Categories: Non-human Problems
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Welcome. For those of you who are on a practical journey to explore your spiritual life, we continue our series on Samatha meditation, a practice of calming the mind. Today, we delve into a specific, practical meditation known as ‘Third Eye Practical Meditation.’ This is the 18th teaching in our series, where we have previously discussed how to focus the mind, the initial signs of the Third Eye awakening, such as feelings of pressure on the forehead or seeing lights, and what one might perceive after it has fully opened.
This is not just theoretical knowledge. Many among you have applied these practices and have successfully awakened this inner vision. Others are still in the preliminary stages, experiencing light signals or mental images. Some are at the very beginning, feeling only a tightness between the eyebrows. Regardless of your stage, you have all gained significant experience, and it is this direct experience that strengthens your spiritual life, gives you encouragement, and builds confidence in the path forward.
Remember, the spiritual life is a practical one. For those with a shallow mindset, it might seem like a joke, but its reality is revealed through dedicated practice. This article is especially for those whose Third Eye has awakened, as you will be able to investigate and see along with the teachings.
For those whose Third Eye is not yet open, these concepts might be difficult to perceive directly. However, as practical and open-minded individuals, we know you approach these topics with neutrality. This teaching aims to help you enhance that neutrality, allowing you to move forward on your path with greater confidence. For those who are not yet neutral, we hope this and our other teachings will help you cultivate this essential quality.
Preparing to See: Who Can Explore and How?
Today, we embark on the teaching: ‘Third Eye Practical Meditation 18 – The World of Non-Humans.’ In this session, I hope to guide you in focusing on and observing certain aspects of the non-human world, known in Pali as the Amanussa Loka. This will give you a deeper understanding of this unseen realm.
As always, find your usual meditation spot, whether it’s on your bed, in front of your home shrine, in a secluded place, or surrounded by nature. Settle into your meditation posture. Once you are calm, you can make a firm intention, an aspiration known as adhiṭṭhāna, to see the world of non-humans after you close your eyes.
I must clarify from the beginning who can experience this. These sights are accessible to two types of people:
1. Those who have awakened the Third Eye through meditation practice.
2. Those for whom the Third Eye has opened naturally due to the strength of past wholesome actions, or kamma. This can happen to anyone, at any age, regardless of race, caste, or religion. As mentioned in a previous teaching, ‘The Naturally Opening Third Eye,’ some individuals have this ability without formal meditation.
Many from both groups have already witnessed the non-human realm. Therefore, you can investigate this through a determined meditation session or you may have already encountered these things in daily life, while traveling, in different places, or interacting with people. This is not magic; it’s a normal, practical aspect of another world that co-exists with ours, a world of unseen non-human beings right here among us on Earth.
Overcoming Fear: The First Barrier to Insight
If you are using meditation to investigate, you can make an intention like, “May I be able to see the non-human world, the world of hungry ghosts, and the world of demons.” For many, even hearing these names brings fear. You might feel goosebumps or a sense of panic in your mind.
This fear is one of the ten armies of Mara, not the external Tempter Mara, but the internal defilements within your own mind. Fear is a powerful mental impurity, a kilesa, that we must overcome. I will teach you in the future how to eliminate it through mindfulness and awareness. Fear is a major obstacle to both concentration meditation (Samatha) and insight meditation (Vipassanā). We must gradually reduce it.
So, do not be afraid when you hear names like ‘non-humans’ or ‘demons’ (yakshas). According to the Buddha’s teachings, seen through his own direct knowledge, these beings are born in such states due to unwholesome actions (akusala). They are beings who have committed sinful deeds, failed to uphold the Five Precepts, held wrong views, disparaged spiritual life, or attacked and slandered sincere meditators.
When such thoughts arise at the moment of death, the final thought-moment called the cuti citta, it can lead to a rebirth in a lower realm like this. As they wander through the cycle of existence, or saṃsāra, they face immense hardship. After you make your intention, you will be able to see this for yourself.
A Glimpse into the Suffering of the Unseen
Whether you see this realm through natural ability, through meditation practice, or by making a specific intention, what is perceived is largely the same for everyone. The world of non-humans is truly terrifying and filled with suffering. To put it simply, take the poorest person in the human world, someone begging for food or carrying immense burdens just to survive. The suffering in the non-human realm is far greater.
This realm is populated by various types of hungry spirits, known as pretas. The Buddha himself taught about this. For a foundational understanding, I encourage you to read two books from the Tripitaka, specifically from the Khuddaka Nikāya: the Peta Vatthu (Stories of the Hungry Ghosts) and the Vimāna Vatthu (Stories of the Celestial Mansions).
