Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Contemplating the suffering of hungry ghosts (pretas)

the preta realm from the
Wheel of Life

updated and revised on 24th August 2020

The realms of the pretas are to be found in two places: one is bellow Jambudvipa (our realm of human beings[1]), which is their main place of existence and is ruled by King Yama, and the other is between the realm of humans and the realms of the gods. Master Vasubandhu explains:

“The king of the pretas is called Yama; his residence, which is the principal dwelling of the pretas, is located under Jambudvipa. The pretas that are found elsewhere are the surplus of the pretas. The pretas differ much one from another; certain of them possess supernatural powers and enjoy a glory similar to that of the gods”.[2] 
Beside those with supernatural powers and a better situation or the various differences between them, there are some general characteristics which often appear in the description of pretas. They are ugly, naked or dressed in rags or covered by their own hair which sometimes is just hair or hair in the form of needles, swords or spears[3]. Preta spirits have a foul smell, are weakened by hunger, dried by thirst, with visible ribs and veins, always unhappy and living on the offerings done by others.

Although pretas (hungry ghosts) differ very much from one another I try to classify them in two general categories and a few subcategories, following the example of Masters from the past[4], and adding a special category at the end, that of pretas who wish to dominate other beings through religion. I mention that this classification is not fixed, as there are pretas who are outside of any category or we can classify them into more categories[5]:

1) pretas who live collectively, and
2) pretas who travel through space.

1)      Pretas who live collectively

Among the pretas who live collectively, there are three types:
a) pretas who suffer from external obscurations,
b) pretas who suffer from internal obscurations and
c) pretas who suffer from specific obscurations.

a) Pretas who suffer from external obscurations
These are the pretas who suffer from intense hunger and thirst or from unbearable heat and cold. Thus, whatever food or water they see in the distance, it proves to be nothing but a mirage, because when they come closer, they realize it vanished, dried up or that it is guarded by armed demons who beat them and chase them away.
As Master Genshin described:

“At times they succeed in finding a stream of pure water but when they rush to it and try to scoop up the water in their hands, demons of great strength come along and beat them with iron clubs, or the water suddenly turns into flames and burns them or it ceases to flow and is dried up”. […]

There are hungry spirits  called Eating-Water whose bodies are parched with thirst. They rush about in search for water but cannot find even a drop. Their long hair covers their faces so that they cannot see. They run along the river banks and if there are people crossing they lap up the water which may be left in their foot prints, and thus moistening their parched throats they manage to exist. Or when people make an offering of water to the spirits of their departed parents they give a little to these spirits and so they prolong their lives. If the spirits try to take some of this water themselves then the various demons whose function it is to guard the water beat them with sticks. Those who in this life mixed water with the sake they sold, or those who put in earth worms and leeches and so did not fulfill the good Law (Dharma), receive this reward”.

Also, as Genshin said, "there are still other hungry spirit  called Fear-Hope who live on the offerings which people make to their departed parents. Beside this they have nothing on which to live. Those who in this life rob the poor of even the little they have acquired through great efforts, receive this reward. Then, again, there are hungry spirits who are born on the seashore where there is neither cool shade nor river water and where it is so hot that even their winter days are more than a thousand times hotter than summer days on earth. They subsist on obtaining only the morning dew. Though they live on the sea shore, the sea looks to their eyes like a dry place. Those who in this life have taken advantage of merchants who have been overtaken with illness on their journey and have beaten down their prices and so robbed them receive this reward”.

In Words of My Perfect Teacher, Patrul Rinpoche told us the following story related with these types of pretas:

„Once, when Srona[6] was in the land of the pretas, he found their avarice so poisonous that it gave him a fever and his mouth became completely dry. He came across an iron castle at whose door stood a terrifying sombre
figure with red eyes.
‚Where is there some water?’ Srona asked.
At these words, a crowd of pretas, all looking like lumps of burnt wood, came milling around him, begging,
 ‚Great perfect being, give us water!’
‚I have found none myself,’ answered he. ‚It is for you to give me some.’
‚What do you mean?’ replied the pretas. ‚We were born in this land twelve years ago and until today we have never even heard as much as a mention of water.’"[7]

b) Pretas who suffer from internal obscurations
This kind of pretas have very small mouths, some no bigger than the eye of a needle, and a large sized stomach of hundreds of meters or even more. When they try to drink water, the heat of their breath evaporates it as soon as it goes down their throats. In the same way, no matter how much they eat, they cannot be satisfied due to the contradiction between their mouths and stomachs, but even if they somehow manage to eat a little, it will burst into flames during the night and burn their inside organs. Also movement is extremely hard and painful to them because of their grass-like limbs.

Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said in his Letter to a Friend[8]:
"Some, with bellies as huge in size as a mountain,
Connected to mouths, the mere eye of a needle,
Are tortured by hunger, not having the capacity
To eat even the tiniest lump of filth thrown away.

Some, with bodies just skin and bones, and naked,
Are like the withered trunk-tops of palmyra palm trees;
While some blaze flames from their mouths in the sphere of the night,
Having to eat blazing sand as their food, poured into their mouths."

Master Genshin also described such type of pretas who suffer from internal obscurations:

“Then there are hungry spirits called Eating-and-Vomiting whose bodies are very broad and a half  yodjana in height. Their stomach and chest feel heavy, and so they continually try to vomit, but as they cannot succeed in this they suffer in various ways. Those husbands who in this life ate the good food themselves and gave nothing to their wives and children, and such wives as ate all the good food themselves and gave nothing to their husbands, receive this reward.

Then, again, there are hungry spirits called Eating-Odour who have to live on the smell of the food which sick people offer along the rivers or in forests. Those who in this life allowed wife and children only to smell the good food which they themselves ate, receive this reward”.

c) Pretas who suffer from specific obscurations
The experiences of this kind of pretas vary from one another, according to the specific causes that brought them into that state. For example, some have many creatures living on their bodies and devouring them, or may have their own food transformed into various uneatable and foul matters, while some other cut their own flesh and eat it. 

As Master Genshin said, quoting Nagarjuna’s Prajnaparamita-sastra:

“Then there are hungry spirits who have nothing at all to eat, and so they break open their own skulls and eat their brains. Again, there are hungry spirits who emit flames from their mouths and live upon the moths which happen to fly into these flames. There are hungry spirits who feed on pus, phlegm and the remains of the washings of human dung.”

Or as he described in his Ojoyoshu:

“ There are other hungry spirits who for lack of food go to cemeteries and eat the cremated bodies, but this does not stay their hunger. Those who in this life were prison wardens and who ate the food intended for the prisoners receive this reward.”

A specific obscuration is that which manifests upon the false teachers of the Dharma:

“There are hungry spirits called Eating-Law (Dharma) who run about on steep places where it is difficult to walk, seeking food but finding none. If they enter a temple and hear an exposition of the Law (Dharma) they obtain strength and manage to live. Those who in this life sought to obtain fame by a false interpretation of the Law receive this reward”.

In the following pages I will present some true stories about this type of pretas.

Once, Srona Kotikarna met a fat and ugly man near a banyan tree who ate his own flesh. After he found out that he was a preta, he asked him about the cause of his suffering. The preta said he was a merchant in Barukaccha city where he used to cheat others and took their properties and when he was advised by some religious teachers to give up harming others in this way he told them to go and eat their own flesh.

Later he saw two preta kids with black blood coming out of their mouths . They told him that their family was dealing with perfumes. Their mother went to offer food to a Master and they started to say to her: „you give all our fortune to these sramanas! May the food they bring to their mouths be transformed into black blood!”. Because of this deed they were reborn after death in one of the hells and when they emerged from there, their residual karma brought them in the state of pretas[9].

In the Petavatthu[10] we are told that once there was a man who had a barren wife. Wishing very much to have sons, he took a second wife[11] which immediately became pregnant. The first wife was jealous and gave her a plant which provoked her an abortion in the second month of pregnancy. Suspected by the man, the first wife swore, „if I am guilty of this deed may I one day eat the flesh of my own children”. Because of this she was reborn as a preta with an ugly body smelling of rottenness. Every morning she gave birth to five boys and in the evening to another five, but as she was tormented by hunger she was forced to eat them[12]. Despite this, her hunger was never satisfied and everything started again the next day.[13]

A man in Savatthi had two wives, Matta – evil, unfaithful and barren, and Tissa – faithful, calm and who knew to be pleasant to her husband. When Tissa gave birth to a boy, Matta became even more hostile to her and started to cause her many problems. After death she was reborn a preta and appeared before Tissa. Here is the dialogue between the two according to Petavatthu:

