Phurpa and the Liberation of Demons

If the thought of liberating a demon has never crossed your mind, you might want to take a look at this post. If you ever decide to attempt to do so yourself, I would suggest that you invite Phurpa to the party.


Who is Phurpa?

In some instances, Phurpa is seen as a manifestation or form of Hayagriva. As such, Phurpa can be held to be a protector of the Buddha’s teachings (a category of Buddhist deities known as Dharmapalas). For others, Phurpa is a source of power that bestows luck and fortune upon the fortunate and misfortune upon the unlucky (as a dealer in luck, Phurpa is associated with the planet Jupiter and Thursdays). For these individuals, Phurpa is typically held to manifest physically in three ways:

1) A wooden spike or dagger used to mark a sacred or protected area.

2) A large stylized metal dagger used to indicate the deity’s presence in a location, such as the inside of a temple.

3) A small iron dagger (phurpa) used by dagger specialists to, among other things such as yak banning, speed-walking and weather making, “liberate” a demon, thereby effectively ending the demon’s ability to cause misfortune among human beings.

The following is a short description of the dagger specialists’ tradition (#3 above) and their use of the phurpa as an instrument for demon “liberation” (Henceforth referred to as the Dagger Tradition).



Origin of the Dagger Tradition in Tibet.

According to traditional accounts, the Dagger Tradition was brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava who, while journeying to the Land of Snows, discovered the Dagger texts hidden in a cave.



Who are the Practitioners of the Dagger Tradition?

Apparently, dagger practitioners form a diverse group. Although textual references to female practitioners exist, they appear to be all males. Many are married and do not follow any ascetic rules. For the most part, the men of the Dagger Tradition come from the margins of Tibetan society - the socio-politically disenfranchised - and predominately hail from the Old School of Tibetan Buddhism (rnying ma). What appears to be a common feature among these individuals is their training in Tantra.

While a preponderance of dagger practitioners would appear to be members of the Old School, other schools have, to a lesser degree, enlisted dagger practitioners among their ranks as well. Even the 14th Dalai Lama, though he himself a proponent of the Virtuous School (dge lugs), is known to have had a dagger magician among his entourage.



The Liberation of Demons.

Despite its multifarious use in the past, the dagger practice of recent times seems to be primarily concerned with the exorcism of troublesome demons. What the excised demon undergoes as a result of the dagger ritual is not entirely clear from a reading of the dagger texts. In some texts the demon is said to be “killed” (bsad). In others, the demon is said to be “liberated” (sdrol ba). In yet others, the two terms are used interchangeably. (One may reasonably hypothesize that the term “kill” (bsad) exists as an older stratum of the texts and is a remnant left over from a pre-Buddhist dagger practices. This can only be determined by a careful analysis of the primary texts, however. ) Irrespective of these difficulties, the official Buddhist position is that the demon is liberated from the three poisons – namely, ignorance, hatred an desire.

The Liberation Ritual.

After an extensive preparatory period, the Liberation Ritual commences with an invocation of Phurpa. Whether Phurpa in invoked into the dagger practitioner or the dagger, or both, is not entirely clear. Through magical utterances (mantra) and magical gestures (mudra), the dagger magician entices (compels?) the demon to enter an effigy (either drawn or sculpted) that is situated in the center of a “demon trap” (Oftentimes, this “trap” takes the form of an equilateral triangle (drawn or otherwise) called a “yantra”). Once the demon is imprisoned within the yantra, the effigy is impaled by the dagger and the demon is “killed/liberated.” A burning of the effigy usually concludes the rite. Apparently, this ritual can be performed physically or mentally by the magician.

Two diverse interpretations of the ritual itself exist among dagger practitioners. The first is that the troublesome demon is an actual entity separate from human beings. The other, that the demon is an internal obstacle.



SOURCE: Dagger Blessing by Thomas Marcotty. A dated yet decent introduction to the Dagger Tradition.

A Look at Two Salvations

Recently at The Magical Messiah the conceptual differences between the notions of salvation among Eastern religious traditions and Western religious traditions are identified. Though the post’s author sees a divergent conceptual outlook operating between the East and West, he nevertheless holds that the East and West arrives at or achieves the same religious goal. You can view the original post here. I would just like to give a few comments concerning this post below. In my post, I will limit my discussion primarily to issues I find troubling in relation to Buddhism.

