Anyone see the devas or the like or know one who does see?

[whynotme]

Hi everyone,

Just out of curiosity, has anyone seen/met the devas or know someone that actually dit?

Regards

[Jaidyn]

yes, i have, their beauty does not manifest in the physical (for me) but one can sense it when relying on psychic abilities, and their energies can manifest as mental images even though the images are mostly abstract and seem to just be personal interpretations of their life-form.. I am not very familiar with the term deva, however, but what I have experienced are beings/energies/forms from other "higher" dimensions (i guess) of existence.. For me they take the role as guides. they have a deep impact upon the body and mind once experienced in communication - high level of unconditional love and acceptance.

[whynotme]

thank you for sharing. How do you get that type of experience?

[Jaidyn]

This was happening at a time when ego was weak and i was generally more inclined to stay in the present moment (much like eckhart tolle describes (search youtube)). I then had worldly encounters with other people resulting in the sudden opening/activation of one or several chakras (the best theory i have found and i did not know about chakras earlier - i had no special regard for or interest in that system).

prior to all this (one or two months earlier) i had a realization in my spiritual journey resulting in attachments breaking down. my mind was not able to attach in the same way and i felt the dissolution of my mental habits. i just returned to the present moment whatever mental habit i tried to do. it was joyful and deeply relaxing but also strange and i was in fear my ability to carry out my daily work would suffer. my realization was that there is nothing outside or mentally inside - no thing, no idea, no future, no past - having any meaning within. We (our ego) put meaning inside everything - inside ideas, situations, etc - and thereby we make ourselves committed to act according to these meanings - i must get rich, because i am poor and it is a shame. we bind ourselves to everything and that is not freedom. people are always on their way to something, you can see it in their eyes, but there is no something to go to - even if you go to the bus - because we are always here..

I had no prior intention of communicating with these "beings" and I always thought it was bull* before the experience. I am a skeptic - i have thought of different explanations - but I can not deny it was very real and significant to my mind. The higher being was not the main part of my experience. I mentally experienced another persons "soul" by something like telepathy (i also have real contact with this person) and the soul would keep returning (several days). the soul-thing was totally unexpected and actually i did not want it at first as i was into practice/explore my present-moment-meditation. in relation to the soul-thing the higher being entered because i did not know what to do with my experience of the other persons soul. i mentally asked for inner guidance - any kind.

This is not uncommon in other spiritual contexts, but i do not know if it resemble the deva-concept. I do not expect to much support or recognition for this through buddhism, but it may be related to the deva-concept. in the buddhist texts it says something like that the devas radiates beauty surpassing everything etc.. and that was my experience of this higher being. it is a beauty bound to unconditional love and acceptance. Also; it is like you experience just a small part of this being, never the totality like when you grasp a person with your senses..

i can not get this experience at will... my ego is partly stronger at the moment and it just tries to fake the experience - emulating it - because it is desiring it.. maybe if i try and practice, but I have not had such an experience since the first time.

[whynotme]

Thanks for sharing,

You are being honest and it is good for you. This kind of experience is not well regarded and encouraged in Buddhism. Actually your view mainly looking for the emptiness, or eternity, which is not Buddhism. No future no past no present, then nothing to do, nothing worth trying, no will, no work no meaning in anything, when there are still things need to be done. Nothing special in that view. Actually we still need meanings to have right view, right thought which are the base of Buddhism, not give up meaning and live like animals, and proud of an animal life.

The Buddha said even some can achieve brahma world without Buddism, hell is still waiting for those without right view. And in Buddhism, we all were devas in the past, now where is it? We are just human but deva isn't something very special.

Let me tell you this, in Buddhism, it isn't about joy and pleasant or the peace of the moment, because it is very short. The Buddha taught about samsara, which is all suffering and happiness in this very life mean nothing when compare to it. Before attained enlightenment, he spent many years torture himself with the wrong view but the goal worth it. He could live an easy life, but FYI, that type of people never live that life, because, there are other goals in life, worth to try.

The Buddha taught that even if flesh and blood are dried, should not give up the dhamma goal. No you haven't been there yet (the dhamma goal) even you think you are always here. We are always here or not, what is the benefit of it? Is that view prevents you from satisfying sense pleasures, prevents you from doing bad actions that lead to inferior lives in the future? Or is that view let you tired of samsara? No, none of the main benefits the Buddha taught, so it is mainly a wrong view.

You know, when the meaning of life is different, it is very hard for you to understand Buddhism.

