THE CAVE OF PERSONAL DEMONS

One of the most important teachings of Gotama Buddha that must be fully understood if "Buddha is to be killed off" are his teachings regarding the internal demons that generate impediments to a natural and whole life as well as suffering in varying degrees, from irritation to debilitating depression.

There is a tendency to call these demons Panic, Fear and Aversion, but this is to present an unnecessary and incomplete picture of what are essentially natural experiences to real threatening situations that accompany correct responses of Freezing, Flight and Fighting which are common to all living creatures.

The real DEMONS are those that as a result of their particular craving and clinging elicit imitations of these same responses.

We are speaking then of the Visceral Identity-evoked Panic when visceral comfort of mind and body is not attained or when it is threatened.

Emotional Identity-evoked Fear when emotional security of mind and body is not attained or is threatened.

The Mental Thinker-evoked Aversion when its mental superiority and domination is not attained or threatened.

There is actually a fourth Demon which evokes a Paranoic fixation upon his future when its existence as the "I" and "me" may be threatened. 

There is an interesting legend concerning the great sage Milarepa which brings out the point.

                        THE DEMONS OF MILAREPA'S EAGLE TOWER CAVE

When the great Sage Milarepa was dwelt in the Eagle Tower caves of Red Rock 

Jewel Valley, he went out one day to collect firewood. A great storm arose, with 

strong and penetrating wind which blew his collected wood away as quickly as 

he could pick it up and which threatened to tear off his robe.

He considered the constant strength and consistency of the wind as similar to

his own Identity Clinging.

He thought, "What is the use of practicing Dharma if one cannot subdue this

Identity-clinging? Let the wind blow my robe off if it wishes!". And so saying, he fainted.

He was declaring that he was resigned, could do nothing and must allow his 

own Identity Clinging to continue.

When he revived, the storm had abated and his ragged robe fluttered upon a nearby tree.

He returned with firewood to his cave, and found it invaded by five demons

with eyes as large as saucers. They were cooking his food, reading his books,

sleeping in his bed, but even though he knew intellectually that they were a

projection of his own dual mind, he was not sure what to do.

So he politely introduced himself and asked them to leave.

At this, the demons became menacing, surrounding him, growling and laughing  

maliciously. He was was alarmed and tried the most powerful exorcism recitation.

It was of no avail. The demons became even more threatening.

He used his great compassion and to pacify them by teaching them the Buddha 

Dharma truths. He sat on a rock higher than they and spoke of True Dharma 

oneness, emptiness and other Dharma teachings.

But they remained and even appeared more objectionable.

Now one must be aware that these Demons are quite subonscious and one can only know of their presence when they are manifested in objectionable behaviour, and only then when it is recognized as such.

We may intuit that the Visceral Demon was cooking his food, the Emotional Demon, seeking greater security, was reading his books and that the Mental Demon was dominating his bed. 

Milarepa, trained as he was in introspection saw them as most Dharma followers do as real impediments to his life and so he tried, like most adepts, to dismiss them with reasoning. When that did not work he tried, like adepts also do, a number of devices that were more transcendental, but this did not work either.

Adepts also try being compassionate towards their Demons, trying to understand their presence, and he even evoked the Dharma teachings of Oneness and Emptiness in the hope of dismissing them.

Milarepa finally realized thet his approach was mistaken. 

With sudden inspiration he remembered the teachings of his teacher Marpa.

He acknowledged that the demons, indeed all phenomena, were products of his 

own mind, which had really the nature of luminosity and emptiness. The demons

were his own projections, and he was seeing them as external demons, when 

really they were personified representations of his own mind-generated internal 

demons and impediments to his life and practice.

He then saw that the malicious nature of these Demons was actully radiant and 

transparent as all illusions were. So applying Marpa's instructions he sang of his

own "Song of Realization."

Finally in this tale Milarepa remembered that "nothing exists outside the mind."

He saw that the Demons were no more than radiant and transparent illusions.

He sang his "Song of Realization".

With this he then faced directly his experiences of Panic, Fear and Aversion.

But we must be very realistic here.

There are few who have attained Milarepa's minimal realization, that was not

Awakening, in order to see the emptiness of the Identity Demons of Illusion.

In his song he spoke of mastering his own mind, then proclaimed his meditational 

maturity and spoke of himself as a Buddhist Meditator and student of all Dharma 

teachings. He then declared that he dwelt away from the civilized world.

              He finally realized the correct state and declared:

      Though demons, ghosts, and devils multiply, I am not afraid ....

                      I, Milarepa, fear neither demons nor evils.

It is here important to note that the Identity Demons remained and that he had 

dismissed all their symptoms not their presence. Full dismissal requires advanced 

meditation and understanding.

So what does Buddha teach about:

Mastering your mind?

Studying Dharma Teachings?

Dharma Meditating?

Attaining Meditational Maturity?

   Subfolders are under construction