At the outset, the author identifies the conceptual outlook of the Eastern traditions toward salvation as one's “attaining to correct knowledge of the true Self and that Self’s relationship to Reality”, whereas the conceptual outlook of the Western traditions towards salvation is articulated as “the realignment of the lower self, psyche, or soul with the higher Self or spirit.” In this, I think the author’s presentation of the conceptual outlook of the traditions is, in very general terms, an adequate model for exploring the contrasting viewpoints among the Eastern and Western traditions. However, caution is needed when lumping the various traditions together to form either of the two broad categories of “Eastern “ or “Western” traditions and their corresponding conceptual outlooks regarding salvation . Hinduism and Buddhism, at least from an orthodox point of view, offer very different presentations of the individual and salvation/liberation. Even within each of the traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism themselves quite disparate views on important issues related to the nature of reality, the individual, "no-self" (anatman) and salvation/liberation are entertained. For instance, are we to accept the Vedic religion to be a part of the Hindu tradition? If so, how are we to rectify its conception of salvation as the correct performance of ritual with the view presented above, namely – that salvation is the attainment of correct knowledge? What are we to make of the many practicing Buddhists for whom salvation through correct knowledge means little to nothing, but instead are concerned with ethical action and “salvation” through better rebirths?

While the above issues are important, they are of minor concern to me in relation to the actual presentation of the conceptual outlook of the Eastern traditions. My difficulties may only be semantic in nature. The author’s use of the terms “Self” and “true self” are troubling since Buddhism denies the existence of “self” (atman). A definition of “Self” or “true self” from the author’s perspective would be illuminating (I will have more to say about what I think the author intends by these words below).

The author continues to demonstrate the conceptual disparity between the Eastern and Western traditions by stating that the Eastern traditions deny “the reality of both the physical body and the psyche, while the Western schools affirm the existence of both of the same elements but sees flaws in them….” This is simply erroneous, at least with respect to Buddhism. In Buddhism the mind and body are not seen as unreal or illusory. What is illusory or unreal is a mistaken conception about them. Indeed, one of the earliest means to salvation/liberation was the technique of analyzing the constituent elements of existence in regard to the individual (skandha) and external phenomena (dharma). It was hoped that by doing so, the mediator would perceive that which is not among those things that do in fact exist, namely- “self” or atman. The early Abhidarma texts preserve a plethora of approaches for analyzing such phenomena. Furthermore, there is a cornucopia of Buddhist texts dealing with both psychological and epistemological models of the mind. In these texts the mental/psychic components are not seen as unreal or illusory. Instead, these components are contemplated in order to show the mediator exactly where illusion or ignorance originates in the mind, how it continues to reside in the mind and how it may be eradicated.

After detailing what he sees as the apparent conceptual disparities between East and West, the author presents what appears to be his major thesis, namely- that despite all conceptual differences or distinctions the Eastern and Western traditions achieve the same religious goal. They all end up at the same place. Now, what exactly is this religious goal that the author sees as being shared among the Eastern and Western traditions? According to the author, it is the identification with the Absolute. It is the identification with something (i.e., the Self) that is the antithesis of the transitory constituents of mind and body. Exactly what this something/Self is remains unclear. However, the author indicates that it is “beyond time, space and death.” It is in fact a “Changeless Reality.” This view of reality smells of monism and is functionally equivalent to the teachings of the Advaita Vedanta, an influential sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy at the time of the Buddha. According to Advaita Vedanta, the only reality is the Absolute, which is Brahman. Typically, this Brahman is designated by the term atman or “self” when it remains undiscovered among the illusory or transitory components of mind and body. Now it is just this “self” that is vehemently denied within early Buddhism by the anatman (“no-self”) doctrine (of course, the anatman doctrine was supplanted later on among certain Mahayana schools by the doctrine of sunyata or “emptiness” in order to deny the reality of other non-existents as well). Indeed, among the early Buddhists no-thing is found outside of the transitory components of body/matter and mind. Here salvation is the recognition of the nature of the transitory components of existence (dharma) alone. No-thing exists outside these transitory components.