“’You are naked, ugly, covered in veins, emaciated with your ribs standing out.
Who are you, standing there?’
‚I am Mattā, you are Tissā. We were co-wives. On account of my evil kamma, I have gone to the world of the petas (petaloka). I was violent, abusive, jealous and miserly. Because I spoke harshly to you, I have gone to the world of the petas.’
‚This I know. But I would ask you something else, why are you covered in dirt?’
‚Seeing you once, freshly bathed and adorned, seated in pleasant conversation with our husband, I grew angry and jealous. Taking a handful of dirt, I threw it over your head. As a result of that deed, I am covered in dirt.’
‚Why are you covered with itchy scabs?’
‚Once we were gathering herbs in the forest. You took medicinal plants, I took the kapikacchu plant[14]. Without your knowing it, I sprinkled some into your bed. As a
result of that deed, I am covered in itchy scabs.’
‚ Why are you naked?’
‚There was a social gathering of friends and family. Our husband invited you, but not me. So, without your knowledge I hid your clothes. As a result of that deed, I
am naked’.”[15]

Once, Master Maudgalyayana saw a preta burried up to his neck in a cesspit. He told him that in his previous life he supported an evil and greedy monk who was jealous on his brothers:

“’I was a householder who supported a bhikkhu (monk) of bad character. This bhikkhu was greedy and selfish; he was attached to my household and jealous of other bhikkhus. Listening to his words, I too began to abuse the good bhikkhus. As a result of that, I am a preta in a cesspit.’”[16]

Maudgalyayana asked him what happened with the evil monk and he received the following answer:

“’I am standing on his head. My food is what others defecate; the bhikkhu lives upon what I expel.’”[17]

In the same category of filth we hear about another preta who was in his previous life a man who cheated his wife and was now reborn with his head in a hole filled with shit[18].  Another throwed shit into the monks food and was now reborn as a preta drowned in shit and who was forced to eat from it with his both hands.[19]

Sometimes we read about pretas who live together with more spiritually evolved beings due to the bonds of attachments between them.
For example, Nawa Chewari was once traveling in the land of the pretas and he came to a beautiful palace where lived a beautiful and powerful lady:

When Nawa Chewari requested some drink and food from her, she took him inside and gave him enough to eat and drink. She sat on a precious jewel throne, but there were four men, each one tied with rope to one of the four sides of the throne. She warned him, ‚I need to go out for a while. If they ask you to give them something, don't do it. Don't give them anything.’
 Of course, as soon as she left, the four men stretched out their hands and begged for food, drink, anything at
all to eat. Nawa Chewari felt such great compassion that he gave them each a little bit of food. As soon as they ate the food, it transformed – one into burning metal, one to dust, one to stone, and the last to hot ashes. When it reached their mouths and stomachs, they experienced inconceivable suffering.
As soon as she returned, she saw their suffering and said, ‚Don't think that I don't have enough compassion to feed these beings. It is because they suffer so that I don't give them my food and drink.’
Nawa Chewari asked the woman what kind of negative deeds had brought on this kind of suffering. She explained, ‚In our former life, we were a five-person family, I, my husband, and three sons. One day the father and sons went for a walk while I prepared a delicious meal for them and waited. Before they came back, a venerable Arya came asking for lunch. Since I had cooked that food already, I offered it to him. Soon after he left, I started preparing another lunch for my husband
and sons. They arrived while the food was still cooking. They were very hungry and demanded their meal. I explained the reason for the delay and they became upset and angry with that monk. One said, 'Instead of eating our delicious meal, that monk should have eaten burning iron metal.' One said, 'He should have eaten dust.' One
said, 'He should have eaten stones,' and the last one said, 'He should have eaten hot burning ashes.'
When they said these things, in my mind I knew that by saying such harsh words about an offering to a noble monk instead of rejoicing in the virtuous deed, they would experience inconceivable suffering. I thought, 'When they are experiencing their suffering, may I see
it directly with my own eyes.' So by the power of that aspiration, I see them in this state. If I had not made that aspiration, I would have been born in the God Realm of the Thirty-three. This is how we were born here as hungry ghosts.’"[20]

Also, in Petavatthu we are told the story of a weaver who was  devout Buddhist and of his wife who had no faith and was always unsatisfied and filled with wrong views:

„Once, when her husband was preparing an offering of food and cloth for the bhikkhus (monks), she cursed him, saying: ‚Whatever food or drink you give to those samaṇas, followers of the Buddha, in the next world may it become dung, pus and blood. And whatever clothes you give them, may they become red-hot iron plates!’
When his time came, and the weaver died, he was reborn as a tree-deva of great power and splendour in the Viñjha Forest. His stingy wife became a petī (preta woman) living not far from his abode. She was naked, ugly and overcome with hunger and thirst. She approached the tree-deva and begged him, ‚My lord, I have no clothes and I wander about extremely hungry and thirsty. Please give me clothes and food.’ The deva offered her some sublime deva food, but as soon as she grasped it, it became dung and pus and blood. He gave her a cloak, but as soon as she put it on, it became a blazing sheet of iron. So with great suffering, and crying aloud, she wandered away.

