Categories: Cosmic Messengers
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
In our spiritual discussions, we have explored a special topic: the idea of ‘agents from the universe.’ Today, we will delve deeper into a specific aspect of this teaching: how these beings, who have come to the human world, are engaged in the profound practice of fulfilling paramitas.
You may know that there are individuals living among us who have been born here from other realms. They come from the six heavenly worlds, the higher Brahma worlds, and even from realms of beings we might call Yakkhas (demonic figures), Nagas (serpent beings), Kumbhandas, or Gandharvas (celestial musicians).
These beings are reborn in the human world as people with Samma-ditthi, or ‘Right View’ an understanding aligned with the truth. They may be born as deities who have taken human form or as highly spiritual individuals. They are present within our own communities, sometimes born into the Sinhala nation or within the Buddhist faith.
However, as I’ve mentioned before, for various karmic reasons, some of these beings are also born into other religions. Today, I want to talk about these remarkable individuals and the special qualities they cultivate as part of their journey of fulfilling paramitas.
The Diverse Paths of Spiritual Perfection (Paramitas)
This journey of fulfilling paramitas is not a single path but a vast spectrum of noble aspirations. These ‘perfections’ are virtues cultivated over countless lifetimes. Among the souls who have come to this human world, you will find a wide variety of these sacred callings:
- The Path to Buddhahood: Some are Great Bodhisattvas, beings who are perfecting the qualities needed to become a fully enlightened Buddha in the future.
- The Path of a Pacceka Buddha: Others are on the path to becoming a ‘Silent’ or ‘Private’ Buddha, one who attains enlightenment on their own but does not teach the path to the masses.
- The Path to Arahantship: Many aspire to the noble state of an Arahant, a ‘Worthy One’ who has completely eradicated all mental defilements and achieved Nibbana (liberation).
- Supporting a Future Buddha: There are countless roles to be filled in the life of a future Buddha. Some are fulfilling paramitas to become a future Buddha’s chief disciples (like Sariputta and Moggallana), the chief female lay disciple (like Visakha), or the chief male lay disciple (like Anathapindika). Others aspire to be a Buddha’s personal physician (like Jivaka), mother, father, wife (like Yasodhara), or even their son (like Rahula).
- Other Essential Roles: The path is incredibly detailed. Some beings are fulfilling paramitas to become a Buddha’s stepmother. Looking at the life of Prince Siddhartha, some were born to be his loyal friend Channa or his horse Kanthaka. Even the sage Kondanna, who predicted with certainty that the prince would become a Buddha by reading his physical marks, was fulfilling his own unique paramita.
This is a vast and profound topic that requires an open mind. These are just some of the many sacred roles that individuals, often unknowingly, are preparing for within the human realm.
How Do You Discover Your Sacred Purpose?
You might wonder, ‘How can a person know if they are on such a path of fulfilling paramitas?’ There are several ways this profound knowledge can surface, often through spiritual or subtle means.
This is where spiritual faculties come into play. Through the development of what is known as the ‘third eye’ or through the practice of looking into past lives, this truth can be revealed. In our teachings, we often speak of the Panca-abhinna, the five spiritual or psychic abilities.
These include the ability to read the minds of others, see past lives, communicate with unseen deities, and perceive sounds and sights from other realms. Through deep meditative states, known as dhyanas, or by cultivating spiritual energy, sometimes called Kundalini, you can gain insight into whether you are fulfilling a paramita.
Here are five common ways this realization can dawn:
These are some of the channels through which this sacred information is delivered and can be received. To learn more about the specifics of these paths, you can explore texts like the ‘Paramita Prakaranaya’ by the venerable Reerukane Chandawimala Mahanayaka Thero, or study the Jataka tales the stories of the Buddha’s past lives,found in the Tripitaka.
Confirmation from the Seen and Unseen Worlds
Sometimes, this confirmation comes through another person. There are spiritually developed individuals in this world who have the ability to see past lives. They may be men or women, from any religion or race the path of truth eventually draws everyone in, just as all rivers flow to the sea. Ultimately, a person on this journey will be drawn to the teachings of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha the Triple Gem and become a practical follower.
