Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Do Buddhists believe in angels?

opiumpoetryopiumpoetry Delaware, Ohio, USA Explorer

I know that Hindus and Jains believe in vidyadharas (wisdom-givers.) But I've never heard them or anything similar mentioned in Buddhism (though some say that in Buddhism, the term devas encapsulates both gods and angels). I ask because my father told me he was seeing angels on his last day, and he was a hardcore atheist.

Shoshin1

Comments

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    Define angels? Buddhists talk about devas I.e beings that live in the heavenly realms.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism)

  • Mahayana, Tibetan version, talks about many beings like: Bodhisattvas, Dakinis, Nagas, Gandharvas. Sometimes a sutra mention that some of those beings were in attendance (sometimes across the universe) of a teaching of the Buddhas.

    lobsterDavidopiumpoetry
  • Do Buddhists believe in angels?

    Only as a skilful mind project. They taste of chicken if properly cooked.

    So ... cultural, folk dharma, pop Buddhism, we Buddisseds believe any old twaddle.

    I like to call on fallen angels (fiends from the Buddhist hell realms) Buddhist bodhisattvas from past, future and other religions, regions and realms. I give them specific tasks. We might call this tantric task assignment of imaginary/subconscious and superconscious states of mind. The more real the visualisation, the better.

    Then with a snap of the fingers I return to the present clarity ... yum ...

    Shoshin1DavidFosdick
  • Do Buddhists believe in angels?

    Some do some don't...it's not a prerequisite for practicing the Dharma.. each to their own
    .It's a case of.... Different stokes for different folks whatever helps to float one's spiritual raft...

    KotishkaDavidlobsterBunks
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    It seems when I think deeply of what I believe, then I do believe in angels. But I’m not too sure about god.

    Bunksopiumpoetry
  • You just have to avoid the thinking bias known as: the Barnum effect. Which is when you see personal specifics in vague statements by filling in the gaps.

    To think critically see how things could be interpreted to apply to anyone and not just you.

    Not saying @federica story was an example of Barnum effect, rather I am just enjoying my deck of Critical Thinking Cards from School of Thought org that arrived recently that were a present to myself and they have 24 biases cards and 24 logical fallacy cards. :)

    lobsterBunks
  • @opiumpoetry said:
    ... my father told me he was seeing angels on his last day, and he was a hardcore atheist.

    Pain killers, drugs and changes in our physical nature (nearing death) can alter our mentation. No surprises there ... I prefer Real Angels. Here is another story:

    Two days ago my mother who I am shielding during this corona time, suddenly slumped forward at breakfast and was unresponsive. I was convinced she was dying. However I know very little about the death process or what was happening. Got my sister up, to ensure mother did not fall off her chair. Mother seemed to be slipping away.

    Turned on our emergency mobile phone. Two green angels arrived within five minutes. They came by ambulance; paramedics.

    ... meanwhile just before the angels arrival, dying mother had taken a few unconscious/semi conscious deep yawns, and started moving her hand. She was regaining life. ✅🙏🏽🌈

    A series of questions and angel type tests: cardio, blood pressure, oxygen levels etc and near death experience over. <3o:)B)

    –––

    Now your question is about other realm angels. I tend to prefer reality as experienced ... Another time ... What do you prefer?

    FosdickShoshin1Bunks
  • opiumpoetryopiumpoetry Delaware, Ohio, USA Explorer
    edited April 2021

    I read recently that the Japanese believe in angels which they call tennin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennin Funny that my father also mentioned that he was having "Japanese dreams" in the last weeks of his life. Hmmm....

  • opiumpoetryopiumpoetry Delaware, Ohio, USA Explorer

    @Bunks said:
    Define angels? Buddhists talk about devas I.e beings that live in the heavenly realms.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism)

    My father was too ill to explain exactly what he was seeing, but that's what he said, "angels."

    Bunks
  • opiumpoetryopiumpoetry Delaware, Ohio, USA Explorer

    @David said:
    My initial response is similar to @Bunks. Being an Athiest, how would your father define "angel"?

    Well, people believe or don't believe many things until they see it. "Seeing is believing," as the saying goes.