Cheers.

[Jaidyn]

I am at an entirely different spiritual path, but i really enjoy reading your post putting my experiences i a buddhist-light (after all this is a buddhist forum).

I want to clarify some things. your interpretation of me does not resonate with my experience. perhaps i was unclear.

You are being honest and it is good for you. This kind of experience is not well regarded and encouraged in Buddhism. Actually your view mainly looking for the emptiness, or eternity, which is not Buddhism. No future no past no present, then nothing to do, nothing worth trying, no will, no work no meaning in anything, when there are still things need to be done. Nothing special in that view. Actually we still need meanings to have right view, right thought which are the base of Buddhism, not give up meaning and live like animals, and proud of an animal life.
Cheers.

eternity - did you think i believe in eternity because i wrote about souls. Thats not the case.

nothing worth trying / nothing to do - i disagree. in the state i experienced i do not deny there are things to do, but there are no egoistically motivated things to do.

no meaning in anything - i do not imply it in a depressive manner. phenomenon hold no meaning within, but still we act in meaningful ways

no work - there is work. i was in fear i would not be capable of work as this was a massive spiritual transformation. if your partner dies you may not be capable of work for a few days.

no will - havn't said that. how did i imply that?

No future no past no present - these are just ideas we put meaning into and demand ourselves to maintain. still present and future are significant terms in daily life.

not give up meaning and live like animals - you misunderstand me. it is not in a primitive or depressed way. it is a releasing of attachment to phenomenon by realizing things. you live with deep love and care within this state. craving is near to non-existent...

just to be clear.. I am at an entirely different spiritual path. Buddhism is not my main-path but i enjoy buddhism to some extent

[Jaidyn]

by the way .. work.. i am talking about work like a regular job you have to earn money...

and to me these beings are special.. they can act as teachers in ways i doubt humans can..

[whynotme]

Ah, after all my guess isn't wrong at the first glance. But why do you care about work? Thing as they are let they be.

Regards.

[whynotme]

Anyway, can you share about your spiritual path? What is it purpose, what is the method, how to get the goal?

And what kind of spiritual aid did you get from your experience?

Regards

[Jaidyn]

Anyway, can you share about your spiritual path? What is it purpose, what is the method, how to get the goal?

And what kind of spiritual aid did you get from your experience?

Regards

No. I do not feel comfortable with sharing that. But I am perfectly content with my path. I thought you where mainly interested in peoples experiences about the deva-concept.

[marc108]

I'm a little confused as to why you posted this topic? Just to criticize those who respond?

[whynotme]

I'm a little confused as to why you posted this topic? Just to criticize those who respond?

You have a problems with that? Oh, I am sorry, I think about him as my old friend, so I take it a little privately.

Regards

[Dan74]

People who admit to having "non-ordinary" experiences cop a lot of flak from others trying to convince them that they are either making it up or delusional, usually.

Sometimes you may feel inclined to speak up and discover others who share similar experiences but be prepared for some serious mudslinging.

[pilgrim]

Wasn't there another guy here about a month ago who described the devas he saw in a forest?

[whynotme]

Wasn't there another guy here about a month ago who described the devas he saw in a forest?

Is there any link?

Thanks

[pegembara]

i had a realization in my spiritual journey resulting in attachments breaking down. my mind was not able to attach in the same way and i felt the dissolution of my mental habits. i just returned to the present moment whatever mental habit i tried to do. it was joyful and deeply relaxing but also strange and i was in fear my ability to carry out my daily work would suffer. my realization was that there is nothing outside or mentally inside - no thing, no idea, no future, no past - having any meaning within. We (our ego) put meaning inside everything - inside ideas, situations, etc - and thereby we make ourselves committed to act according to these meanings - i must get rich, because i am poor and it is a shame. we bind ourselves to everything and that is not freedom. people are always on their way to something, you can see it in their eyes, but there is no something to go to - even if you go to the bus - because we are always here..

The realization sounds very "Buddhist". Perhaps without labels there little difference.