A person with an opened third eye or other spiritual gifts may look at you and simply tell you that you are fulfilling a special paramita. Some can discern this by reading your physical characteristics, while others perceive it through their spiritual sight. An unseen being a benevolent brahma or deva, or a being from the yaksha, naga, kumbhanda, or gandharva realms, might even take on a human form to deliver this message to you directly.
The First Reaction: Overcoming Self-Doubt and Judgment
Now, let’s look at a very human and very important part of this process: the doubt. When this information is revealed whether through a vision, a feeling, or another person the first reaction is often disbelief. You might be living a life you consider deeply flawed.
could be an alcoholic, an immoral person, a prostitute, or someone who behaves in a very unwholesome way. You might have little virtue (sila), or perhaps you try to keep it sometimes, or perhaps you are very virtuous and devoted to meditation (bhavana). You could be a deeply hypocritical and unpleasant person. This applies to men, women, of any age, race, or class.
You could be uneducated, poor, and unattractive. Or uneducated, poor, and beautiful. You could be educated, poor, and beautiful. Or educated, wealthy, and beautiful. Or educated, wealthy, and unattractive. There is no discrimination based on looks, wealth, or status. The message can come to anyone, in any life situation.
When you hear this, you measure it against your current life. You think, ‘How could a character like me be on such a path? How could someone like me aspire to Buddhahood? Or be the mother of a Buddha? The wife? The son? An Arahant? How is it possible for someone who is so poor, so insignificant?’ This is the first wave of doubt, born from judging yourself based on this single lifetime. But remember, even our own Bodhisattva had lifetimes where he lived unwholesomely. After learning of their path, a person begins to change, sometimes immediately, sometimes gradually.
The Rollercoaster of Emotion: From Elation to Seeking Proof
After the initial shock and doubt, a second stage often follows: a feeling of immense joy and elation. You feel an urge to tell everyone, to shout from the rooftops that you are a person fulfilling paramitas. Some might feel like jumping and dancing with joy. Others may hold this feeling with quiet humility. But this elation is a common reaction.
Then comes the third stage: the doubt returns. ‘How can I be sure? How can I truly confirm this for myself?’ This is when the search for verification begins. You might turn to YouTube or search for people online who talk about these things. You might seek out well-known or unknown spiritual practitioners, astrologers, or mystics in your local area or even in other countries anyone who seems to have knowledge of these unseen matters. You seek them out to confirm whether this feeling is real.
Here, I must offer a serious warning. When you go seeking confirmation, especially if you are, for example, a beautiful woman who believes she is destined to be the wife or mother of a Buddha, you can be vulnerable. You might approach a male practitioner with your story, seeking his spiritual insight. As you talk over time, an inappropriate connection may form sometimes a romantic relationship, sometimes a sexual one. This can lead to the destruction of families and reputations. It is a deviation from the path.
Others may not be interested in romance but will use their ‘spiritual’ craftiness to exploit you for money or worldly possessions. They take advantage of your sincere desire for confirmation. Please be aware of this danger.
However, it is crucial to remember that there are also genuine, sincere people. There are true spiritual friends (kalyana mitta) who, whether they practice esoteric arts or not, will help you honestly. They will help you recognize your path without any expectation of gain no love, no sex, no worldly wealth. They will genuinely guide you on your journey. It is important to know that both kinds of people exist.
The True Confirmation: Discovering Your Path Through Practice
So, with these doubts and dangers, how can you move forward and confirm your path from within? How do you truly understand this for yourself? The answer lies in practice. In our spiritual community, we encourage engaging in wholesome activities and rituals. Perform acts of veneration, chant protective verses (pirith), make offerings to the Buddha, and most importantly, cultivate virtue (sila). Practice meditation to develop mental calm (samatha), aiming for the eight states of absorption (jhanas or Ashta Samapatti). Develop your spiritual faculties (Panca-abhinna), and work with universal or Kundalini energy as we have taught.
Engage in the three grounds of meritorious action: Dana (generosity), Sila (virtue), and Bhavana (meditation/mental cultivation). As you engage in these practices, the paramitas you have cultivated over lifetimes will begin to surface. This confirmation doesn’t always happen at once. For someone whose paramitas are very developed, the realization can be swift and certain. For others, it takes time.
