Mahasiddhas

At the beginning of our era, when the Buddha's so-called Great Vehicle teachings spread, there appeared many notable teachers who became famous under the Sanskrit name of mahāsiddhas, "great realised beings", because they had attained the siddhis, or "realisations". Of these, tradition recalls, above all, the names of eighty-four. 

Here is the story of their lives, called perfect liberations, where unusual anecdotes and profound teachings are mixed together, always crowned by the Awakening free from all obstacles, the Great Seal, which inspires Ghandika's song of realisation: 

Like poison and its remedy, 

sharing the same essence 

have different effects, 

negative acts and their antidotes 

have the same nature and are indistinguishable. 

Understanding this, the wise do not reject anything, 

but puerile beings, in their ignorance, 

they do not understand it and err in samsāra 

moved by the five poisons.