Now, in all fairness to the author of Two Salvations, certain Buddhist schools have been interpreted by Western scholars to be monistic . The Yogacara school, certain Madhyamaka teachings, and certain forms of the Buddha-nature doctrine have been especially susceptible to such interpretations. Many contemporary scholars who are working with the primary texts, however, find fault with these interpretations. What is more, certain Buddhist schools have accused other Buddhists of being monists. Despite these facts, no Buddhist school will accept the idea that it adheres to a monistic philosophy.

The Three Ms: Three Methods of Magic

From my limited exposure to magic theory (magic here= causing change to occur in conformity with will) I have come to see three methods whereby magic may be enacted. Henceforth, these three methods will be known as the Three Ms on account of the titles I have attributed to them. Of course, everything that is said below comes from one just beginning to come to grips with magic and its application. I would welcome any comments or criticisms my readers may care to offer. Hopefully in a year’s time I can review this post and laugh at my naiveté.


1) MAGICAL RITUAL METHOD.

This is probably the most recognizable method as it is the type that generally finds itself presented in books and movies. It is the method of ritual performance where circles are cast, foreign words are written and strange sigils are drawn, words of power are intonated and exotic instruments are wielded. For some, the magical ritual and its accoutrements are understood to be a micro-cosmic or symbolic depiction of macro-cosmic forces. Others will see the magical ritual and its accoutrements not as mere symbols but as powerful items in and of themselves. What unifies this group? It is the belief that the mere performance of a magical ritual itself is capable of bringing about the desired goal all on its own.

2) MUNDANE METHOD.

Those who engage in this method of magic do so by holding a goal, understanding the conditions whereby their goal can be achieved and then performing the necessary actions to bring about the goal (REMEMBER - magic here= causing change to occur in conformity with will). For example, if I want to get a pay raise from my employer I must first understand the conditions that would make my boss shell out more dough. For instance, I should understand that my employer will view me as an asset worthy of more money by being punctual, reliable, hard working, cooperative, a team player, etc. Understanding such things, however, is inadequate in itself. One must DO the things that are seen to be the necessary to achieve the goal. Of course, there may be other and more effective means to procure the goal. One could marry the boss’s daughter or son, for example.

3) MIXED METHOD.

This method consists of a combination of Methods 1 and 2. Those who advocate this method hold that performing the MAGICAL RITUAL METHOD and the MUNDANE METHOD in tandem carries a greater magical punch than either of the two methods alone. Typically, an advocate of the Mixed Method begins by engaging in a magical ritual (Method 1) and then opening up mundane pathways (Method 2) by which the intention of the ritual can be accomplished or actualized.

A Successful Sigil

During the first week of July I posted a sigil and asked my readers to assist me in its activation (you can read the original post here). In that post I stated that I would, after the month had ended, reveal the intention of the sigil and relay whether the sigilized intention was or was not made manifest. So, here is what it was all about.


THE SIGIL AND THE INTENTION

The sigil was created by writing out my intention, discarding all the repeating letters and then using the remaining letters to form the symbol that appears within the original post. Unfortunately, I am now unable to find the sheet of paper that contained my intention but it ran something like - “I will that at least five new individuals begin to follow my blog before the end of July, 2010.”

I chose the words "at least five" to indicate that five followers would be the minimum accepted. I chose the words "new individuals begin to follow my blog" to preclude the four readers I had at the time from being counted among the five. I chose the words "before the end of July, 2010," to limit the experiment to the month of July and prevent its activation by future readers (e.g., being activated in July of 2011, 2012, etc.).

RESULTS

The sigil experiment was a success. At the time I activated the sigil and asked others to do so as well, there were four followers of my blog. Within three weeks time The Magical Lotus had three new followers. All I needed was two more. On July 30th something rather strange happened. My Blogger account reported that two more followers had been added, but only one visibly appeared on the Google Friend Connect application on the blog itself. In other words, my account said that I had X number of followers whereas my blog showed X-1 followers. If this discrepancy is to be explained by someone anonymously following the blog ( I don’t know if this is possible), then the number of new followers during the month of July would have been at least five on the 30th. Irrespective of this dilemma, another individual began to follow my blog on the 31st. With this additional follower the Magical Lotus clearly and without a doubt received at least five new followers within the month of July (I say at least five because I have no way of knowing if anyone started to follow my blog during the designated time by way of methods other than Google Friend Connect and NetworkedBlogs. For instance, anyone who is following my blog by direct link cannot be accounted for. This did not occur to me at the time I fired the sigil, however. Funny though...in retrospect I got exactly what I asked for).

SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE HINDERED THE EXPERIMENT

Even though I consider my sigil work to have been a success, several factors had the potential to thwart my intent. An important component of sigil magic is the idea that one should, after firing a sigil, avoid bringing the sigil and its intention into conscious awareness. The idea is to let the sigil sink deep into the subconscious where it can be effective. Because I was still working on the blog itself at this time, I inadvertently came upon the sigil several times, thus breaking the rule of “sigil avoidance.” Also, my doubts regarding the effectiveness of sigil magic certainly had the potential to hinder the experiment (that this doubt persists is strange given that I have had some success with prior sigils). My general feeling on the subject is that sigils are more likely to be effective with Self-Magic than with bringing about external events. In addition, I chose to have the sigil activated by means of a method I myself devised. The method of activation itself had the potential to be ineffectual. In spite of all this, the sigil worked like a charm!

WHAT I LEARNED

1) Sigils often work in spite of the many potential obstacles to its success.
2) Even the most basic of magical experiments can weave a nebulous web of events that are hard to interpret if notes are not taken along the way. So... TAKE NOTES NEXT TIME, KARMAGHNA!

Collecting Spuds

*(I try to post to my blog every four days. Sometimes I have a backlog of material just waiting to be shared with my readers. Such is the present state of affairs. The post below was not scheduled to be published until August 2. In light of RO’s post on the necessity of seeking the source of one’s problems I thought it very apropos to move this post up in time, as it carries much the same message. Two voices singing in harmony are more potent that one (especially in my case, since I can’t sing at all)).



Introductory Comments

Every now and then I get to peruse that huge file on my computer that contains all of the e-books, articles and other tidbits on magic(k) and mysticism I have collected from cyberspace over the years. The file is appropriately named “Magick.” During a recent tromp through Magic(k)land I came upon the short piece below and thought I would share it with my readers. Where it came from and who authored it are unknown to me. However, its birth predates August 14, 2006, as this is the date on which I saved the text to my Magick file. It is a conversation between a sage and his/her disciple. Since the term “tao” is used in the conversation I will assume that it is a conversation between a Taoist sage and some unidentified neophyte. However, the teaching presented by the sage is very much in accord with Buddhist teachings and may reflect the wisdom of a Chinese Buddhist master ( the term “tao” simply means “way” or “path” and may be applied to any spiritual pursuit). While the piece may certainly be a modern creation, its teaching would be, without a doubt, at home among the ancient teachings of Buddhism and Taoism alike. The sage’s teaching is clear: personal issues (problems, obstacles, personal demons, etc.) will never be resolved until one identifies and eradicates the apparatus that permits such issues to manifest in one’s life.

   A Sage and Disciple Discuss the Significance of Potato Collecting

Does your collection look like this?

One day, the sage gave the disciple an empty sack and a basket of potatoes. "Think of all the people who have done or said something against you in the recent past, especially those you cannot forgive. For each of them, inscribe the name on a potato and put it in the sack."

The disciple came up quite a few names, and soon his sack was heavy with potatoes.

"Carry the sack with you wherever you go for a week," said the sage. "We'll talk after that."

At first, the disciple thought nothing of it. Carrying the sack was not particularly difficult. But after a while, it became more of a burden. It sometimes got in the way, and it seemed to require more effort to carry as time went on, even though its weight remained the same.

After a few days, the sack began to smell. The carved potatoes gave off a ripe odor. Not only were they increasingly inconvenient to carry around, they were also becoming rather unpleasant.

Finally, the week was over. The sage summoned the disciple. "Any thoughts about all this?"

"Yes, Master," the disciple replied. "When we are unable to forgive others, we carry negative feelings with us everywhere, much like these potatoes. That negativity becomes a burden to us and, after a while, it festers."

"Yes, that is exactly what happens when one holds a grudge. So, how can we lighten the load?"

