[sybe07]

What do you know about Buddha-Dhamma and external influence?

I heard, for example, Mara can possess beings and also the paranimmita-vasavatti deva’s.

I have heard that when an urge is very strong, as if you are really pushed in the back and cannot resist, this might be some external influence.

kind regards
Siebe

[Johnny_Lim]

Hi Siebe,

I think it is mentioned in the sutta that some Yakkhas can make people crazy and even kill them.

[sybe07]

For me, the possibility of external influence on behaviour, means that we must be careful to conclude that tjhe reactions we see within ourselves or happening to others are always results of gati. Maybe this is mostly true, it may not be true in a particular situation.

I think i experienced something external at least one time, when i felt a strong urge to harm myself very badly. It felt strange, as it was not gati. It felt alien. I became cold that moment. I survived this ‘attack’.

It would not surprise me if a lot of people are influenced externally.

I have heard that paranimmita-vasavatti deva’s can take control over and, for example, stimulate people to act sexually, so they as deva’s can enjoy that.

Also creation proces can be very obsessive, forceful. Writers, poets, painters, artist, know this. It can be like one is possesed. Maybe this is not far from being true.

Siebe

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I’m one of those that’s heavily pressed by external beings to the point of having physical beings (ground troops) making symbolic abduction threats. I quit my job b/c it just got too weird.

Here’s my question; I’m able to communicate with my gandhabba and she’s trying to stop me from continuing on the Path. For example, Arhanthood will create the fertile ground for a major catastrophe. From a post on the site Lal wrote “gandhabbas can’t bear the mindset of an Arhant”. Do gandhabba’s do this?

As you can imagine my life is pretty weird, any insight is so appreciated!

Metta,
Donna :)

[Johnny_Lim]

Hi Donna,

Maybe you can try doing some paritta chanting. Then, transfer merits to the unseen beings.

[Lal]

Inflib said: ” I’m able to communicate with my gandhabba and she’s trying to stop me from continuing on the Path. For example, Arhanthood will create the fertile ground for a major catastrophe..”

Actually, it is not your gandhabba doing that. Your gandhabba is inside your body, and is essentially your “being”. The physical body is just a temporary residence for the gandhabba, the mental body. There are many posts on this but here are a couple: “Gandhabba (Manomaya Kaya)- Introduction” and “Our Mental Body – Gandhabba“.

I would encourage you to use the “Search” button at top right to find more posts, and also to read the links given in the above posts.

There are many unseen beings in our world. There is evidence that there are such “good beings” and “bad beings”. See:
“What Does Buddha Dhamma Say about Creator, Satan, Angels, and Demons?”

Both these types can try to stop one from following Buddha Dhamma, as discussed in the above post. If you can give some details of your experience (if you are comfortable in doing that), I and others may be able to provide some input.

It is possible that more readers have had similar experiences. Before starting the discussion forum, I got several emails describing their experiences.

[Anonymous]

Hi Lal,

Thank you for the reply!

I agree, I’m definitely getting help from “good” side.

I read in one of your posts that the gandhabba has control of body movements, like a driver of a car. For over 3 years now I’ve have these strange body twitchings (muscle, fingers & fascia) that would respond after a question or a thought that I had in my mind. Not until recently, did I catch on to the meanings (good, bad, red/blue/purple/gold status beings, yes and no). I also have these interesting eye lights that move around the perimeter of my vision. They corespond to the Dharma wheel by flashing and circling (I.e., circling right, 5 o’clock to 3 o’clock = wrong action, wrong speech), typically white light.

One other thing that is probably worth mentioning, I feel like a million watt lightbulb. Off the surface of the body is radiating energy. I’ve felt it turn on like a light switch a couple times when I woke up out of deep sleep, otherwise it’s on all the time. It moves outward from the heart center. Is it possible that this is the gandhabba extending outward? Or maybe jyoti?

Thank you! ????????

[Lal]

Inflib said: “I read in one of your posts that the gandhabba has control of body movements, like a driver of a car.”

This may be hard for you to imagine, but gandhabba is you. You control your physical body, just like a drive controls her car.

This is why when the gandhabba (mental body) comes out of the physical body during some heart operations, the physical body is sometimes declared “dead” by the surgeons, but a little later gandhabba re-enters the body and the body becomes live. You may want to read a book by a heart surgeon on his case studies: ““Consciousness Beyond Life”, by Pim van Lommel (2010)”.
Also, the post: “Manomaya Kaya and Out-of-Body Experience (OBE)“.

2. You said, “strange body twitchings..”. These could also be due to neurological problems. The brain does play a role in controlling the body, on the commands of the gandhabba: “Brain – Interface between Mind and Body”.

But sometimes, the brain may have “slight defects” causing such inadvertent twitchings. You may want to see a neurologist to see whether it is that.

3. You said, “I also have these interesting eye lights that move around the perimeter of my vision. They correspond to the Dharma wheel by flashing and circling (I.e., circling right, 5 o’clock to 3 o’clock = wrong action, wrong speech), typically white light.”

The mind can create all sorts of illusions. People who do breath meditation see these things all the time. My suggestion is to ignore them.

3. You said, “One other thing that is probably worth mentioning, I feel like a million watt lightbulb. Off the surface of the body is radiating energy. I’ve felt it turn on like a light switch a couple times when I woke up out of deep sleep, otherwise it’s on all the time. It moves outward from the heart center. Is it possible that this is the gandhabba extending outward?”

It is possible that it is due to gandhabba. A series of books have been written by Robert Monroe. In his first book, “Journeys Out of the Body: The Classic Work on Out-of-Body Experience (1992)” he described his first OBE experience when he realized that his hand went through the floor. Obviously, it was not his physical hand, but the hand of the gandhabba. Later, his whole mental body came out of the body, and there are many accounts of his “out-of-body” travels. However, unlike those with abhinna powers, he could not control where he went, but of course he could always come back to his body when he wanted to.

In his book, “Travels”, famous author of the Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton (1988, p. 307) mentions his ability to “shift my awareness out of my body and move it around the bedroom”, and he says, “..I didn’t think anything about it… I assumed that anybody could do it..”.

So, don’t be frightened if you do come out of your physical body. Apparently there some who do it on a regular basis:
Canadian student has “out of body experiences” whenever she wants

[Sammasambodhi Gami]

A heartfelt greetings to everyone !

I wanted to add a link to Ven. Lal Sir’s answer.
Gandhabba or Manomaya Kaya is an important concept in Buddha Dhamma. So it is essential to get a good idea about what this Gandhabba or Manomaya Kaya is like.

I found a youtube video depicting Astral body and Astral travel. This might be helpful for those who want to get some perception about “Mental body”.

Please see – Astral body and Astral travel

Hope this helps

MAY ALL BEINGS ATTAIN NIBBANA !!!

[Author]

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