EFECTOS DEL ADITIVO RETARDANTE EN LA TRABAJABILIDAD DEL

Besides the listing from the Gyu-ihi, there are numerous systems of classification of demons and spirits within the Tibetan tradition and Buddhism in general. Here we are only discussing those which cause mental illness. But whether we are discussing the tantric, medical or general Buddhist approach, we find that all agree on this:

evil spirits, ghosts, demons and negative forces are the result of obscurations of mind.

In other words, their origin is the three poisons, mental states which arise with ego. The three poisons generate three basic classes of ffdon, demons, or malignant effects.

These gdon come under the wider heading of the term “ gek”

(bgegs), which literally means a hindrance or obstruction. Among the 84.000 “ geks” referred to in the Sutras, a number that accords with the 84,000 mental defilements enumerated by the Buddha and the 84.000 diseases arising from them, there are 1,080 spirits who are referred to as the sentient "demons” and malignant spirits we know

in Medical Ptychiatry IS5 as gDon. These 1,080 “ gcks” are described as causing faults of mind.

It is sometimes said that 360 of them arise from the mental poison of ignorance, 360 from the mental poison of desire and 360 from the mental poison of hatred.10

While there arc many different systems for classifying

"demons” and negative forces, gdon are generally put into three groups: 1) demonic spirits from above; 2) demonic spirits from below;

and 3) demonic spirits from in between.

The demonic spirits from above arc the "rulers of planetary forces” (Tib. gzaa-yi gdon). They arc not the planets as phenomena themselves but are their negative demonic effects. They are subdivided into five categories corresponding to the five elements.

These planetary forces are the "demons” described in Chapter 80 of the Third Tantra of the Gyu-zhi. Their poisonous effect is that of causing epilepsy, sudden paralysis and strokes.

They are said mainly to attack the brain and the nervous system and to strike very suddenly: sudden unconsciousness is one of the paralysis and seizures (an appropriate word). Coming into face-to-face confrontation with them, you are immediately knocked out.11

In general, it is said to be difficult to treat diseases caused by demonic planetary influences with regular medicine. Treatment through mantra, meditation and rituals is recommended. One tantric medicine used for these diseases is the fresh blood of a murdered person on the tip of a knife. If it is immediately touched to the lip of the patient, he will recover (dried blood will do if necessary).

Because of their relation to planets, certain days of the lunar month have been specified by Tibetan psychiatry on which these demonic forces strike in a rhythmical frequency of astrological significance.11

The "demonic spirits from below” are the negative effects of the serpent-spirits or nogas (Tib. klu'i gdon). The nagas live primarily in the ocean. Their demonic effect (described in Chapter 81 of the Third Tantra of the Gyu-zhi) is the cause of leprosy, as well as a host of other diseases and disturbances.

While it is not too surprising to us to find epileptic disorders categorized as psychiatric disturbances, since they have sometimes

156 PART II: URtIAS MEDICAl. PSYCHIATRY

been viewed that way in the West, the inclusion of leprosy in the same etiological group with psychiatric disease seems extremely

In Tibetan view, however, skin diseases are thought to be closely related to psychological phenomena since the inner airs related to mind interface with the outer air and outer world through the medium of the skin. But leprosy in particular is considered as practically the primal psychiatric disease, the result of the irreparable bad karma of humanity. The idea is that by dint of humanity’s grotesque and cruel thoughts, words and actions such negativity was generated that a disharmony of the humors arose as a general condition. The serpent-spirits, nagas, could then easily exert their poisonous effects on people, and the horrible disease of leprosy manifested. The 81st chapter, which discusses these nagas, leprosy and the progressive degeneration of the human race, is supposed to be the most esoteric section of the Gyu-zhi.

Some stories in Tibetan mythology support the view that the nagas are the primal source of bad spirits and that all demonic spirits causing serious mental illness originate from them (this parallels the idea that they arise from ignorance rather than desire or hatred). One Tibetan myth tells how even Vajrapani, emanation of Buddha power, was once unable to subdue the naga king Vashudhari. Vashudhari just breathed his steamy vapor on Vajrapani and Vajrapani turned black and powerless. It took the fabulous divine bird, Garuda, to subdue the naga king.31

More than anything else this story points out that the powerful force of evil karma is not easily restrained. Leprosy is the most gruesome symbolic mirror of psychological filth and sickness; we think we can hide from our spiritual deformity, since it is not immediately visible, but we can't. It eats away at us and creates mental and physical disease.

This is a little paradigm that reveals the basic psychosomatic disease theory of Tibetan medicine. But unlike modem psychosomatic disease theory, which only involves one individual in one lifetime, the Tibetan view is built on the premise of individual "psycho-moral continuum” or karma of past lives, and moreover, on the interconnectedness of everything and everybody in this life and previously for uncountable eons, so that the cumulative collective karmic force expresses itself in time-periods, often as specific diseases. The modern scourge of cancer, for example, could be explained in this way.

