Categories: Cosmic Messengers
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, as always, we hope to offer some clarity on a topic many of you, who practically explore the spiritual path with us, have seen in our title. We receive many different questions from people of all ages. One particular question, which we see often, deserves a broader and more compassionate explanation.
Most frequently, it is the younger generation who reach out to us, sending a voice message or a note. This includes both young men and women who are facing confusion and seek answers from us. While we have touched upon this before, I felt it was important to address it directly. This article aims to guide you toward a healthier understanding of your spiritual journey and your true self, away from the alluring trap of a fantasized past life identity.
The Alluring Fantasy of a Glorious Past Life Identity
Many young people, especially young women, send us a photograph of themselves and ask a question that weighs heavily on them: “Venerable Sir, who do you see that I was in a past life? What kind of person was I?”
They ask this with a hidden idea already in their minds. Often, they have already consulted other sources,perhaps an astrologer, another self-proclaimed spiritual person, or someone involved in the culture of dēvāla (shrines for deities),and have received some information. They come to us seeking confirmation, to test whether what they were told is true.
These preconceived notions are often tied to famous figures from history and myth. Young women frequently believe they were Mandodari, the wife of King Ravana; or Queen Sita; or perhaps Ravana’s mother or aunt. They fixate on a female character connected to the grand Ravana epic. Similarly, young men might believe they were King Ravana himself, or another great king from Sri Lanka’s history like D.S. Senanayake or King Parakramabahu. They attach themselves to the identity of a past king.
The sad reality is that in this human life, they are just ordinary people. They are not changing the country or performing great deeds. They are living in a dream world, fueled by YouTube videos and movies about these historical figures. They watch these stories, absorb them into their personal world, and become trapped in a fantasy. While some details they feel might have a grain of truth, many are just illusions built from consuming media.
Our Role: A Guide on the Path, Not a Fortune Teller
I want to be very clear. When people send photos or messages asking about their past life identity, they will not receive an answer from me. We have stated this in our teachings before. I have never given a single reply to such inquiries.
Why? Because we have not fallen into the position of being fortune-tellers or prophets. Our purpose, as our name ‘Adhyatmika Bhikshun’ (Spiritual Monks) suggests, is to teach people how to walk a practical spiritual path, a journey that is not limited to words or books. If someone truly understood the meaning of our name, they would not send us such questions.
This issue transcends any divisions of ethnicity, caste, or religion. People from all backgrounds and age groups send these inquiries, though as I mentioned, it is most common among young women. They are seeking validation for a fantasy, but our role is to guide them toward truth, not to reinforce a delusion.
The Danger of Self-Deception and Spiritual Pride (Māna)
The Buddha once pointed to an anthill and taught that there is no one who has not been a Cakkavattī (a universal monarch or wheel-turning king) at some point in our incredibly long journey through Saṃsāra the beginningless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. We have all been kings and queens in countless lives. The journey is that vast.
While it is possible you were someone of importance, you may also be deceived. Sometimes, non-human beings, which we call amanussa, or even Māra (the Buddhist embodiment of delusion), might be playing a game with you, making you believe you have a grand past life identity for their own amusement. They trap you in a false persona, and you become inflated with it. This leads to a powerful form of pride, known in Buddhism as māna.
This pride can manifest in strange ways. For example, if you believe you were King Parakramabahu, you might visit the ancient reservoirs he built and think, “Ah, I built this tank. This was my creation.” You might feel a strange sense of ownership. Of course, if you truly did such a great deed in a past life, you can feel happy about it. But what happens on the day you discover it wasn’t you? The day it is proven that you are not that king? You will only feel foolish. This is a crucial point to remember.
The Search for Validation: A Sign of Deep-Seated Doubt
If you were truly a great king or queen in a past life, why do you need to go from person to person to confirm it? Why chase after astrologers, psychics, spiritualists, and monks to get validation for your past life identity? This very act of seeking confirmation proves that you yourself have a deep-seated doubt. You don’t truly believe it.
And consider the outcome. If you go to a genuine spiritual person and they tell you, “You are not the person you think you were. You were an ordinary person,” you will likely feel sad and disappointed. You might even attack them, claiming they have no spiritual power or that they are wrong, simply because they did not confirm your fantasy.
On the other hand, if a dishonest person deceives you further by saying, “Yes, you are exactly that person!” it can push you deeper into delusion. This can lead to a serious deterioration of your mental state. It is a dangerous path.