    SuraShine
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Jeffrey said:
    You just have to avoid the thinking bias known as: the Barnum effect. Which is when you see personal specifics in vague statements by filling in the gaps.

    To think critically see how things could be interpreted to apply to anyone and not just you.

    Not saying @federica story was an example of Barnum effect, rather I am just enjoying my deck of Critical Thinking Cards from School of Thought org that arrived recently that were a present to myself and they have 24 biases cards and 24 logical fallacy cards. :)

    Yes, balance is a good thing.

    When I first started seriously practicing nianfo (Chanting the Buddha's name) last year I had two interesting experiences that could either be interpreted as signs or as mere coincidence.

    1) I was chanting "Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa" (basically asking Avalokitesvara to help me and all beings) I had the thought that it would be nice to get a little card or picture of her to sit in my altar while chanting. Around about an hour later I was buying a coffee at the local cafe and I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had one of those "Buy 10 get one free" cards for this cafe and what should I find? A credit card sized picture of Avalokitesvara sitting in my wallet! Now it's no mystery that it was there. I vaguely recalled purchasing it a couple of years before. But I hadn't seen it for so long it just seemed quite freaky.

    2) I was driving in my car about six months ago with mindless talk back playing on the radio. I thought I should turn it off and do some nianfo practice. The exact moment I switched it off I heard "Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo...." playing in the car? I thought I must have switched stations or put a CD but I checked and the audio system in the car was off. Then I realised a YouTube video in my pocket of a nianfo video I had been watching earlier had started again at the exact moment I switched the car radio off.

    Coincidences? Perhaps....but they both made me think.

    JeffreySuraShinelobsterShoshin1
  • Do Buddhists believe in angels?

    Coincidence as @Bunks mentions, become part of our acceptance. I am very wary of supernatural favours. Initially they reinforce our practice.

    Here is another angle on angels:
    https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/jootla/wheel414.html

    Bunks
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Bunks said:

    @Jeffrey said:
    You just have to avoid the thinking bias known as: the Barnum effect. Which is when you see personal specifics in vague statements by filling in the gaps.

    To think critically see how things could be interpreted to apply to anyone and not just you.

    Not saying @federica story was an example of Barnum effect, rather I am just enjoying my deck of Critical Thinking Cards from School of Thought org that arrived recently that were a present to myself and they have 24 biases cards and 24 logical fallacy cards. :)

    Yes, balance is a good thing.

    When I first started seriously practicing nianfo (Chanting the Buddha's name) last year I had two interesting experiences that could either be interpreted as signs or as mere coincidence.

    1) I was chanting "Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa" (basically asking Avalokitesvara to help me and all beings) I had the thought that it would be nice to get a little card or picture of her to sit in my altar while chanting. Around about an hour later I was buying a coffee at the local cafe and I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had one of those "Buy 10 get one free" cards for this cafe and what should I find? A credit card sized picture of Avalokitesvara sitting in my wallet! Now it's no mystery that it was there. I vaguely recalled purchasing it a couple of years before. But I hadn't seen it for so long it just seemed quite freaky.

    2) I was driving in my car about six months ago with mindless talk back playing on the radio. I thought I should turn it off and do some nianfo practice. The exact moment I switched it off I heard "Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo...." playing in the car? I thought I must have switched stations or put a CD but I checked and the audio system in the car was off. Then I realised a YouTube video in my pocket of a nianfo video I had been watching earlier had started again at the exact moment I switched the car radio off.

    Coincidences? Perhaps....but they both made me think.

    Yesterday my nianfo machine switched on in my back pack and started chanting. Quite freaky!

    O.o

    lobsterJeroen
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I do believe in voices that can come and visit you. Whether they are angels is indeterminate, but there is so much other conceptual rubbish that comes with the idea of angels.

    Bunks
  • Quite freaky!

    Sometimes, strange spooky stuff. B)

    This is part of the focus or concentration aspect of practice manifesting. It really is as simple as that … but nonetheless may surprise us.

    In vajrayana this sort of thing is favoured …
    The Zen people deal very well with this, 'nothing to see, pass along'.

    Mantra notoriously invokes the angelic/deity/quality of its nature.

    No need to believe. Practice and experience.

    Bunks
Sign In or Register to comment.