Synthesized answer
Based solely on the provided passages, the distinction between "miracles" and "incarnations" is as follows:
Regarding purpose, miracles are performed "largely with an eye, at least one eye, to the public" and serve as "tests of the proficiency already attained" for the believer, while also creating "wonder of an open-mouthed multitude" [1]. In contrast, incarnations serve a double purpose: they are "measures of the value of the purity of the man," but they are also "practical mediums of exchange between the human spirit and the divine" pursued for "directly profitable ends" [3].
Concerning the nature of the "possession," miracles arise from "god-possession of things," while incarnations arise from "god-possession of people" [2][5]. The passages do not explicitly describe the intended audience or spiritual significance of miracles beyond their public and testing nature. For incarnations, the spiritual significance is that "loss of self is the necessary price of an instant part in the kingdom of heaven" [3]. The passages do not provide a specific intended audience for incarnations beyond the individual believer.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
← Miracles Occult Japan by Percival Lowell Incarnations Pilgrimages and the Pilgrim Clubs → 2400321 Occult Japan — Incarnations Percival Lowell INCARNATIONS. I. FTER the miracles, or possessions of things, follow, in order of esoteric ascension, the incarnations, or possessions of people. The miracles, as I have hinted, are performed largely with an eye, at least one eye, to the public. To drench one's self with scalding water or to saunter unconcernedly across several yards of scorching coals are not in themselves feats that lead particularly to heaven, difficult as they may be to do.…
od-possession of things and god-possession of people. The one gives rise to the miracles; the other to the incarnations. Both kinds of possession occurred spontaneously, that is, at the will of the gods, in olden times, and presumably so occur at the present day; but the gods have also graciously granted pure men the power to pray for them acceptedly. In the case of people the act of possession is nowadays known as kami-oroshi , kami-utsushi or kami-utsuri , that is, "the causing of the god to come down," "the causing the god to transform" or "god transformation." The first two names thus…
nd, are the objects the pious promoters have in view. Not so the incarnations. They too, indeed, serve a double purpose. But whereas they are, like the miracles, measures of the value of the purity of the man, they are also practical mediums of exchange between the human spirit and the divine. Foregone for directly profitable ends, loss of self is the necessary price of an instant part in the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps the most startling thing about these Japanese divine possessions is their number; unless it be that being so numerous they should have remained so long unknown. But it is to be…
← Shintō Occult Japan by Percival Lowell Miracles Incarnations → 2400320 Occult Japan — Miracles Percival Lowell MIRACLES. I. ULLARDS will always deem delicacy incompatible with strength. To touch a subject lightly is for them not to touch it at all. Yet the phrase "dead in earnest" might perhaps hint to them that there is more virtue in liveliness than they suspect. It is quite possible to see the comic side of things without losing sight of their serious aspect. In fact, not to see both sides is to get but a superficial view of life, missing its substance. So much for the people. As for…
uring life. Usually it does not wander in this way, simply because it is at home where it is and inertia keeps it there. But in some cases it is not so wedded to the body with which it is associated, and the purer it becomes the more is it given to occasional volatilizing. Now esoteric Shintō consists in compelling this spirit to circulate for particular ends. This is not a difficult matter, if it be properly undertaken. It is accomplished through self-purification. For the degree of purity determines the degree of possession. Possession is simply the entrance into one body of another…
More questions about this book
- Lowell suggests "miracles" are performed "largely with an eye... to the public." What does this imply about his perception of the practitioners' motivations, and how does this contrast with his description of "incarnations" as a "loss of self"?
- Explain, in your own words, what Lowell means by "loss of self" being the "necessary price" for an "instant part in the kingdom of heaven" during an incarnation. What spiritual or psychological benefits might such a "loss" confer in this context?
- The text describes "miracles" as "tests of the proficiency already attained in the Way of the Gods." What specific qualities or spiritual advancements would these "feats," such as walking on coals, demonstrate to both the practitioner and the public?
- Considering Lowell's descriptions of both "miracles" and "incarnations," what larger understanding does he present about the "Way of the Gods" itself, particularly regarding the relationship between human effort, divine connection, and public demonstration?