Reading these texts and their commentaries will give you a profound and deep understanding of these realms. I won’t detail the books here, as many venerable monks have given teachings on them, and articles are available online. What I share is based on direct, practical experience, my own and that of other advanced spiritual practitioners.
Practical Observations of the Non-Human Realm
For those of you engaging practically, here are some things you can observe. Try this: spit some of your saliva onto the ground outside and observe what happens to it through your Third Eye. You may see tiny non-human beings who are attracted to it, gathering collectively to consume it as food.
This is different from small insects we can see with our physical eyes. Those with the Third Eye can perceive how these non-human entities consume it. Sometimes they consume it rapidly, as if sucking it up. At other times, they inhale its odor as nourishment.
Similarly, observe when you go to the toilet. In the corners of restrooms, you may find pretas and yakshas. These non-human beings wait by toilets, whether modern or traditional, to consume human excrement as we relieve ourselves. This is what they subsist on.
As I say this, you might feel disgust and wonder how anyone could consume such things. This is a normal reaction. But the truth is relative. Consider this: many of you eat meat, chicken, beef, and other kinds, and you may find it delicious when prepared in various ways. But for someone who doesn’t eat meat, perhaps a vegetarian or vegan, the same dish would be repulsive. It is the same principle here.
Though you find saliva or excrement disgusting, for these pretas, it is not. Given their realm of existence and their unwholesome kamma, it is a delicacy for them, just as you might enjoy a well-cooked meal. This is a crucial point to understand. Even celestial beings, or devas, have their own forms of sustenance, like celestial fruits, and the most powerful ones may not require food at all. The diversity of worlds and beings is vast and cannot be fully described in a short time.
The Karmic Appearance of Unseen Beings
The appearance of these pretas is often distorted. Looking at their faces, you may see them wrinkled and gnarled. If you could hear their voices, they are often terrifying, as is their laughter. This is often what frightens people. Their hair can be long and sometimes curled. Some appear wearing the same clothes they died in, while others are completely naked, or nirvastr. I have seen female spirits, or pretis, who are naked and use their long hair to cover their bodies. They exist in countless misshapen forms.
This is the law of kamma, the universal law of cause and effect. Their appearance is a direct result of their past actions. If you read the Buddhist scriptures or listen to teachings, you will understand how specific actions lead to specific results, even within the preta realm. For those with a developed Third Eye, it is sometimes possible to focus and perceive the specific kamma that led a being to its current state, even without being fully enlightened.
This ability depends on one’s spiritual maturity and accumulated perfections (pāramitā). You can try to focus and see: ‘What action did this being do to be born naked? Why is its body or face disfigured? Why is its hair so long?’ By investigating each detail, you can deepen your understanding.
Attachments That Bind: Food, Possessions, and People
These beings vary in size; some are six or seven feet tall, while others are much shorter than us. They can often be found in trees. In homes, they are strongly attracted to pungent foods like meat, fish, and dried fish. However, it’s not limited to that. Some are drawn to fried foods. Others are attached to specific plants like jackfruit.
For example, imagine a person who, during their human life, had an intense craving for jackfruit. If, at the moment of their death, the thought of jackfruit arises in their mind, the cuti citta, this attachment can lead to a rebirth in the preta realm. In that state, they would seek out jackfruit even more than meat or fish. We have seen countless such cases.
I share these things from my own practical experience and the experiences of other spiritually developed individuals. If you have seen such things, feel free to share in the comments to help others understand. I have received messages from people in foreign countries and from all walks of life here in Sri Lanka, doctors, engineers, university students, and young children, who have developed their Third Eye and witnessed these same phenomena. This has nothing to do with being educated or uneducated.
The Unseen Influence of Sensual Desire and Vice
There are also non-human beings who are drawn to sexual energy. They may gather when people engage in sexual activity, waiting to consume the bodily fluids that are discharged. They have an incredible craving for this. Individuals who engage in frequent masturbation are particularly attractive to these entities.
These beings can exert a subtle influence on those whose minds are heedless, people who use drugs, consume alcohol, and are consumed by lust. Such individuals lack mindfulness and virtue. The non-humans can’t control them completely, but they can amplify their lustful desires, using various tricks to incite their passions. If a person is already inclined to watch pornography and engage in frequent self-gratification, these beings can influence them to waste hours indulging in it, feeding off the energy generated.
The Buddha taught, “Sabbe sattā āhāratthitikā,” meaning all beings subsist on nutriment. This ‘nutriment’ is not just physical food. Some beings feed on the happiness they see in others. Some feed on smells, like incense. And some feed on your thoughts, your very thoughts of lust become a source of power for them.
