མི་སྣང་བར་གྱུར་པ
Invisibility
隱身神通 · Antardhāna-siddhi
Common Siddhi 普通神通Invisibility siddhi grants the practitioner the ability to become imperceptible to ordinary sight and sometimes to all ordinary senses. In the classical accounts, this is achieved through a combination of meditation practice and specific mantric procedures. The most celebrated Tibetan example is Padmasambhava's ability to conceal himself and his disciples from hostile forces during the early propagation of Buddhism in Tibet. Milarepa also reportedly used this siddhi to escape from enemies and from students who were not yet ready for certain teachings. The deeper understanding of this siddhi is connected to the recognition of the illusory nature of the physical body—when one truly sees the body as a projection of mind, the body no longer appears as a solid object to ordinary perception.
🧘 Associated Practice
Illusory body practice (gyulü) of the Six Yogas of Naropa; specific invisibility practices from terma cycles
☸ Relationship to the Path
Relates to the illusory body (māyākāya) practice of the completion stage, which involves recognising that the physical body appears as a rainbow-like apparition without inherent solidity; full attainment of the illusory body stage leads to invisibility as a natural consequence
📜 Classical Source
Padma Kathang (Padmasambhava biography); Milarepa's Hundred Thousand Songs; Guhyasamāja Tantra (illusory body chapter)
Associated Masters
⚖ Ethical Note
Invisibility practice is forbidden to be used for theft, spying, or deception. In the Nyingma tradition, it is considered one of the most powerful and therefore most ethically regulated of the common siddhis. The classical sources specifically warn that using this siddhi for harmful purposes immediately destroys the realisation.