When most naive people think of the word Medium they conjure up visions of the popular media-fed Hollywood version, that is, a person of a certain, albeit somewhat suspicious spiritual or psychic bent, usually in a turban and a darkened room acting as a conduit or go-between to the "spiritual world," using seances, tarot cards, or crystal balls to contact the dead. Such a definition pre-assumes a lot.
The above non withstanding, in the classical sense, most not-so-naive people would say that when a Medium is in a trance, the spirit of a certain person, god, or deity communicates through the Medium and offers advice or guidance to those seeking help. Others might say that the trance-state is the work of the subconscious mind which surfaces and takes over the conscious mind. In either case, the word Medium still has a much deeper meaning than what surfaces in any of the above, even for some of those in "the know." In a much deeper sense, in the Spiritual World, the Medium is primarily:
an agent or go-between between the person that wants something done and that which is done
...which is to say, whether a Medium in the classical sense, a shaman, root doctor, person of spells, a healer, or metaphysician, being between or in the middle, as an intermediate, they are a "Medium."
There ARE differences, however, no matter how subtle or slight. In a comparison of the two, Medium and Shaman for example, José María Poveda in his book CHAMANISMO: The Natural Art of Healing writes:
Shaman activity can partially be described as a particular form of Mediumism. It can also be said that the Medium, for the most part, exists in the urban society and that his trance is passive, while the Shaman uses nature, the rural world, as a reference and his trance or Shaman state of consciousness is an active phenomenon with a general maintenance of control. M. Harner considers the
Shamanic Trance States essential for Shamanism, which is described as a "journey" (Shaman state of consciousness). Once done, he is capable of remembering it. The Medium doesn’t necessarily remember what he did or happened during the trance.
He goes on to write:
Both affirm they have a relationship with the "spirits". In both there is a change in the state of consciousness, a modification that can be searched for voluntarily by both. In the Shaman’s case, the control of the relationship with the spirits is generally more energetic; while the Medium acts in a more passive way. Adapted to what is being elaborated in those moments, the Shaman can discuss with the spirits and appears to have more power than the Medium. He treats the "spirits" he finds as his equals.
(source)
All over the world people seek the advice and guidance of Mediums to overcome their problems in situations which they consider as beyond their comprehension. Thus then, the Medium's
help is sought in many ways and for various reasons. In time of sickness
when medical help is apparently ineffective, some people may become desperate
and turn anywhere to seek solace. At such times, Mediums are often consulted.
Some people also turn to Mediums when they are faced with a complex and vexing problem and
are unable to find an acceptable solution. Others consult Mediums out of
greed in order to get rich quickly or to meet, get, hold or create love from another person. WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE Consulting Mediums
is a fairly common practice amongst the public. The Buddhist attitude towards
consulting a Medium is one of neutrality. It is difficult to verify whether
what the Medium conveys is correct or not. The practice of consulting Medium
is not a Buddhist practice; it is just a traditional practice. One reason it is difficult to verify what a Medium conveys is made clear in the Avyaakata which discusses the Buddha's ten indeterminate questions. Question numbers 7,8,9, and 10 read: "whether Enlightened ones exist after death," "or does not exist after death," "or both exists and does not exist after death," "or neither exits nor does not exist after death." The Anguttara Nikaya IV.77 touches on the subject as well. Consulting Mediums
is for worldly material gain; the Teaching of the Buddha is for spiritual
development. However, if people believe what the Medium conveys is true,
there is NO reason for Buddhists to object to such practices. If a person really
understands and practices the life and teaching of the Buddha, he can realize the
nature of his problems. He can overcome his own problems without consulting
any Medium, however none of this is presented to negate any "powers" of a Medium, Tang-ki, or Shaman. Buddhism has a long history of such powers, only just not framed in the same language. Purists on both sides might disagree, but one should consider the following: Buddhism teaches that after a practitioner achieves a certain degree of realization, spiritual power develops. A person at the level of an
In the Kevatta Sutra we see the position taken up by the early Buddhists, and no doubt by Gotama himself, as to the practice of the wonders or miracles, in which there was then universal belief, powers refered to or falling under the meaning of the word Siddhi or Siddhis in Sanskrit. As usual the Buddha is represented as not taking the trouble to doubt or dispute the fact of the existence of such powers. He simply says that he loathes the practice of them and that a greater and better wonder than any or all of them; is education in the system of self-training which culminates in Arahatship. There is no evidence of a similarly reasonable view of this question of wonders having been put forward by any Indian teacher before the Buddha. The Buddha said that neither the repetition of scriptures, nor self-torture, nor sleeping on the ground, nor the repetition of prayers, penances, hymns, charms, mantras, incantations and invocations can bring the real happiness of Nirvana. Instead the Buddha emphasized the importance of making individual effort in order to achieve spiritual goals. The discussion of what might be called miracles (or magic) in the KEVATTA SUTRA and elsewhere in Buddhist scriptures are not miracles (or magic) as one would typically view them in the Western sense. There is NO interference by an outside power with the laws of nature. That is, the "power" or "powers" are drawn from already naturally-existing natural powers: It was supposed that certain people, by reason of special (but quite natural) powers, could accomplish certain special acts beyond the power of ordinary men. These acts are set forth in detail and are similar to some (but not of all) of the powers attributed to Mediums. The belief in such attributes as they unfold in the Sutras is not exclusively Buddhist, however. It is pre-Buddhistic, and common to all schools of thought in India and many, many cultures throughout the world. The following shows up in many forms throughout spiritual lore, and depending on who cites the source it varies between east Indian yogis, Zen masters and Zen monks, and as below, the Buddha, thus then, illustrating the Buddha's attitude towards the exercise of "miraculous" powers or "certain special acts beyond the power of ordinary men": One day the Buddha met an ascetic who sat by the bank of a river. This ascetic had practised austerities for 25 years. The Buddha asked him what he had received for all his labor. The ascetic proudly replied that, now at last, he could cross the river by walking on the water. The Buddha pointed out that this gain was insignificant for all the years of labor, since he could cross the river using a ferry for one penny!