The more one engages in misconduct, lust, intoxication, smoking, the more these beings are drawn to them. The person continues to live a normal life, going to work and interacting with society. This isn’t like the dramatic possessions you hear about in stories, where people start acting erratically and need exorcisms at temples. Most non-humans are more subtle and cunning.
If all they want from you is the energy of your lust, they have no need to possess your body and cause a scene. They will quietly stay with you, getting what they need, much like an employee who does their job without trying to challenge the boss. They simply feed on the attachments that bind you.
The Law of Kamma is Absolute
This attraction applies to everything. There are pretas and pretis attracted to every bodily substance, from eye-discharge to urine. There are those attached to land and property, who haunt the places they once owned. There are parents who die with intense attachment to their children and return to haunt their own homes, causing distress. The love they had in their previous life becomes a source of torment, as they may even try to cause the death of their loved ones to bring them into their realm.
This is why the Buddha said that the number of beings reborn in happy destinations is as small as the amount of dust on a fingernail compared to the dust of the whole earth. But do not take this to mean that wholesome deeds are pointless. That is not the message. Even in the preta realm, a small amount of past merit can provide some relief; without it, they might not even find excrement to eat.
The law of kamma is complex. We have seen monks in robes reborn as pretas. The Buddha himself saw this on Vulture’s Peak. Simply wearing a robe does not protect you if you live an unvirtuous life. The kamma is created in the mind. A monk might be very strict in his external discipline (sīla) but internally be filled with greed for property.
Due to that greed, he could be reborn as a yaksha guarding that land. Because of his strong sīla, he is reborn as a very powerful yaksha. Do you see? The kamma gives results in two ways: his virtue gave him power, but his attachment gave him a sorrowful rebirth.
Why We Are Exploring Unseen Realms: A Path to Disenchantment
You can observe these beings in places of death, like funeral homes. You can see them in places of slaughter, like butcher shops, and in places of intoxication, like bars. Look at how they exist there. Also, observe the homes of deceased relatives. I have seen many people who died by suicide, such as by hanging. In the non-human realm, they continue to exist with their necks broken, perpetually re-living that suffering. Suicide almost certainly leads to an unwholesome rebirth.
When you see these things directly, you develop a profound sense of disenchantment (nibbidā) and weariness with this endless cycle of suffering, or saṃsāra. This is how these spiritual abilities help you on the path to Nibbāna, or liberation. You gain a true understanding of saṃsāra, and you begin to realize the futility of this worldly life. This motivates you to strive even harder on the path.
Guidance for Those with an Awakened Third Eye
When a person’s Third Eye awakens, the non-human beings in that realm, the yakshas and pretas, become aware of it. They are in constant torment, with their bodies feeling like they are on fire due to their past kamma. Imagine the pain of constant heartburn or arthritis; their suffering is continuous. When they realize that you can see them, they will approach you for help. They might appear before you or seem to be kneeling at your feet. Most of the time, they are not there to harm you; they are begging for merits.
Do not be afraid. These are problems of saṃsāra that no one, not even a Buddha or a god, can simply erase for another. We must understand this reality and live with wisdom. When they appear, share the merits of your wholesome deeds, whether from making offerings, chanting, or the energy gained from meditation. Make a resolution that they be well, happy, and born into a better existence. They will be very happy.
However, as you do this, more may come seeking help. If it becomes a disturbance, you can make a firm intention: “Do not come near me; stay at a distance.” You can create a mental protective barrier. I will give a teaching very soon on how to practically deal with and remove these influences if they cause trouble.
Your own mental strength is your greatest protection. As your mind becomes more powerful through meditation, they cannot come near you. They will keep their distance and ask for merits from afar. So dedicate merits when you can, but do not let it become a burden.
Final Reflections on the Path
I believe I do not need to prolong this teaching further. For those of you practicing, continue to look with intention. I encourage you again to share your experiences to help others understand.
Not everyone has non-human influences, and many who do are completely unaware of it and live normal lives. Others have a slight inkling, and when they turn to spiritual practices like chanting and meditation, the influences fade. For a few, the effects are severe.
This practice of exploring unseen realms is not to create fear or negativity, but to understand the full scope of reality. Some people tend to wrongly attribute all their problems to non-human interference; I will give a separate teaching on this tendency to forcefully adopt spiritual experiences that are not one’s own.
The ultimate goal is to understand the Dhamma, which is the practical application of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the wisdom that arises with it. As you reduce your own defilements, your understanding of all these realms will grow. So, be diligent in your practice. May the power of the Triple Gem, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, guide you to develop your spiritual abilities, to see these worlds, to understand saṃsāra, and to advance on your path.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments section below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
