Seeing ghosts???

[Ninje]

Hi

Some people like to see ghosts movies but some others see real 'ghosts' 

I've known a few who can 'see' spirits and are very scared, at least for those moments... one is my cousin, one other is my aunt, another is my Indonesia maid and yet another one is my ex-colleague.

They have no reason to lie and there are no benefits in doing so. My cousin has been 'seeing' many different 'type' of 'ghosts' for as long as she can remembers; on banana trees when she was very very young, then during her relative's funeral; more recently, at my previous office, in my brother's house (top floor's room), at camping chalet, etc. Of course she does not 'sees' all the time but mostly if the place is quiet or deserted; sometimes she just 'senses' IT, not 'see'.

Then my ex-colleague, he said he saw mostly at nights on the roads, at quiet parking lots or even at mamak stalls. Whereas the Indonesia maid said she saw in my brother's house (Again! She told me she also 'sees' before at her hometown). As for my aunt, she 'sees' only occasionally but a few times are at her daughter's house in USA    Em... no discrimination in gender and nationality 

Now, my questions:

1. What should these people do at the moments they encounter 'spirits'?
2. Why are they having these 'special eyes'? What Buddhists explanation? (For curiosity only)

 

[Joey]

Hi

Some people like to see ghosts movies but some others see real 'ghosts' 

I've known a few who can 'see' spirits and are very scared, at least for those moments... one is my cousin, one other is my aunt, another is my Indonesia maid and yet another one is my ex-colleague.

They have no reason to lie and there are no benefits in doing so. My cousin has been 'seeing' many different 'type' of 'ghosts' for as long as she can remembers; on banana trees when she was very very young, then during her relative's funeral; more recently, at my previous office, in my brother's house (top floor's room), at camping chalet, etc. Of course she does not 'sees' all the time but mostly if the place is quiet or deserted; sometimes she just 'senses' IT, not 'see'.

Then my ex-colleague, he said he saw mostly at nights on the roads, at quiet parking lots or even at mamak stalls. Whereas the Indonesia maid said she saw in my brother's house (Again! She told me she also 'sees' before at her hometown). As for my aunt, she 'sees' only occasionally but a few times are at her daughter's house in USA    Em... no discrimination in gender and nationality 

Now, my questions:

1. What should these people do at the moments they encounter 'spirits'?
2. Why are they having these 'special eyes'? What Buddhists explanation? (For curiosity only)

 

1) they should really treat the spirits as another human being, because in reality they are no diffrent than one.

2) it happens when your mind starts to include the energy spectrum of the spirit domain, enabling the mind to preceive its existence

[Ninje]

Thanks Joey for your reply. Anyway, on your advice for my 1st question...

1) they should really treat the spirits as another human being, because in reality they are no diffrent than one.

Well, the 'beings' could be no different in 'reality' but the 'forms' that these people saw are definitely different and SCARY, mind you...

I don't really know how they can treat a 10-feet high dark 'thing' with long limbs or a floating 'thing' with tongue long enough to touch the ground as another 'human being' 

These are but only two of the descriptions they told me... even though I didn't experience them myself, I was scared too!

I can still remembered how my cousin screamed from top floor of my brother's house (only two of us stayed in the house for some months), at the time I was watching TV on ground floor. She was trembled with scared and couldn't talk for quite a while. Surely we think that after 'seeing' many times over, my cousin should 'get used' to them but no, she can't. Each time 'they' appeared in totally different forms and very very frightening to our 'eyes' or perceptions.

We did some prayers and the 'thing' gone away. Anyway, last year, which is a few years later, our Indonesia maid told us she saw a 'thing' in the same top floor where she sleeps. But her description is different from what my cousin 'saw' before, so we guessed IT is a different 'one'. Since then the maid was so scared and would rather sleep on the floor in our living room. So, every night I did my prayers there (Migtsema & black tea offerings to Lord Setrap) for about a month and gave her a deity picture to keep. She is now not so afraid anymore.

Now, I wish I can give my cousin and the same others some 'advice' how to 're-act' upon 'seeing' these 'things'. They are normally really really scared... 

 

[Krusty]

Dear Ninje,

I`m definitly no expert on gohsts. But I remember from teachings that you never try to destroy them, or do practices to harm them to make them go away. Much rather do prayers for them, full of compassion.

Best regards Krusty

[Scott Hutton]

I have "seen" ghosts countless times for over 45 years and the message, finally, has been:

They want to be happy too.

Newsflash:  the Buddha taught this all along.

They are no more or less real than us - we are no more real or less real than they.   They are there and, therefore, candidates for our compassion.

If we withhold that compassion, both they and we are the less.  If we attempt to help them, no matter how clumsily or inept, at least, at very least, improvement has been made and we are all a bit closer, be it only an inch, closer to THAT.

Be well,

Scott

[Joey]

Thanks Joey for your reply. Anyway, on your advice for my 1st question...

Well, the 'beings' could be no different in 'reality' but the 'forms' that these people saw are definitely different and SCARY, mind you...

I don't really know how they can treat a 10-feet high dark 'thing' with long limbs or a floating 'thing' with tongue long enough to touch the ground as another 'human being' 

These are but only two of the descriptions they told me... even though I didn't experience them myself, I was scared too!

I can still remembered how my cousin screamed from top floor of my brother's house (only two of us stayed in the house for some months), at the time I was watching TV on ground floor. She was trembled with scared and couldn't talk for quite a while. Surely we think that after 'seeing' many times over, my cousin should 'get used' to them but no, she can't. Each time 'they' appeared in totally different forms and very very frightening to our 'eyes' or perceptions.

We did some prayers and the 'thing' gone away. Anyway, last year, which is a few years later, our Indonesia maid told us she saw a 'thing' in the same top floor where she sleeps. But her description is different from what my cousin 'saw' before, so we guessed IT is a different 'one'. Since then the maid was so scared and would rather sleep on the floor in our living room. So, every night I did my prayers there (Migtsema & black tea offerings to Lord Setrap) for about a month and gave her a deity picture to keep. She is now not so afraid anymore.

Now, I wish I can give my cousin and the same others some 'advice' how to 're-act' upon 'seeing' these 'things'. They are normally really really scared... 

 

ask them to see ghosts as horribly disfigured people.if you see someone who is horribly disabled, i.e with no face would you run away or help that person? if you see someone involved in an accident with horrific wounds would you just run away? or brace your fear to save that person's life?

ghosts are like people too. they want happiness but only thing is that the wrong experience distorted their preception, causing them to take deformed bodies. If you understand ghosts correctly with lots of compassion, they will take a pleasant human appearance since what you see is actually more based on your fear.

[Yeshe Drolma]

ask them to see ghosts as horribly disfigured people.if you see someone who is horribly disabled, i.e with no face would you run away or help that person? if you see someone involved in an accident with horrific wounds would you just run away? or brace your fear to save that person's life?

ghosts are like people too. they want happiness but only thing is that the wrong experience distorted their preception, causing them to take deformed bodies. If you understand ghosts correctly with lots of compassion, they will take a pleasant human appearance since what you see is actually more based on your fear.

Dear Joey,

Thank you very much for your wisdom on this. I have never thought of it this way. It has always been a "reflex action" thing for me... Ghosts = ugly = run as fast as you can. Your words on this has given me a whole new perspective.

Warmest regards.