E. A. Koetting - staticfly.net

CHAPTER SIX SERVANTS OF DARKNESS
that his inquisitors perused, the same myth that the demons themselves
will initially recite when asked of their nature, withholding the truth
from those that do not want it. Only when the lie will not satisfy the
Asker will the demon open the channels of revelation.
In less spiritually restrictive times and places, such as India,
between 1500 BCE and 300 BCE, a greater understanding of demons is
gained through the study of the Vedic texts and their companion, the
Bhagavad-Gita. Among themes of Yogic discipline, nonattachment from
the passions of the world, and focusing upon Krishna through all things.
the powers and functions of Demigods and Demons are taught. The
demons of Hinduism were called Asuras, which literally means "power
hungry." They are godlike in their supernatural abilities, yet lack the
divine consciousness and grace that would place them alongside the
Devas. They are commissioned by Krishna in their work, yet believe
that they struggle against Him, as they do not know even their own
nature in fullness.
Commonly thought to be a purely peaceful and light religion,
even Buddhism has courted the devil on occasion. Nichiren Daishonin,
a Japanese priest whose philosophy revolved around the fundamentalist
teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, is commonly thought to be the most
recent incarnation of the Buddha. In his work, Entrustment and Other
Chapters, Daishonin put forth his enlightened understanding of the
design and intent of various demons.
It is the nature of demons to feed on human beings.
Human beings are formed of thirty-six elements:
excrement, urine, saliva, flesh, blood, skin, bone, the
five solid internal organs, the six empty internal
organs, the hair of the head, the hair of the body,
energy, life, and so forth. Demons of inferior capacity
feed upon excrement and the like. Demons of
intermediate capacity eat bones and similar parts,
while demons of superior capacity live on human
vitality. As demons of superior capacity, the ten demon
daughters subsist on human vitality. They are the
powerful demons who bring about epidemics.'
After offering such a macabre view of the human/demon
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