Compassion for Spirits

Dear one,
You don’t have to be scared or think badly about this. You should generate compassion, chant mantras for them and prayers of bodhicitta. You should recite the teachings of bodhicitta for them, such as the short prayer “jangchub sem chog...”: “may bodhicitta be generated in the hearts of all sentient beings... in all hearts in which bodhicitta is generated may it increase.”

Also, you can read verses from the Bodhicaryavatara on bodhicitta—the ninth chapter. You can also perform Guru Puja for them—exchanging oneself for others, and the thought transformation verses from the lamrim section.

Recite the praise for bodhicitta for them, which talks about the benefits and which persuades them to change their attitude into the good heart from the self-cherishing thought.

Then, you can give teachings on emptiness to them, reciting verses on emptiness. You can also recite the Heart Sutra. So, one can give teachings to them and benefit them.

It is great that you are able to see spirits because you can benefit and help them. I want to see spirits very much but I can’t see them. You have a great opportunity to help those spirits, it is very positive.

Also, there are many different mantras you can chant - Medicine Buddha mantra; Maitreya Buddha mantra - to liberate them from the lower realms, so that they are never born in the lower realms; and “OM MANI PADME HUM”—to liberate them from the lower realms and bring them to enlightenment.

You can also do Sur practice because you are able to see the spirits. I do Sur practice, but if I could see the spirits it would be much more interesting. Those who see say that there are so many it seems to be like a forest.

There was a woman whom a naga entered during a Chenrezig retreat. When the vase, blessed with the Chenrezig mantra, was passed around, she drank it and said that there were many spirits outside, like a forest, and that they needed the water. When people asked her, she said that outside there were three monks (pretas in the form of monks) and one didn’t have a head. When I asked people to ask her more questions she said she didn’t want to speak because this was the only opportunity for her to practice Dharma so she didn’t want to waste time. The woman had been in retreat before, so maybe the naga had entered her during the retreat. She said there was a protector at the door and he kicked her on her neck, with his feet, to try to stop her coming in, but somehow she was able to slip through. So her neck was bent to one side a little bit, in pain, and when she walked her legs were close together because of the naga.

If you are able to see like this then you will be so inspired to do practices like food and water charity for pretas, and sur. You see how important it is.

People who see spirits should not be afraid or scared, thinking “I’m strange.” In Western society, people generally don't accept spirits because they don't understand them. But people who see them can understand what an incredible opportunity it is to help the spirits, to develop strong compassion because of seeing their suffering, can help them with these mantras and teachings, can liberate them, and purify their negative karma. By hearing the words it leaves a positive imprint, liberates them from the oceans of samsaric suffering, and brings them to enlightenment.