Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

of the void in Mahamudra—that all beings are within
the Enlightened Entity. "You spirits, you are my friends,
my lovers, you will sleep with me tonight." Holding to
the Great Pride of Mahamudra to accompany these
reflections, he rushed into the cave—and nothing was
there!
Some spirits take advantage of the sounds and shapes of
rats and mice and then fall down upon you. If that
happens, a meditator will feel very heavy, so heavy that
he or she can scarcely move. I have had an experience
of this "mad rat" falling down upon me. When this
occurred, I exclaimed, "Eh! Why?" Then I repeated a
mantra, but this had no effect. Then I meditated on
Mahamudra and this manifestation vanished.
Of course, it is not possible to meditate in this way at
first, so if one is always troubled by such ghosts then
procure good instructions from one's guru. Another
method is to imagine that the spirit comes into one's
right thumb and then, using a Vajrayana mantra, tuck
the thumb into the fist and hold fast. I have done this
with a particularly troublesome spirit which I then saw
in meditation as very small and thin. Not wishing to
harm it, I opened my hand and let it go away. It is useful
to repeat the appropriate mantra before sleep, and go to
sleep with the right hand held in this mudra. Then if
some spirit is causing trouble, he will find himself in
bondage; not liking that he will take the first
opportunity to depart.
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