A little later, a bhikkhu who had gotten separated from his travelling companions chanced upon the dwelling of the tree-deva. Seeing him, the deva assumed a human form, welcomed him and invited him into his abode. The deva offered the bhikkhu some ointment for his feet, paid his respects and took a seat. As it happened, just then the petī (female preta) returned and again begged for clothing and food. When she was given these things, it happened just as before. The deva asked the bhikkhu if there were any way to free her from the peta realm.
‚There is. If one makes a gift to the Buddha, the Noble Saṅgha or even to one bhikkhu, and dedicates it to her, and if she rejoices in it (anumodati) then she will be
freed from her suffering.’
Upon hearing this, the deva offered food and drink to the bhikkhu and dedicated it to the petī. Instantly, she had a sufficiency of deva-food and became plump and satisfied. The deva then offered to the bhikkhu a set of deva-clothes
for the Buddha, again dedicating the gift to the petī. She was at once attired in deva-clothes, richly decorated and adorned like an accharā (celestial nymph).”[21]

Here is another story of this kind:

„Once, in Baranasi there dwelt a brahmin family, man and wife together with two sons and a daughter. The children all became devout followers of the Buddha but
the parents had no faith, and made no merit. It came to pass that in a terrible storm their old house collapsed and all five were killed. The mother and father became
pretas, and the children bhumma devas[22]. These were seen by the Arahant bhikkhu Saṃkicca and one of his disciples. The five were travelling together to attend an assembly of the yakkhas (yakkhasamāgama). The elder son led the procession, riding on a white elephant. The
younger son travelled in a chariot drawn by four mules, and the daughter was borne in a litter. Her radiance illuminated the ten directions. Following in the back went the two pretas on foot. They were black in colour, with
coarse tangled hair. They carried heavy iron mallets and cursed each other with harsh words. Their skin was horribly wrinkled and they dripped pus and blood.
They were very frightful in appearance. They would strike one another with their mallets and drink the blood and pus from the wounds, but this did not satisfy them and they were always hungry.”[23]

As we can see from the above, those who live together with virtuous people do not always copy their example. Also, it is very rare that two or more relatives know about each other, especially if they have a different karma. Most of the time they do not remember their past lives or some do remember while the others don’t.

            Sometimes we read about pretas with a dual situation, that is, half of their time they enjoy extraordinary pleasures and in the other half they suffer as pretas. Here is a story:

„In the days of the Buddha Kassapa there were five hundred married couples, devout lay followers, who joined together to do good works. The men built bridges, parks and so forth. They also built a vihāra (monastery). The women would travel as a group to make offerings there. On one such journey, while staying at a public hostel on the way home, one of the women was seduced by a rogue and spent the night with him.
Her husband heard rumours of her misdeed and confronted her. She denied it, and pointing to a dog said, ‚If I have done such a wicked deed, when I am reborn may I be eaten by a crop-eared dog such as this!’ The other women also lied to protect her, ‚If we know anything about this may we become her slaves in the next life.’ The adulteress was consumed by remorse for her deed and soon wasted away and died. She was reborn as a vimana peti[24] in a vimāna[25] by Lake Kaṇṇamuṇḍa in the Himavā. As the other women died, one by one, they reappeared there also, as her slaves and experienced the suffering of slaves.”[26]

Her situation is described as follows by a prince who found her and became her lover:

„Here are stairways of gold upon golden sands
Everywhere sweet delightful scents.
Sweetly blow the winds, resounding with the cries of heron and geese.
This is not a human city,
Your many palaces of gold and silver
Gleam brightly in the four directions.
You have five hundred slave girls,
Richly adorned with sea-shell bracelets,
You have golden couches with deer-skin coverlets.
When you lie down on them, you enjoy great sensual
happiness.
Until midnight comes, then you rise and go outside.
There you go to the pleasure grove adorned with lotus-ponds.
There you stand on the fresh grass, beautiful one!
There a crop-eared dog devours you, limb by limb.
When you are all eaten, made into a skeleton,
Then you fall into the pond, and your body is made whole
again.
Then with all your major and minor limbs, charming and dear to my sight,
You put on your garments and return to my presence.”[27]
  
