མཁའ་སྤྱོད་གྲུབ་པ
Sky Walking (Khecarī)
飛行神通 · Khecarī-siddhi
Common Siddhi 普通神通Sky Walking siddhi enables the practitioner to fly, levitate, and move through the air without physical support. This is perhaps the most widely reported and culturally prominent of all Tibetan siddhis, with documented historical accounts from multiple reliable sources. Milarepa's levitation and flight are among the best-attested events in Tibetan Buddhist literature, reported by multiple witnesses. The Dzogchen tradition's Rainbow Body (Jalü) represents the ultimate expression of this siddhi—where the physical body itself dissolves into light at death and the practitioner travels in their light-body. Several cases of Rainbow Body dissolution have been documented in the 20th and early 21st centuries, including through Western researchers and journalists.
🧘 Associated Practice
Tummo (inner heat) practice; dream yoga; illusory body practice; Dzogchen Great Perfection practice (for the ultimate expression in Rainbow Body)
☸ Relationship to the Path
Sky walking arises naturally from the lightening of the body that occurs as the gross elements are purified in completion stage practice; the ultimate expression (Rainbow Body) represents the complete recognition that the body is inherently light-nature (ösel), the direct fruit of Dzogchen or Mahamudra realisation
📜 Classical Source
Milarepa's Hundred Thousand Songs; Padma Kathang; Guhyasamāja Tantra; Nyingma Dzogchen terma texts on Rainbow Body
Associated Masters
⚖ Ethical Note
Levitation and flight are described as a natural consequence of certain levels of meditative realisation, not something to be demonstrated for others' entertainment or to impress students. The classical sources warn strongly against any display of supernatural powers for audience approval (as opposed to compassionate purpose), considering it a breach of practice ethics.