Here is the practice: Uphold your virtue. Make offerings of flowers and lamps at sacred places like the Ruwanwelisaya stupa. Then, make a strong resolution or aspiration (adhittana): ‘If it is true that I am fulfilling paramitas to become a Buddha, a Buddha’s mother, a Buddha’s friend, the treasurer of his teachings, or a chief disciple if this is truly my path, may it be proven to me from within!’
Make this aspiration continuously, fueled by the merit of your wholesome deeds. And remember this: for those on this path, meditation is especially important. Don’t just stop at giving. As you deepen your meditation and practice, you will start receiving messages again from nature, from benevolent deities.
The messages will continue until you realize the truth for yourself, with direct, unshakable conviction. Special qualities will begin to blossom within you. (We will explore these qualities in a future teaching). This is how you can come to know your path for yourself.
The Unromantic Truth: The Harsh but Noble Path
People who are fulfilling paramitas are often very happy to discover this about themselves. Some may even begin their aspiration in this very lifetime. That is perfectly fine; it is one’s personal choice. Others may have started this journey many lifetimes ago 500, 1000, or countless eons back.
Every journey, whether to become a Buddha, a Pacceka Buddha, an Arahant, or a supporter, begins in the mind. First, it is a thought. Then it is expressed in speech. Finally, it is proven through action. Remember that people exist at all three stages of this process.
But this journey is not easy or romantic. Many young women are drawn to the idea of being like Yasodhara, the wife of Prince Siddhartha, and seek their ‘twin flame.’ But the reality of this path is not the beautiful story you imagine. It is a journey through the harshness of existence (samsara) to face even more profound challenges.
For example, if you are the partner of a Bodhisattva, he may leave you and your children to practice austerities in the forest, and you must bear this. If you are the mother of a Great Bodhisattva, you may have to sacrifice your own marital life and maintain celibacy for the sake of your son’s great destiny. Marriages can break down. There are many such painful sacrifices.
However, there is a special quality here. The people who support a Bodhisattva the mother, the wife, the surrounding community have a deep understanding of the situation. Their minds are conditioned to be able to bear this pressure. In the beginning stages of the journey, it is very difficult. But as you progress and your meritorious energy grows, the strength to endure also increases. When a Bodhisattva has completed most of their paramitas, the suffering for their supporters lessens, and life can become more comfortable.
Think of it this way: those who wander aimlessly in samsara, with no knowledge of Nibbana or a higher purpose, suffer immensely anyway. They are born in hell realms, as hungry ghosts, as animals in the four lower planes of existence (apaya). They endure terrible suffering. Those fulfilling paramitas also face harshness, but it is for a noble reason. And because of that reason, no matter how much they suffer, they do not fall into the lower realms. This is a crucial point to understand.
Your Spiritual Support System and Moving Forward
As you continue on this path of fulfilling paramitas, remember to cultivate your spiritual strength through meritorious deeds and meditation, as I mentioned earlier. As you do this, as your mind becomes purer and your virtue and concentration grow, the invisible helpers I spoke of can connect with you more easily. There is a whole group of beings in the unseen world who are part of your journey.
The more you practice especially focusing on conduct over mere offerings the more they can build a relationship with you and offer their support. One such deity that many people make offerings to is Pattini Amma.
The name ‘Pattini Amma’ doesn’t refer to a single goddess but a collective of deities, many of whom are also Bodhisattvas aspiring to be the mothers of future Buddhas. These beings, both in the human and divine realms, are here to help those on this sacred quest. The assistance from these righteous gods and brahmas is to keep you on the correct path.
I hope that through this discussion, you have gained a clearer understanding of what it means to be an agent from the universe who is fulfilling paramitas. With the teachings we have explored, you can begin to structure your life, taking what is relevant to you and moving forward on your path.
May you all have the strength, courage, and wisdom to understand these matters, to perfect your own paramitas, and to endure the hardships of the journey with a well-prepared mind. For those of you striving to realize Nibbana, attain the fruits of the path, or achieve the dhyanas in this very life, may you also have the ability to achieve these goals.
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!