Another woman who lived during the time of Buddha Kasyapa earned her income from prostitution and was well known for her long and beautiful hair:

„It came to pass that some rivals of hers put a drug in her bathing powder which caused all her hair to fall out. Ashamed of her appearance, she left the city and eked out a living making and selling liquor. Once, she stole the
garments of some men who were lying drunk and unconscious. At another time, she gave some sweet-cakes to a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) and stood holding a parasol over him as he ate. At that time, she made the aspiration, ‚May my hair be long, delicate, glossy, soft and with curling tips!’
When her time came she died and because of her mixed karma she was reborn all alone in a golden vimāna in the middle of the ocean. Her hair was long and beautiful, just as she had wished, but because she had stolen the
men’s’ clothes she was naked. For the entire time between two Buddhas, she was reborn again and again into the same golden vimāna, and she was always naked.”[28]

2. Pretas who travel through space

This category includes various types of pretas which are generaly tormented by constant fear and hallucination.[29]
Generaly speaking, they want to offload their pain on others, so wherever they go they do harm to others, thus many of them fall into hells when their life as a preta comes to an end. Even when they visit their dear ones from previous life, they bring only sickness, insanity and various other sufferings, which causes magicians and exorcists to harm and destroy them.
They also suffer from the distorted perceptions of other kind of pretas, like perceiving the sun of winter to be too cold, or the moon too hot in summer night. Their bodily form may be of various hideous animals, like ugly dogs, birds and others.

In Samyutta Nikaya we are told about a preta who was a corrupt monk in his previous life and who was now flying through air in the form of a monk with his robes and bowl in fire. In the same text we find examples of corrupt nuns and novices, men and women, all with their robes and bowls in fire.[30]

Maudgalyayana told the story of a scheleton preta flying in the air followed by various birds of prey who kicked him with their beaks, causing him great suffering. Buddha explained that preta was a cow butcher in his previous life and after he spent a time into one of the hells his residual karma made him reborn in this form.

Other examples of flying pretas are also given in the Samyutta Nikaya: a pile of meat flying in the sky, human figures without skin (men and women), a body without head, a hideous woman with a very bad smell, all of them hunted by birds of prey, crows or vultures. The majority of these pretas were butchers and the body without head was an executioner. The woman without skin was unfaithful to her husband and the hideous and smelly one used to be a fortune teller and allowed herself to be possesed by yaksa.[31]

*

As we have seen, the causes of being born among pretas are various kinds of actions motivated by greed, avarice, jealousy, etc.
Master Genshin said:

"The Shobonenjogyo[32] says that those who are cruel, covetous, jealous and envious fall into this realm of hungry ghosts (Spirits). By the cruel and the covetous are meant those who think only of their own things, who do not love others or give alms, and those who are never satisfied no matter how much they rob others”.

In chapter four of his Kyogyoshinsho, Master Shinran quotes Master Che-kwan of Koryo[33]:

“Hungry ghosts are called pretas in Sanskrit. Their places of habitation are found in various realms. Hungry ghosts with much merit become spirits of mountains and forests or of graveyards. Those without merit dwell in filthy places, receive no food or drink, and are constantly whipped[34]. Forced to dam up rivers and oceans, they suffer immeasurable pain. Those who harbor flattery and deception in their hearts and have committed the five grave offenses and the ten evil acts that belong to the lowest degree of karmic evil[35] receive the recompense of this state of existence”.[36]

Some pretas remember their previous lives and the karmic causes that lead to their present state, but not all, as we can see in the following story:

„Maudgalyayana came upon a preta while passing through a sugar-cane field. The preta was tormented by hunger and thirst but unable to partake of the abundant sugarcane.
‚I am destroyed, I am devoured. I try and try to take some
food. I weep, but a poor fragment of myself Of what kamma is this the result?’
Maudgalyayana explained that in his human life he had been walking along eating sugar-cane when a poor man came up behind him and begged for some. At first he
ignored the man’s pleas. After some time, without turning around, he contemptuously held a piece of sugar-cane out behind his back for the beggar to take. Maudgalyayana told him that now he could only take sugar-cane from behind his back. The preta did so and found he could now eat to his heart’s content.”[37]

The lifespan of a preta  is described the same by Bodhisattba Vasubandhu[38] and Master Genshin:

“One day in this realm is as long as one month of human life and existence here lasts for 500 [preta] years".

