What Is Our Proper Relationship to Devas, Local Deities, Spirits, and Ghosts?

In 2018 we held a series of ZOOM classes on Learning from Buddha College & Seminar course “D35-Evil and Erroneous Views” concerning our relationship to beings in other realms. This article published then on one evil and five erroneous views is reposted to provide background on what the Buddha Master told us about our relationship to local land deities, especially the ones that are also Dharma Protectors.

What Is Our Proper Relationship to Devas, Local Deities, Spirits, and Ghosts?

In many parts of the world, including Buddhists countries, there are strong beliefs in ghosts and local deities. In the West, we tend not to have such beliefs, but we have also lost contact with these other realms of existence. As Buddhists we need to develop our compassion and respect for beings in all these realms. We believe that all living beings have the intrinsic nature of a buddha. We believe that these beings in all six realms of Samsara have been our parents and children in other lifetimes and we should treat them as such. However we should not regard samsaric ghosts and gods as our masters or that they are in any way superior to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are not from Samsara.

Evil View #1:  Acknowledging that ghosts and gods are one’s liberation masters. Those with this view regard ghosts and gods as masters upon whom we should rely for liberation and as leaders upon whom we should rely to attain accomplishment in the dharma. Those with this view firmly believe that ghosts and gods can save us from the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death. A person holding this view believes that ghosts and gods are the only masters who can save him through ending the cycle of birth and death. In reality, ghosts and gods have not even ended their own cycles of birth and death. Therefore, they definitely are not masters of liberation for Buddhist cultivators.

Erroneous View #43:   Acknowledging that the protective powers of a great Bodhisattvas are not as strong as those of mountain deities. Those with this view think that even though someone is a great Bodhisattva, he does not likely have great abilities and is not able to protect and bless living beings. They think that it is the mountain deities who are able to protect living beings. They think that living beings are more effectively protected by dragon deities in the earth or local land deities. Any such thinking is an erroneous view. Great Bodhisattvas are incredibly amazing! The powers of mountain deities or local land deities cannot be mentioned in the same breath with those of great Bodhisattvas. Mountain deities do not protect Bodhisattvas; rather, Bodhisattvas protect mountain deities.

Erroneous View #64:   Acknowledging that a person of holy virtue need not respectfully make offerings to local deities and land deities.  There are those who truly are people of holy virtue yet who do not show respect to or make offerings to local deities and earth deities. They look down on those deities, thinking those deities are small and insignificant. This mentality reflects an erroneous view. Why? Local deities and earth deities are sometimes nicer and kinder than some living beings. Those deities are also living beings. It is our duty to benefit them. They have been our parents during our prior incarnations in the six realms. Therefore, we must make offerings to them as well. Moreover, we must very sincerely pay homage and make offering to them.

Erroneous View #76:  Acknowledging that one must not raise the consciousness of a vicious ghosts to a higher realm of existence. Those with this view think that evil spirits definitely should not be raised to higher realms of existence. Those with such thinking have fallen into an erroneous view. Evil spirits should be raised to higher realms of existence. No matter how fierce evil spirits may be, they are still living beings. We as cultivators should be compassionate toward all living beings. Moreover, the sooner we raise evil spirits to higher realms of existence the better in order to prevent them from harming more good people.

Erroneous View #77:  Acknowledging that demons are not to be edified but must be punished or killed. Those with this view think that demons must be killed. Such thinking is mistaken. Depending on the particular circumstance, demons should be either taught and corrected or should be killed. When there truly is no way to teach and correct them and they are determined to continue harming living beings, they should be killed. If there is even the slightest opportunity to teach and correct them, then we must do all we can to teach and correct them and should not kill them, for demons are also living beings.

Erroneous View #78:  Acknowledging that one need not make food offerings to yakshas and hariti. Those with this view think that we should not offer food to yakshas and Hariti. This is also wrong. Food should also be offered to yakshas and Hariti. They are also living beings. It is just that they have evil views. We have to edify them so that they adopt right understanding and right views and benefit living beings. We need to find ways to bring them to the true dharma. We need to make offerings to them so that they will be moved, correct their evil ways, and do good.

NOTE:  Originally posted April 27, 2018.

CLICK for link to July 20, 2020 article (Revised October 19, 2024) on Dharma Protectors and local land deities.

CLICK for October 20, 2024 article on “The Nature of Dharma Protectors.”