extravagant claims

Extravagant claims made by mystical teachers should always be understood metaphorically and treated as such. You don't need to react to them realistically. Only if there seems no possibility of a metaphorical teaching should a literal interpretation be applied with all its attendant problems of motive, possible falsehood, verification or 'fine robes'. 'Fine robes' refers to something the Jesuit Mateo Ricci experienced when he went to China in the 16th century. No one would talk to him about religious matters because he did not wear the robes of a doctor of religion. So he studied for five years and became a bonze, a master of Buddhist teachings. This gave him the 'fine robes' which opened people's ears to what he had to say. But if you are are impressed (or distressed) by an extravagant claim then you are getting less out of a teacher than someone who is really taking all that is on offer. You are still in the judging frame of mind rather than the 'open' or 'transparent' frame of mind which is neither impressed or unnerved by extravagant claims.

Extravagant claims that are easily rumbled as false also serve to flush out those looking for certainty rather than truth, since truth of a useful kind resides in approach, attitude, connections made rather than verification of a simple true/false kind.

In martial arts, students often repeat what seem like extravagant claims in order to boost the status of their particular art, but these claims again serve to create 'the dojo', the place where the teacher can best teach. In the dojo, the control of conditions allows 'magic' to take place- which encourages the students in their studies when they are starting out. When the student realises the world is his dojo he has no more need of 'magic', which, of course, isn't to say very strange and inexplicable things can't happen...