We often live in a realm of time and self and believe it totally, lost in our own creations. But in seeing the Dhamma, we’re finding a way out of this trap of the mind. Our society totally believes in these delusions, so we can’t expect much help from society. For instance, we love history, don’t we? “You know, Buddha was actually a living human being. It’s a historical fact.” That makes it real to us, because we have all the confidence in history. But what is history? It’s memory. If we read different histories about the same period, they sound very different. I studied British colonial history in India. An account written by a British historian is very different than one written by an Indian historian. Is one of them lying? No, they’re probably honorable scholars, both of them, but they each see and remember in different ways. Memory’s like that.

http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Ajahn ... nd_Now.htm

[Jaidyn]

i had a realization in my spiritual journey resulting in attachments breaking down. my mind was not able to attach in the same way and i felt the dissolution of my mental habits. i just returned to the present moment whatever mental habit i tried to do. it was joyful and deeply relaxing but also strange and i was in fear my ability to carry out my daily work would suffer. my realization was that there is nothing outside or mentally inside - no thing, no idea, no future, no past - having any meaning within. We (our ego) put meaning inside everything - inside ideas, situations, etc - and thereby we make ourselves committed to act according to these meanings - i must get rich, because i am poor and it is a shame. we bind ourselves to everything and that is not freedom. people are always on their way to something, you can see it in their eyes, but there is no something to go to - even if you go to the bus - because we are always here..

The realization sounds very "Buddhist". Perhaps without labels there little difference.

It has crossed my mind, but i chose not to interpret it in buddhist terms because it would be better having a teachers guidance or you will easily create pride as you think you have achieved something on the imagined "buddhistic ladder of success".

I have later read a lot to try to find a context. My realization can be called ego-death and is found in almost all spiritual traditions. and a slight "dark night of the soul" did follow in my experience. you may Google the terms. it is a part of many spiritual traditions. I guess Buddhism build upon this, to some extent, but has a very precise outlining for how to deal and develop this into something much deeper that is in accordance with buddhism.

We all have personal interests in life. some like to create things. some strive for a goal in the future. suddenly all of this fell apart for a moment. It happens to people in traumatic events for example. for me it happened was because of critically examining my own beliefs - i often do - and i somehow momentary released my attachment these deeply rooted beliefs. when my old beliefs fell apart; I then asked myself: what then am i supposed to do here in life, and i realized there is nothing to do. Be careful here what i mean! I saw how any idea of things to do was just an idea, and the appeal to follow this idea was due to me putting a value (meaning) in this idea. but at the moment i had become free from putting value in the ideas entering my mind - i let them be - and therefore i did not attach to them. I realized that if i would attach to an idea it would be mental tension and my mind did not want that. I was free. now... if you suddenly do not attach to any of your habitual egoistical ideas - ex. "i am great at sports" - any more, because the mind does experience it as a tension, then you are going to be really confused because the whole sense of a self is built upon attaching to these ideas. you will also feel bliss, calm and in the moment.

the first moment of realization was not dramatic. it was just some curious thinking and some experiences. I later did not thing more about it. then a day or two later this repulsion towards attaching really kicked in for some reason. it did feel as it was not me doing it. my "me" was out of context and in this void a greater force started to operate to release me from my old mental habits - all in a slight bliss.

my voice changed, my body-language became extremely calm, i became sensitive to other peoples emotions as i could stay in the moment with them just experiencing rather then thinking. pain was no bothering me - i just experienced the nuances. no one could hurt me - i saw how any evil actions was just created and existed within the "sphere" of the person doing it and it did not affect me as i did not attach. i could just sit and watch people with hungry eyes and ask myself - what are they striving for. my body became more relaxed then i have ever experienced. Other highly private things changed permanently, and these changes are evidence enough, for me, that this was more powerful then anything make-believe.

It all happened in the span of a few days. I shifted back and forth between my old self and this strange state. Later I did fall out of this state totally, and I hit the ground hard. It was terrible to start to attach to all things again. Feeling “raw” and stressful. I badly wanted to go back but I realized it was my ego clinging to the memory of it all. Much later I was totally back into my old attachment-behavior.

I wrote about my realization as it may be related to what happened later - my experiences with "higher beings". I shared more details as to make it clearer.

People who admit to having "non-ordinary" experiences cop a lot of flak from others trying to convince them that they are either making it up or delusional, usually.

Sometimes you may feel inclined to speak up and discover others who share similar experiences but be prepared for some serious mudslinging.

I asked myself often if I was making it up. I have later read about people doing the same, and about some even becoming alcoholics because they can't cope with their experiences (accept them). But this was without doubt nothing I would have the imagination, energy, or interest in creating at will. I have decided to take the risk of being labeled as fake or crazy because it is more important I am true to myself then trying to adapt to others beliefs. The most important thing: this was deeply significant to my mind when it (the higher-beings-thing) happened – I felt such a deep release, acceptance, and love.