Demons from “ in between” cause a range of mental illness from slight depression to complete insanity. This whole class of demons from “ in between" is said to attack the heart center (where the function of mind resides) and therefore to engender loss of control of mind. These demonic forces are said to enter the body through the psychic channel in the ring finger, a channel leading to the heart

The demons from “ in between” are sub-divided into four families: royal, aristocratic, common and “ butcher” class, i.e. very aggressive. Mental diseases caused by the royal family of “ in between” demons are the easiest to treat. The aggressive "butcher”

class is hardest to treat, and the healer of the patient affected by them is said to be subject to their strong negative influence. He is therefore advised to use lots of protection when treating such patients.

Further, the “ in between" demons are of three different types—male, female, and neuter. These types correspond to the three main mental poisons which produce them—anger, attachment, and ignorance, respectively—and their effects vary accordingly.

The practice of various somatic medical therapies can help the mental diseases caused by these types of demons, but most effective is said to be mantra and meditation and the taking of special “ mantra pills,” a tantric medicine made by lamas and empowered with the force and blessings of hundreds of thousands of mantras and also actual written mantras which are rolled into "pills."

The Tibetan doctor or lama-doctor must know demonology in order to perform his duties as a psychiatrist (there is no separate class of psychiatrists). Knowing the conspicuous traits of the various demons, he can recognize their presence through the patient’s behavior which reflects the demon’s character. There is also an astrological aspect involved in recognizing one demon from another, since some arc stronger during particular time cycles.

Besides observing a psychiatric patient’s behavior and case history, a doctor may diagnose the presence of a ghost through pulse and urine analysis.

Additionally, the presence of a demon may be diagnosed by certain marks on the body. In his commentary on the Gyu-zhi, Mipham Rinpoche enumerates the following physical signs of the different families of spirits from "in between" (and adds a fifth family to the above listing). If the brightness of the eyes has deteriorated, if there are changes in the blood vessels in the whites of the eyes, if there arc very small black dots on the whites of the eyes, or if the eyes look Denwm in Medical Piychiam-157

blurred or scratched, these are all signs of possession by a kingly or royal spirit (rgyal-po). Mipham Rinpoche notes that this group is the one most often responsible for causing madness.

Signs of the other classes of spirits are: fleshy bumps on the right elbow in the shape of the Tibetan letter “ ra" (aristocratic); flesh on the left elbow in the shape of a spear (priestly); on the left knee in the form of the letter “ ga” without its horizontal stroke (common); and on the soles of the feet in the shape of a fish or the letter "nya”

(lowest or butcher)."

There is a type of pulse that indicates the presence of a ghost; it is called ‘ ‘ghost-pulse” (gdon-rtsa). This pulse is characterized by highly irregular or patternless beating. For example, it may beat I, 2, 3, stop then 1, 2, 3, 4, S, stop, then double beat. This pulse is described in the first chapter of the Fourth Tantra.

The divinatory process in urine analysis is considerably more elaborate. It involves the use of an astrological diagram (very likely of Chinese origin) which is placed over a bowl of urine to form nine squares. It is called “ mebaga” (sme-ba-dga). Its nine squares represent the residence of a group of nine spirits called ‘‘sadak" (sa-bdag) or mentioned in the psychiatric texts of the Gyu-zhi. This is because the 158 PART II: TIRETAS' MEDICAL PSYCHIATRY

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group in Chapter 77, the elementals, are partly taken directly from Indian tradition while these sadak are pre-Buddhist Bon deities of Tibet that were incorporated into Tibetan Buddhism. Even so, these elementals and sadak overlap as types—ancestor ghosts, gods-ghosts, etc. Furthermore, they share typical demonical qualities— like being associated with and jealous of specific places.

The sadak also number generally among the kinds of ghosts who cause madness. Some lamas and doctors hold that sadak in particular provide psychological disturbances to meditators who get into trouble while in deep meditation.1*

That there are many kinds and names of “ demons" gives us a sense of the breadth and variety of negative forces which the Tibetan system recognizes. The Tibetans have an elaborate view of the dark side of the mostly invisible, immaterial worlds of existence, much as they also hold an elaborate and panoramic view of limitless radiant Buddha-real ms.

The Tibetan enumeration of "ghosts” and their specific qualities and behavior is an examination of the way negativity exists in the macrocosm as well as in the microcosm of an individual's psyche.

“ Ghosts” and "evil spirits” are not regarded simply as the projections of an unhealthy mind. For although they arose from projections, they are said to be real in the relative sense. That is, they have to be dealt with. They arise from habits and passions in the manner of all interdependent-arising as described in Buddhism.

The “ demons” can thus be understood as mental habits which become stronger and stronger until they take form—like the way subject-object division of events in a day find their way into our dreams. The dreams are not true, but they feel true when we are in them. All samsara, the Tibetans say, is like this; ghosts are the same.

That the categories of demons overlap so much is indicative of the richness of the culture from which they come and the deeply ingrained place they have within it. This overlapping can be helpful to us in trying to understand what Tibetans mean by "demons” because we cannot have too rigid an idea of the shapes and forms and names of the "evil spirits,” but rather we can get an impression of their types and actions.

For example, there are demons called ground-owner demons. As their name implies, they are vety possessive of their place and very harmful to anyone who abuses it. But many other kinds of demons and malicious spirits have the quality of being angered when other beings invade their space. This is one way that the confrontation, intersection and “ possession” occurs.