The Mahasiddha Tradition of Flying Yogis

Record summary

Indian Buddhist and Hindu hagiographies attribute levitation, sky travel, or miraculous movement to accomplished yogis and siddhas. Named figures such as Nāropa, Tilopa, and Matsyendranath appear in traditions where supernatural mobility functions as a sign of attainment. These accounts matter as historical sources for claims of human aerial ability, but they concern saints and miracle narratives rather than unknown animals. Dates are often difficult because biographies were composed and expanded long after the figures’ supposed lifetimes. Each claim requires checking the particular hagiography and translation.