in the Buddhadharma, and he and all his subjects became Buddhist practitioners and disciples of Biwawa. This fulfilled a prediction made by an astrologer at the time of Biwawa’s birth that Biwawa would become very powerful and, through demonstrating miracle powers, would cause many people to enter the Buddhadharma.
Sometime later, Biwawa travelled south to the River Ganges. When he arrived at the river he asked a ferryman to take him across, but the ferryman refused because Biwawa had no money with which to pay him. Biwawa declared, “Since this river flows continuously, perhaps it is tired and would like a rest” and, causing the waters to part, he walked across to the other side. The ferryman was astounded and asked Biwawa who he was. Biwawa told him a little of his life story, whereupon the ferryman developed great faith and asked to become one of his disciples. Biwawa accepted him as a disciple and gave him many teachings. The ferryman practised diligently and eventually became a highly realized Yogi called Drombi Heruka, one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas.
Continuing on his travels, Biwawa reached a town where he stopped at the local tavern. After he had consumed several drinks the landlady asked him to pay, but Biwawa replied that he had no money. The landlady became angry and threatened him, “You have until sunset to pay me, otherwise I will call the authorities and have you thrown into jail!” Biwawa promptly used his miracle powers to stop the sun moving and held it motionless for three whole days. The local people were aghast and wondered how such a thing could happen. Finally they asked the king to help them. When the king asked Biwawa what was happening Biwawa replied that he was responsible for the sun not setting. “If I allow the sun to set,” he explained, “I shall have to go jail.” The king then reassured Biwawa that if he allowed the sun to set he would not have to pay for his drinks or go to jail. Upon hearing of his reprieve, Biwawa was delighted and immediately allowed the sun to continue its journey across the sky!
As a result of Biwawa’s extraordinary deeds, many people developed faith in him and in the Buddhadharma. In this way he led many people into the spiritual path. When the monks at Nalanda heard of his activities they developed great regret at having expelled him and requested him to return to the monastery, but Biwawa declined their invitation.

[Big Uncle]

This is an interesting thread. I have a little nugget of information to add to this thread and I wish to add a list of powers that a fully enlightened Buddhas. It is mind-blowing on its own and i quote it from the King of Prayers, a powerful prayer that was extracted from a scriptural text. I did not quote the whole King of Prayers as it is rather long but only on the section that recounts the powers and abilities of a Buddha...

The Extraordinary Aspiration
Of the Practice of Samantabhadra
(The King of Prayers)

In Sanskrit: samantabhadracarya pranidhana
In Tibetan: 'phags-pa bzang-po spyod-pa'i smon-lam-gyi rgyal-po


May I achieve the power of swift, magical emanation,
The power to lead to the great vehicle through every approach,
The power of always beneficial activity,
The power of love pervading all realms,
The power of all surpassing positive potential,
The power of supreme knowledge unobstructed by discrimination,
And through the powers of wisdom, skillful means and samadhi,
May I achieve the perfect power of awakening.

Purifying the power of all contaminated actions,
Crushing the power of disturbing emotions at their root,
Defusing the power of interfering forces,
I shall perfect the power of the bodhisattva practice.

May I purify an ocean of worlds,
May I free an ocean of beings,
May I clearly see an ocean of Dharma,
May I realize an ocean of pristine wisdom.

May I purify an ocean of activities,
May I fulfill an ocean of aspirations,
May I make offerings to an ocean of Buddhas,
May I practice without discouragement for an ocean of eons.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Shakyamuni Buddha achieved the perfection of the human mind and with this he became the Buddha.  To the Buddha, it is possible for each and every one of us human beings to achieve Buddhahood.  However, it must be through practice and meditation and realisation to the nature of things.

Such power can be displayed in many forms, as such the Buddha abhors showing off of power to impress and trick others as the very essence of Buddhism is about connectivity and that all things arises out of dependence on cause and effects.  In this simple illustration, all things are common and similar, therefore it would contradict Buddha's teachings if one shows special or magical powers. Resulting in being of higher level than the rest.

We have experienced miracles performed by high lamas and through our prayers to the Buddhas.  This is a form of power, however then we go onto the next level of such power.

Is the exercise of such power to show off or to benefit others. This come to the conclusion the motivation for using such powers. 

Very interesting as this lesson of humility applies in different circumstances of our lives. 

[angelica]

People with supernatural power, some choose help people with their power, some choose to use it for their own benefits and some wish to keep their power within themselves. For those that use their power to help others, it will only temporary alleviate other's suffering. For us to be totally free from suffering, we need to learn the Buddha teachings and apply it.

If we have supernatural power, we should not show off about it. The more we do, the more we are feeding our ego. This is not the teaching of Buddhism.

To impress others and to get others into Buddhism thru supernatural power is also not encourage. Cos this is not the ultimate goal to achieve supernatural power, we want to practice and be out of samsara. Supernatural power marketing strategy might mislead others.

[Midakpa]

There are two types of "powers": mundane/ordinary and supramundane/extraordinary powers. Mundane powers are also known as siddhis (Tib. dngos grub) which can be defined as "accomplishments; special attainments resulting from perfect command of physical energies; supernatural gifts; superhuman powers; or  magical powers. The Vajrayana distinguishes between ordinary siddhis – things like clairvoyance, walking on water and flying – and the extraordinary or highest siddhi of enlightenment.

Generally, it is said that there are eight mundane powers but the eight powers are enumerated differently in the various traditions. These are: (1) the power to make an eye medicine, which, when applied, allows one to see without impediment or physical obstruction; (2) speed walking; (3) the sword accomplishment; (4) seeing underground; (5) making power pills; (6) flying in space; (7) disappearing; and ( extracting the essence. These eight powers are called mundane because they are still of this world and can also be accomplished by non-Buddhists. Other mundane powers mentioned in other traditions are: the power to walk through matter, the power to wield the enchanted sword of wisdom, the power of third-eye vision, the power to locate both physical and metaphysical treasures, and the power to synthesize the pill of immortality.

[DharmaSpace]

No matter what powers we have or show, I think most importantly what is the motivation behind it. If the motivation is to benefit I think if one does not show or act it out, then the person with that power does not have compassion. 

Buddha also displayed miraculous powers to subdue the ego of his clansmen who doubted Buddha.

Buddha did not want people to show powers or to be too impressed with powers, as no matter what powers we have, can we become enlightened like Buddha Shakyamuni and benefit all sentient beings? if we can't benefit then the development of those powers or show of the power yielded no results.

[cookie]

I personally think that in these times, it would seem more negative (dodgy) to be using supernatural powers; people may misconstrue it as black magic or a con job ! People believe more in "logic" which in reality could just be a different form of mind delusion 
However, highly skilled Gurus will have the wisdom to use these powers skillfully; when the time is right, when the mind of the students require this method to increase faith in the 3 Jewels.