Protection from the unseen

Tsem Rinpoche consecrating a Dorje Shugden image for someone who contacted us complaining of spirit disturbances.

I think most people do not realise how common spirits are, and how frequently they create disturbances. Perhaps in the West people do not readily believe in them but then again, why else would Hollywood make so many ghost movies if that fear was not grounded in some kind of truth?

Here in Asia, and especially in Malaysia, Rinpoche has been dealing with cases of spirit disturbances and possessions for over two decades now. In some cases, the afflicted individual is the unwitting victim of a black magic attack; in other cases, it is the afflicted individual who initially contacted the

spirit and then that contact went awry. My father, for example, told me about a case he witnessed, involving a teenage boy who was possessed by a snake spirit. Right in front of a large congregation, the teenager writhed and slithered on the ground just like a snake.

Absolutely at wit’s end, his parents begged Rinpoche for help. They said the possession had been going on for many years and was seemingly unsolvable; they had sought high and low for a solution, to no avail. Without hesitation, Rinpoche performed rituals to purify the boy’s karma and as soon as they were

completed, the boy stopped writhing, looked up at his parents and spoke his first words in many years – “Mama”. You can only imagine how overwhelmed his parents were.

In another case, a woman was having marital problems with her husband, who had been unfaithful. She suspected that he was charmed and under the influence of black magic, so she consulted Rinpoche. After Rinpoche confirmed that her husband was indeed under the influence of black magic, Rinpoche gave her advice to protect herself and her children due to the electrical nature of the magic. Later, she also blew Dorje Shugden‘s mantra onto a solid gold

bracelet that her husband had received as a wedding present which he always wore. After blowing the mantra onto the bracelet, right in front of her eyes, she saw the bracelet wriggle just like a snake. Rinpoche explained later that the bracelet had been charmed and by blowing the mantra onto the bracelet, it had dispelled the charm.

Another student of Rinpoche came seeking help for a spirit affliction. He had made a connection with a powerful spirit after engaging in black magic practices, which he regretted. After he decided to leave behind such practices, the spirit was unwilling to let the connection be broken and began to seek

revenge. Over time, the spirit grew stronger, to the point it was now shouting in his ear, encouraging him to kill himself. This student had sought help from different spiritual masters and watched countless videos, hoping for a ‘cure’ for this affliction. No one was able to help him and all the while, the shouts were becoming deafening and increasingly difficult to ignore.

One day, he happened to come across Rinpoche’s YouTube videos and something told him this lama could help. He immediately connected with Rinpoche and shortly after that, was assigned the sacred practice of Sengdongma. Thanks to Rinpoche’s advice, the spirit is now unable to harm him. If he had not followed Rinpoche’s advice and taken up Sengdongma’s practice, it is certain that by now the spirit would have been successful in killing him.

These are just some of the countless examples I can think of where Rinpoche’s intervention resulted in the successful dispelling of a spirit or ending black magic. Black magic and spirit disturbances are one of the most common requests for assistance that Rinpoche receives, so much so Rinpoche has even

taught and empowered some of his students to bless and protect people from disturbances. For genuine cases of spirit disturbances, there has never been a single case that Rinpoche could not solve if the afflicted individual followed the instructions all the way, without any deviations or negotiations (very

important, this point is). It is when people deviate from the instructions even slightly that they do not achieve the full desired result, like when you skip sessions of chemotherapy and medicine yet still expect to be fully cured of cancer.

And as with everything, educating people on the dangers of relying on unenlightened beings like spirits is very important. I cannot speak with authority for other Asian cultures but I know that in Malaysia, it is common for some communities to rely on unenlightened beings to fulfill their wishes. As examples, they might connect with spirits to help them to get rich, to protect them from other unseen entities, or to wreak revenge on their enemies.

The problem with relying on unenlightened beings however, is that they are just like us humans. Because they are not enlightened (just like us humans), no matter how benevolent they appear, there is always a risk factor involved when relying on them.

Don’t get me wrong. Some unenlightened beings do want to help but because they are not enlightened, their clairvoyance is limited. Hence even if their advice is delivered with the motivation to help, it might ultimately be detrimental (or even harmful) to us because they can only see the effects of that advice up to a certain point in the future.

Other unenlightened beings appear benevolent at the beginning (key words there!), lulling you into a false sense of security and dependency. Once you are connected to them, they entrap you and if you do not do their bidding, or if you do not fulfill your promises to them, or you do not repay them somehow,

some might take their anger out on you and seek revenge. Spirits are just like us unenlightened humans whose actions are stained with selfishness; just like humans, they can be upset, they can be made jealous, they can be insulted and offended, and they can be pleased and thus when they act, it will be out of those emotions.

Buddhas, on the other hand, have none of those limitations or uncertainties. Being fully omniscient, the span, breadth, depth and width of their clairvoyance is unlimited; they can give us advice and guidance that will never harm us, no matter how far into the future you look. And since they abide

in bodhicitta, their advice has no stain of selfishness; any assistance they give us is only for our benefit, and will never result in damage or harm to us. You cannot anger a Buddha, you cannot upset a Buddha; an enlightened being such as a Buddha does not engage in vengeful or angersome behaviours.

But most people do not know this so they opt for the quick fixes that relying on spirits can sometimes bring us. For those who know however, they will see how risky it is to rely on an unenlightened being and so will eschew such methods. And that is precisely why education is very important, to teach people how to make the best choices when they are at risk of relying on less-than-reliable means.

For those of us who have already opted for such means however, we are very fortunate that methods exist to help us cope with the consequences of our decisions. Be it Dorje Shugden or Sengdongma or Dukkar (and many more!), these methods were passed down from teacher to student, coming to us through

Rinpoche himself via an unbroken lineage of hundreds of years of practice by some of the most powerful minds known to existence. They are tested and proven, and definitely work if we are willing to go all the way with following the advice given to us. All that is left is for us to apply the medicine and use the treatment.

And by the way, Rinpoche has said many times in the past that if we ever come across genuine cases of spirit disturbances, Rinpoche will never hesitate to help no matter what else is going on, because Rinpoche knows just how disruptive and dangerous such cases may be. So if you or a loved one ever needs help

with spirit or black magic-related matters, please do not hesitate to contact the Kechara Pastors or the Kechara House Front Desk at +603-7803 3908 or care@kechara.com for more information. This will be the first step towards getting your life back on track and back to normal, and we will be more than happy to help.