From Grand Delusions to Mental Suffering: A Serious Warning
We hear stories of people in mental hospitals who believe they are presidents, Buddhas, enlightened beings, or prime ministers. They are lost in a powerful delusion. If you continue to feed this fantasy of a grand past life identity, you risk ending up in a similar state. I have personally met many people claiming to be D.S. Senanayake, Ravana, Sita, and Mandodari, from all different age groups.
I wanted to share this part of the teaching today so you can gain a proper understanding and walk a safe path. If you have a friend or family member caught in such a state, perhaps this teaching can help you offer them some clarity. Obsessing over a past glory that may not even be yours can lead to what modern medicine calls a mental illness, requiring treatment. This is a hazardous path to walk. Your life would be wasted, and by acting without right understanding, you bring destruction upon your entire journey through Saṃsāra.
“What Is My Special Mission?” Another Spiritual Trap
Another common question I receive, often accompanied by a photograph, is this: “Venerable Sir, can you tell me where I came from to this world? I feel I came here for a special duty, a mission (rājakāriya). Can you tell me what it is?”
Thousands of people have sent me this exact question, hoping for an answer. But we do not answer these questions either, because it is pointless. If we give them an answer, it is of no real use. They will simply fixate on that idea, thinking about it over and over. They get stuck, like being bogged down in the same patch of mud. To prevent this, we never make pronouncements on such things.
The only answer I give is this: Find out for yourself who you are. This quest for a special mission is another trap, a distraction from the real work of practical spiritual development.
The True Path: Find Yourself Through Inner Cultivation
So, if you are troubled by these questions “Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is my mission?”,what should you do? The solution is not to run after spiritual personalities, astrologers, or mystics. You will never get a satisfying answer from them. You must understand this.
The only solution is to develop your own spirituality. If you cultivate your mind correctly under a proper teacher, you will have the ability to solve this problem for yourself. There is no other way.
Therefore, you must strive. Start by practicing the meditations we have taught from the very beginning. Learn how to develop Samatha (calmness meditation) and, as we explain later in our teachings, the path of Vipassanā (insight meditation). We have provided practical answers for the problems that arise during meditation and how to face them fearlessly.
Here is what you can do to begin your practical spiritual development:
- Observe Sīla (moral conduct). We especially recommend the value of Brahmacariyā (chaste conduct) for its power to focus the mind.
- Chant pirith (protective Buddhist verses).
- Diligently keep the Five Precepts.
Start doing these things. As you proceed, you will naturally be guided to the paths you need to follow. The duties you are meant to perform for your country, people, or religion will happen through you. This is certain. It may take a long time, but until then, continue with your life while cultivating your spiritual practice. That is all that is required.
The Mark of a True Spiritual Agent: Action, Not Identity
A person who truly came to this world for a purpose, as a ‘universal agent’ so to speak, does not sit around wondering, “Who am I? Why did I come here?” They act.
For example, if they are walking down the road and see someone has fallen, and no one else is helping, they extend a hand and help the person up. If they see garbage littering a public space, they take the initiative to clean it up. They do what needs to be done, without fanfare.
Such individuals do not chase a past life identity or a grand mission. They focus on their meditation and spiritual development, and they get to work. As they do this, the answers come to them naturally, and they are guided toward their path. Based on their aspirations, they receive help.
If they have undertaken a duty, helpful unseen beings who are of Right View (Sammā-diṭṭhika) be they devas (divine beings), brahmas (higher celestial beings), nāgas, or other benevolent entities will provide support. Even the guardian deities of the world will assist. Understand that this is how they are guided onto their path.
Conclusion: Let Go of the Past, Embrace Your Present Actions
I have met people who are now 50 or 60 years old who have been asking the same questions since they were children: “Where did I come from? What is my duty?” They are still pondering it, still without an answer. Think how pitiable, helpless, and foolish that is. We have given advice to such people, and many have now moved away from these ideas.
Do you want to end up in the same state? These dream worlds are often filled with fantasies of being not just anyone, but kings, queens, princes, and princesses never simple roles. Release these ideas. Pursue your practical life your family, your job and your spiritual practice in parallel. Keep your mind light and relaxed through mindfulness, as we have taught.
I hope this understanding has been conveyed. What you do in the present is the only thing that matters. There is no need to boast about the past or be intoxicated by a potential past life identity. You are an ordinary person in this life, and your actions now define you. Please remember this and act with wisdom.
May all who are in such a state be able to understand these words and act with clarity, by the power and blessings of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha the Triple Gem.
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 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!.
