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Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

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want people to have any faith in Buddhadharma, so he<br />

tries to destroy it. We see, however, that in the<br />

Vajrayana we are able to treat him <strong>and</strong> all his hosts in<br />

the manner they warrant.<br />

4. Ghosts<br />

The difference between these <strong>and</strong> demons is that the<br />

latter cause mental <strong>and</strong> physical trouble, while the<br />

former can only cause bodily sufferings. Examples of<br />

their bad activities are: ghosts causing blood to come<br />

from the mouth; others in water causing skin diseases;<br />

some powerful spirits coming at night, appearing as a<br />

patch of white light, <strong>and</strong> causing many quarrels; <strong>and</strong><br />

other female ghosts causing seminal discharges.<br />

In Hinayana, the treatment is to take refuge <strong>and</strong> make<br />

offerings to the ghosts. The Mahayana treatment is to<br />

see them all as void or to treat them just like one's<br />

parents.<br />

Once when Milarepa had momentarily left his cave, he<br />

returned to see five spirits seated inside. In spite of the<br />

fact that his cave was not in any one of the inauspicious<br />

places, still they had come. Milarepa, thinking that they<br />

might be powerful ghosts, did not dare to enter. Then he<br />

thought, "Perhaps they are spirits of the earth," so he<br />

composed a song for them. Even after hearing this, they<br />

did not go. Then he used a Vajrayana mantra to make<br />

them fear him, but still they did not go. Then he thought<br />

570

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