Other texts, including Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend, say that the life of pretas can be even longer, like five thousand or ten thousand preta years. In the stories presented above we see that sometimes their lifespan can be even longer.
  

A special category of hungry spirits
-          Powerful pretas who wish to dominate other beings through religion -


            At the end of this presentation on pretas, I would like to add another special category of hungry ghosts - the powerful pretas who wish to dominate other beings through religion.
As I explained above, there are various types of pretas, and not all of them are weak or tortured by mere hunger or thirst. Some pretas have great powers due to previous good karma and merits, as Vasubandhu said: "the pretas differ much one from another; certain of them possess supernatural powers and enjoy a glory similar to that of the gods”[39], but also great arrogance and pride.  
Among the pretas, the category called gyalpos in Tibetan are the most powerful. "Gyalpo" means "king" or "royal" and it indicates the various leaders of the preta plane of existence, so they are from the same category Vasubandhu reffered to in the above passage. It is said that in their past lives they were great practitioners who accumulated merit, but were not able to overcome pride and arrogance, or they died with thoughts of hate, vengeance, etc.

Generally speaking, all the pretas have the tendency to influence others. They are all eager for attention, offerings, etc, but the gyalpos have the best power to put this wish into action. They can be masters of deceit[40], disguise in various ways, even take the appearance of great teachers of the past or Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and they like to impart various so called "teachings". There are some stories of advanced Buddhist practitioners who were tricked by gyalpos. This category of pretas can also perform miracles and offer visions to make people entrust and obey to them.

Into my opinion, the abrahamic/monotheist religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) were caused by such powerful pretas with imperialist tendencies. All of these religions were founded arround visions, miracles and a central authoritarian "divine" figure who pretends total subsmission from his believers. The jealousy of the "god" of Old Testament is clearly expressed in the first of the ten comandments and in other passages of the same text. This is also accepted in Christianity:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.”[41]

Also in the Quran there are many passages like that, but I quote here only a few:

„Follow, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you from your Lord - there is no deity except him - and turn away from those who associate others with Allah”.[42] (Qur’an 6:106)

„And whoever has not believed in Allah and his Messenger - then indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers a Blaze.[43]
And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom he wills and punishes whom he wills[44].”[45](Qur’an 48:13-14)

„Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are those who have disbelieved, and they will not [ever] believe.”[46] (Qur’an 8:55)

„Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ; and those with him are forceful (ruthless) against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.”[47] (Qur'an 48:29)

 I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip."[48] (Qur’an 8:12)

 Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.”[49] (Qur’an 9:29)

As we can see here, such a "god" is clearly NOT an Enlightened being, but a person dominated by jealousy, frustration and anger, who shares his so called "love" only with those who love him or follow his instructions, and punishes the lack of obedience of fathers to the third and fourth generations. Also, in the case of the Quran, he encourages his worshippers to be ruthless with non-believers, whom he himself regards as "the worst of living creatures" and does his best to terrorize them! Surely a being like that will sink even more in the lower realms, even in the hells, after his life as a gyalpo or powerful preta is over.

We can see clearly the difference between such angry spirits dominated by the need for attention and a Buddha who has undiscriminative Compassion for all beings, no matter they accept His teachings or not! A Buddha does not need the attention and worship of others[50], He is not affected if beings love Him or despise Him. Praise or critic do not influence Him. All He does for unenlightened beings arises from His pure Wisdom and Compassion:

"The Buddhas of the ten quarters think compassionately on sentient beings just as a mother thinks of her child."[51]

Also, how do all Buddhas try to convince us to entrust to Amida Buddha? Clearly, not by force, nor terror, and not by threatening to destroy us and our children to the third and fourth generations:

"Shakyamuni and all the other Buddhas
Are truly our compassionate father and mother.
With various compassionate means they lead us to awaken
Supreme shinjin (faith in Amida Buddha) that is true and real."[52]

Surely, no good can come from entrusting to some worldly jealous and vengeful spirits, no matter if the teachings associated with them do contain some good elements, too[53]. Powerful pretas (and their followers) can have their own spiritual evolution, some may be better than others, but certainly, not one of them is enlightened and none escaped from the slavery of the three poisons: ignorance, greed/attachement and aversion. Contrary to this, taking refuge in a Buddha will lead us, sooner or later, to Enlightenment. Thus, one must be extremely careful to whom he is entrusting oneself to, as the effect is simmilar to the cause. If we take refuge in samsaric spirits, no matter how powerful they are, we will never escape samsara; if we take refuge in the Buddhas, and especially in Amida Buddha, we will ourselves attain Buddhahood.