It must be remembered that the Buddha's concern was with spiritual development, specifically Enlightenment. He did not disavow the "powers," only viewing with disdain ANYTHING that detoured or impeded one's advancement along the path. Twenty-five years of austerities and for what? To walk on water? He STILL wasn't Enlightened! In other words, through implication, the Buddha never said that such "powers" weren't. So said then, as an actual example of a modern-day real-life "use" by certain people by reason of special (but quite natural) powers that can accomplish certain special acts beyond the power of ordinary men, the previously presented quote nonwithstanding: can be found in the account below:
For those of you that may be familiar with The day after the Obeah departed and following a night of heavy wind and rain, the Wanderling, conscious but racked with pain, for the first time in days was able to move and hobbled himself out onto the veranda. Barely able to stay upright he stood before the circle, and despite the storm of the night before, the circle was still in place just as it had been left by the man of spells. An ever so slight breeze came up and spread across the veranda floor twisting itself into a small dust-devil-like Vortex encompassing the Wanderling's bare feet and legs with the ash and sand of the circle. As the twisting breeze climbed his body the pain dissipated eventually disappearing altogether along with the wind.
In an incredibly interesting conincidence, almost paralleling the Wanderling's experience as described above, Enlightened Zen master Hsu Yun (1840-1959), had the following striking similar incident:
Later he DENGUE FEVER Dengue fever is a mosquito borne disease and NOT to be taken lightly. Thousands die from it every year. It usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Dengue infections CAN progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome).(source) It should be noted that in the above cited incident, the Wanderling neither asked for, requested, nor solicited the Obeah's "assistance" in modifying the normal flow of events...that is, NOT to allow the fever to just unfold in it's own natural way with it's own natural end result --- nor did the Wanderling on his own, seek any other outside assist in the matter. As it was he was too weak and delirious to have done so anyway. Although no explanation was ever offered it is presumed, because the Wanderling had apprenticed under the Obeah and had a long-established indepth working relationship, an unspoken understanding existed, hence the Obeah's actions. It is sometimes asked how is it the Wanderling was effected by Dengue in the first place, that is, wouldn't he just be immune, to which the following is offered: Totapuri was a highly realized orthodox wandering monk that never remained more than three days in one location. However, he became so awed by Sri Ramakrishna's ability in Samadhi to remain 'rigid as a corpse for days on end', that he broke his longstanding rule, resulting in him staying eleven months at Dakshineswar hoping to learn from the man who had previously been his disciple. During this long stay he contracted serious dysentery. There was prolonged and severe pain, which was distracting Totapuri during meditation. Since he considered the body just a medium, essentially unnecessary after the realization of the Absolute, he decided to give up his body by drowning in the Ganges. He walked out into the river, but, even though the river should have been extremely deep, at least in the middle, no matter how far he went the water never got above his knees. He ended up without ever reaching deep water. Eventually he came upon the bank on the far side and when he turned to look back, he saw the Kali temple gleaming in moonlight and like the moonlight driven events of Dark Luminosity, experienced a sudden and deeper, full level of Attainment. For more on the same, see: Fear In Enlightenment and Zen. For those of you who may find it of interest, several similar examples involving the "power" of the Obeah as well as those of east Indian yogis, can be found by going to the link "OBEAH" below. The power and how it works is elucidated more clearly in: The above provided through the graceful services of:
Digha Nikaya 11
neither the repetition of scriptures, nor self-torture, nor sleeping on the ground, nor the repetition of prayers, penances, hymns, charms, mantras, incantations and invocations...
The Case Against "Shamans" In the
North American
Indigenous Cultures
K. Sri Dhammananda