"We must strive to forgive."

"Forgiving someone is the equivalent of removing the corresponding potato from the sack. How many of your transgressors are you able to forgive?"

"I've thought about it quite a bit, Master," the disciple said. "It required much effort, but I have decided to forgive all of them."

"Very well, we can remove all the potatoes. Were there any more people who transgressed against you this last week?"

The disciple thought for a while and admitted there were. Then he felt panic when he realized his empty sack was about to get filled up again.

"Master," he asked, "if we continue like this, wouldn't there always be potatoes in the sack week after week?"

"Yes, as long as people speak or act against you in some way, you will always have potatoes."

"But Master, we can never control what others do. So what good is the Tao in this case?"

"We're not at the realm of the Tao yet. Everything we have talked about so far is the conventional approach to forgiveness. It is the same thing that many philosophies and most religions preach – we must constantly strive to forgive, for it is an important virtue. This is not the Tao because there is no striving in the Tao."

"Then what is the Tao, Master?"

"You can figure it out. If the potatoes are negative feelings, then what is the sack?"

"The sack is... that which allows me to hold on to the negativity. It is something within us that makes us dwell on feeling offended.... Ah, it is my inflated sense of self-importance."

"And what will happen if you let go of it?"

"Then... the things that people do or say against me no longer seem like such a major issue."

"In that case, you won't have any names to inscribe on potatoes. That means no more weight to carry around, and no more bad smells. The Tao of forgiveness is the conscious decision to not just to remove some potatoes... but to relinquish the entire sack."

Banishing the Demon Retalitonis

Recently I have come to recognize the workings of a “demon” in my life. Where this “demon” came from and how it got its talons securely fastened to my astral and mental bodies are a mystery. But the whys and hows are really not important. Its presence in my life is not wanted and I WILL to be rid of it. While my awareness of its presence has diminished its power over me to a large degree, I still hear it whisper in my ear now and then. So, I plan to wage war with the damn thing and excise it from my life through a proper banishing (or series of banishings).

Below is a brief portrayal of the “demon.” It is undertaken in the hopes that it might be recognized should one be unfortunate enough to find it lurking within the shadows of one’s own life.

DEMON’S NAME: Retalitonis

DEMON’S SEAL:

DEMON’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE: (Within the host) Retalitonis has power over the astral and mental bodies. (Targets external to the host) Retalitonis attacks its victim’s astral and mental bodies alike. Retalitonis is particularly strong within family dynamics.

DEMON’S ABILITIES: Retalitonis causes its host to strike back at an individual due to some perceived wrong. Typically this is made presentable to the host by dressing up the attack under the guise of “teaching the perpetrator a lesson.” The attack is further made palatable on account that the desire “to teach” is not initially seen as vindictive by the host. The host is tricked into believing that he/she is “waking the perpetrator up” and “showing the perpetrator the truth of the matter.” An argument that demonstrates the perpetrator’s folly in regards to the host is a vehicle especially favored by Retalitonis. Retalitonis takes secret delight in the thought that it just might be causing some mental anguish in the perpetrator due to such an argument. Perhaps the most insidious aspect of Retalitonis is its ability to cause emotional withdrawl between the host and the perpetrator alike.

QUALITIES/CHARACTERISTICS/MENTAL ASPECTS THAT ARE CONGRUENT WITH THE INFESTATION OF RETALITONIS: controlling, dominating, vengeful, spiteful, beyond reproach.

My Holy Guardian Angel - The Comedian

In a recent impromptu session with my HGA (see my introductory comments about my HGA here), I asked if there was some sigil that I may be given to work with in order to facilitate our coming together. A very complex sigil started to manifest within my mind’s eye and I realized that I would never be able to commit it to memory. I asked my HGA if there might not be a simplified version of the sigil that I could work with. Immediately after my request the sigil started to morph into the shape you see below.

 The long thin cylindrical pipe-like object that protrudes from its base moved in and out as if it were spring loaded. I was quite puzzled by this. What was I being shown? And then I laughed out loud. It was an astral doorbell. My HGA suggested that I use it to announce my desire to make contact. She said this would make things quite easy for me. I never would have guessed that angels have a sense of humor, but there you have it.