            The monotheistic religions believe in the existence of a creator god. However, this runs contrary to the teaching of the Buddha, according to which unenlightened beings are the karmic cause for the existence of unenlightened samsaric realms. Their individual and collective karma actually manifested the realms, worlds and universes in which they live[54]. Contrary to this, Enlightened beings or Buddhas, naturaly and karmically manifest Pure Lands or Enlightened realms. If a so called "supreme being" created a world like ours that means he is not enlightened, because if he was enlightened this world would have been perfect and inhabitted by perfectly enlightened beings. Amida Buddha (and any Buddha!) does not pretend to be the creator of this samsaric world, but only of His enlightened Pure Land, where He vowed to bring all samsaric beings for their final liberation (attainment of Buddhahood/Nirvana).

Any person who pretends to be the creator and owner of this world or any samsaric world is afflicted with arrogance and is hungry for power - a feature which is often found in some gods and especially in some powerful pretas (hungry spirits) who have connection with the human realms. The attitude of such spirits or gods is an imperialist one, that is, to receive the praise and submission of as many beings as possible. I often give the example of Baka Brahma, the god who was mislead by Mara into believing that he was "the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Lord God, the Maker, the Creator, the Chief, the Ordainer, the Almighty, the Father of all that are and that will be" and was corrected by Shakyamuni Buddha[55]. However, those who have such an imperialist tendency are not only from the realms of gods, but from the preta realms, too. My opinion is that most of the gods who live way beyond our human realm are more busy with enjoying their beautiful long lives, than dealing with the affairs of the humans. So, I think that the pretas are more connected with us, and more involved with our plane of existence, as they can even receive various substances from us in the form of sacrifices[56]. Knowing this we must be aware of the category of powerful pretas who want to dominate others through religion, and do as Shinran advised us:

“Those who take refuge truly and wholeheartedly, freeing themselves from all delusional attachments and all concern with the propitious or unpropitious, must never take refuge in spirits or non-Buddhist teachings.”[57]

 „Take refuge in the Buddha yourself, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha. Do not serve other teachings, do not worship devas, do not enshrine spirits, do not heed days considered lucky."[58]





