This is a reposting of an earlier article that includes how we should treat beings from other realms including local land deities plus what we learned from other classes and meeting with the Buddha Master. Our class today on Expounding the Absolute Truth from the Heart Sutra discussed how we should treat Dharma Protectors. The Buddha Master said in DCB23 Lesson 19, that:
“There are even some local land deities who act as Dharma protectors to help living beings with their undertakings. However, you should not underestimate them. They are very useful. It is a cinch for them to punish those ordinary people with bad intentions.”
He also said that:
“In addition to doing our main practice, we who learn Buddha Dharma also should practice Dharma relating to Dharma protectors. In addition, we should practice making offerings to those above and giving alms to those below.”
In an earlier class on DCB26-How to Realize Prajna,” the Buddha Master told us how and why we should beseech the Dharma Protectors and Dharma Protecting Deities to protect us:
“. . . the protection provided by Dharma protectors is very important. From now on, all of you disciples should beseech Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Dharma-protecting holy and non-holy beings, and Dharma protectors. All of you should make offerings to them and should practice Dharmas specifically related to them so that they will protect you. . . We practice Dharmas specifically related to them so as to carry out Buddhist undertakings, do good deeds, and contribute all of our abilities to living beings.“
The Buddha Master talked about local gods and land gods and why they were important during a meeting held at the Holy Miracles Temple following a retreat at the Holy Vajrasana Temple in March 2019:
“Local gods are living beings, but they are ghosts, not humans. They can help you with worldly things or secular things because they still have feelings. The holy dharma protectors and Bodhisattvas will not, because they no longer have feelings and only care about cause and effect and you becoming liberated. They do not care about mundane things nor have any emotional attachments. . . You ask the local gods for help with your worldly life—family matters, businesses, financial matters, etc. they can help you because they still have feelings.“
“When you make offerings you always make offerings first to the Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors and then to the local gods. Otherwise, The local gods will not accept your offerings. . . “Bodhisattvas will incarnate or manifest as ghosts, animals, presidents, or humans to save ghosts, animals, presidents, or humans. They are all part of samsara and not liberated, but the higher level ghosts are in charge of local matters. A land god is in charge of a particular area like a precinct. You need to make offerings to that being who is in charge of where you live.”
2020 Article on “Evil and Erroneous Views Concerning Ghosts, Spirits, Demons, and the Six Realms”
Everyone present had an opportunity to express what they had learned from this series of classes on “Evil and Erroneous Views Concerning Ghosts, Spirits, Demons, and the Six Realms.” Many felt that the discussions had expanded their world view and enabled them to be more consciousness of the other realms and the need to respect these other beings and in so doing this also enabled them to be more respectful toward human beings that might be different from them. Our discussion helped us to develop more openness and inclusiveness to many types of beings. Understanding that there are other sorts of living beings in our world, especially nature spirits, that we may not see or be able to communicate with enables us to be more eco-friendly and have increased reverence toward the earth–a “reverence of place.”
As we accepted that the world is more complicated than we think, we even considered the famous quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where Hamlet talks to Horatio about talking to his father’s ghost. Horatio, like Hamlet a student at the University of Wittenberg and no doubt a Protestant humanist who does not believe in ghosts, then says that talking to a ghost is “wondrous strange.” Hamlet responds “and therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Understanding the six realms deepened our understanding of causality and the ability to see all beings as our mother and that we are not the center of the universe.
Questions were raised about how to show our respect and properly interact with these living beings that most of us cannot see. Some said that after reading the Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation (SAUMOL), they have set up “Spirit Houses” and make offerings to the local gods and spirits and beseech their blessings and promise to dedicate merit and share the blessings received from practicing dharma.
We also discussed the reasons that we cannot create a Pure Land” on earth and why we needed to understand the existence of the six realms.
Another insight that we could all benefit from was the realization that these beings had Buddha-Nature and, like ourselves, were evolving toward Buddhahood. The fact that we should not seek justice, but attempt to raise the consciousness of even demons and that perhaps we could also apply this compassion to humans that we sometimes demonize. Even if it is above our pay grade to either kill or educate demons, we should do our best and certainly try to bring those from other reams to the Dharma. A member from another dharma center told how his group always invited members of other realms to join their dharma listening classes. I shared how we had ghosts attempt to disrupt classes and after they were invited to join the class and asked to stop being disruptive, they did. I even shared the story of Dharma Duck, the eccentric goose that joined us at the temple one summer and insisted on being allowed to listen to the dharma. CLICK for more on beings from other realms who have sought refuge at the temple.
It was even argued that understanding the six realms made one participant aware that he had already lived many lives in each of these realms and suffered enough. Why waste time on that which is unimportant and seek liberation instead and seek it for all our relatives.
In summary, we benefited from this discussion and deepened our understanding of samsara and how to hold correct views toward all living beings.
I had also shared what the Buddha Master had told us about making offerings to the yakshas and Hariti. As I researched more about these beings, I realized that the yakshas are minions of Vaishravana, the Chief of the Four Heavenly Kings who is also called Kubera and associated with the god of wealth. The Yakshas are associated with good fortune and wealth while Hariti is associated with children and all things related to family matters. It makes sense that these two types of beings should be the ones we contact for help with those kinds of worldly matters. CLICK for more on Yakshas and Hariti.
NOTE: This article was originally posted July 20, 2020 after a series of classes held on “Evil and Erroneous Views Concerning Ghosts, Spirits, Demons, and the Six Realms,” which was part of our studying D35(A)-The 128 Evil and Erroneous Views, which, in turn, is part of the Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation.
CLICK for October 20, 2024 article on “The Nature of Dharma Protectors.”
CLICK for link to April 27, 2018 article “What is Our Proper Relationship to Devas, Local Deities, Spirits, and Ghosts?”
Thought of you today as I watched what I could only describe as “nectar” coming down like mist from the blossoms of the crepe myrtle tree in my backyard. Thank you for all you do. Always grateful to you, Marilyn
Good to hear from you. When I first saw and felt holy nectar fall through a magnolia tree in southern California, I was amazed that it never touched the branches of the tree. It was early in the year and the tree still did not have leaves although I believe it was in flower.