[1] The realm of human beings does not mean only the humans living on this planet. The Buddha Dharma recognizes the existence of many parallel universes and worlds populated with humans, Jambudvipa being only one of them. Other three “continents” or human realms are Purvavideha, Aparagodania and Utarakuru. Each of these four “continents” has their own smaller “subcontinents” or realms where there are human beings with features and lifespans different than our own.
[2] AbhidharmakoSabhasyam, English translation by Leo M. Pruden; Berkeley, Calif, Asian Humanities Press, 1991; vol 2, p. 460 
[3] In Samyutta Nikaya 19, are described one preta with hair like swords which moved up and down hurting him while he was flying through the air, another one with hair like spears, or like arrows, and another two with hair like needles. The majority of these beings had violent professions like hunters and torturer. The preta with hair like needles who entered through various parts of his body was a man who slandered the Dharma.
[4] Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998, p.72-76
[5] Jamgon Kongtrul said that according to Saddharmasmrty Uupasthana Sutra, Yama rules over 36 types of pretas. Unfortunately, he did not go into details and we do not have yet a complete English translation of this sutra.
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, The Treasury of Knowledge – Book One: Myriad Worlds, Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaka, New York, 1995, p. 114 
[6] A disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha.
[7] Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998, p.72
[8] Letter to a Friend (bShes-pa'i springs-yig, Skt. Suhrllekha) by Nagarjuna, translated by Alexander Berzin, 2006, http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/sutra/level6_study_major_texts/suhrllekha_letter_friend_nagarjuna/letter_friend.html
[9] Udana Commentary - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.181
[10] Petavatthu – Stories about hungry ghosts, scripture included in the Khuddaka Nikaya from the Pali canon.
[11] It was not uncommon in those days for a man to have two wives.
[12] Those children were not living beings, but powerful illusions manifested by her karma.
[13] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.181-182
[14] Muccana prutitus (latin).
[15] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.182
[16] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.182
[17] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.182
 [18] Samyutta Nikaya 19:11 - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.185
[19] Samyutta Nikaya 19:12 - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.185 
[20] The Jewel Ornament of Liberation – The Wish-fulfiling Gem of the Noble Teachings, Gampopa, translated into English by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaka, New York, 1998, p.364-365
[21] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.189
[22] A class of inferior gods about whom I will talk at the chapter dedicated to gods.
[23] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.185
[24] A preta woman living in a vimana.
[25] A vimana is somekind of celestial domain.
[26] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.193-194
[27] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.193-194
[28] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.194
[29] According to Patrul Rinpoche spirits like tsen, shindre, jungpo, mamo, theurang, whose names do not have an English equivalent,  are included in this category. Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998, p.75
[30] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.185
[31] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.184 
[32] Saddharmasm tyupasthana Sutra (Shobonenjogyo) – Mindfulness of the Right Dharma Sutra.
[33] That passage appeared in T’ien-t’ai’s Discourse on the Fourfold Teachings.
[34] They are beaten by various demons which appear to these pretas as guarding the food and water. See the first category of pretas – those with external obscurations.
[35] This means that they did not do such evil acts as to fall into hell. However, sometimes, as we have seen in the previous stories, rebirth in the preta realm is due to the residual karma left after the sinner already spent some time in one of the hells. For example, somebody who killed his mother (one of the five gravest offenses) goes first to hell and then he is reborn as a preta.
[36] Kyogyoshinsho – On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment, translated by Hisao Inagaki, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.334
[37] Petavatthu - The Buddhist Cosmos: A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Buddhist Worldview; according to Theravada and Sarvastivada sources, by Punnadhammo Mahathero, Independently Published, Arrow River Forest Hermitaje, 2018, p.191
[38] Bodhisattva Vasubandhu said: All the hungry ghosts live 500 years in their years of months and days.”
The Jewel Ornament of Liberation – The Wish-fulfiling Gem of the Noble Teachings, Gampopa, translated into English by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaka, New York, 1998, p.102 
[39] AbhidharmakoSabhasyam, English translation by Leo M. Pruden; Berkeley, Calif, Asian Humanities Press, 1991; vol 2, p. 460
[40] However, not all gyalpo spirits manifest a negative and imperialist attitude. There are also some gyalpo who show interest in the Dharma, but as they have an inconstant character, and pride and anger are some of their main features, they can be easily offended and manipulated by the Maras.
[41] Bible.com https://www.bible.com
[42] The Quran online, https://quran.com/6
[43] According to Islam those who do not believe in their god will go to hell.
[44] This is against the law of karma as according to Islam everything depends on the arbitrary wish of their god.
[45] The Quran online, https://quran.com/48
[46] The Quran online, https://quran.com/8/55-65
[47] The Quran online, https://quran.com/48
[48] The Quran online, https://quran.com/8/12-22
[49] The Quran online, https://quran.com/9/29-39
[50] To worship the Buddha is karmically beneficial for the unenlightened beings, not for a Buddha, as He does not depend on anything.
[51] The 'Chapter of Mahasthamaprapta' of the Sutra of the Samadhi of Heroic Advance.
[52] Shinran Shonin, Hymn of the Two Gateways of Entrance and EmergenceThe Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.629
[53] Although the object of these religions is false and they are filled with wrong views, some of their moral teachings can be useful to anybody.
[54] See the chapter "Some Buddhist explanations of the origin and existence of the universe" from my book, The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, Dharma Lion Publications, Craiova, 2015, p. 31
[55] See chapter "There is no supreme god or creator in the Buddha Dharma" from my book, The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, Dharma Lion Publications, Craiova, 2015, p. 18
[56] Judaism and Islam are religions who practiced and are still practicing blood sacrifice. Any “halal” meat that a faithful Muslim should eat must come from animals that were killed according to a certain ritual in which the name of Allah is invoked. Indeed, only a preta can be interested in such a bloody ritual while a celestial god would certainly feel disgusted.  I also mention that many sacrifices are described in the Old Testament which is a book accepted by Christianity although this “new” religion gave up on such practices but kept the same god who is also the father of Jesus and who used to accept animal sacrifices. He is the same god who says he is a jealous god who punishes the parents’ lack of faith through their children until the third of fourth generation.
[57] Shinran quoted this passage in his Kyogyoshinsho, chapter VI, from the Sutra of the Ten Wheels of Ksitigarbha.  Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.273
[58] Sutra of the Samadhi of All Buddhas' Presence as quoted by Shinran Shonin in his Kyogyoshinsho, chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.255

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