16 Responses to Witches

1. 

   Bradley Kassian on Mar 1, 2020 at 7:53 pm

   The whole concept of witchcraft being evil practices is so misguided. Coming from Buddhist Tradition, people soon forget Milarepa practiced magic for a time. Magic itself is just tool one can use, whether it be for good, neutral activities, or bad things. The majority of witches these days don’t do anything evil, and try not to harm anyone. They just have knowledge and rituals that work. Witches can come from any background anywhere in the world, male or female. Prior to the 1300’s they weren’t seen as being associated with satan etc. Many were healers and wise men/women in their respective communities. It was after that time and up to the late 1800’s in some areas that they were seen as evil devil worshipers and have been deeply mischaracterised. They survived the burning times and they will continue to survive now. Many witches one could deem pagan, but some are athesit, mono or polytheistic etc. A very diverse group that helps people where they can. Some current traditions range from Wicca, Voodo, Hoodo, Santeria, and Esperimito. Well some consider themselves part of those traditions, others might practice on their own and find their own path, and many other borrow ideas, rituals etc from established religions worldwide. Sure there might be some that practice the “Left Hand Path” and are into some darker things but the vast majority are not. I don’t want to point fingers at anyone but when it comes to the darker arts, I equate that with tapping into more wrathful energies for quicker results. Again though intention comes into play and what they are doing could be used for good, neutral or bad things. We should still respect them, and be kind. We don’t have to agree with their practices and what they do but being polite, tolerant and accepting never hurts anyone. We are not walking their path.

   Personally I know a couple of Witches and they’ve told me how similar a lot of their practices and traditions, ideas are to Buddhist thought. We just have different terms for many things. Some have told me some sadhana practices could be considered a form of magic but don’t have to be labelled as such. Some worship different deities but offerings,prayers, envocation/invocation is very similar in practice. I’ve had some give me cleansing / banishing tips for dealing with spirits, or removing energies from the home. Nothing though that harms any being. Some have given me tips on uses for herbs. Some have told me how to grid my home for protection. In turn, I’ve shared information found on the blog here for their personal benefit. Some even have incorporated a practice found here like Dorje Shugden, Simhamukha, Tsongkhapa, Pita Pranashvari, and Medicine Buddha into their daily routines and have found benefit, and have received help. They are greatful for it.

   The worst fear people have is the fear of the unknown, and overcoming that ignorance with learning, study, knowledge, and open lines of communication go a long way.

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2. 

   Yee Yin on Dec 12, 2019 at 1:43 pm

   People often relate witchcraft to evil practice. However, in this modern time, no one is penalised for practising witchcraft. It is not a main stream religious practice and people can practise it freely.

   Therefore, it is very ridiculous for the Tibetan leadership to penalise Dorje Shugden practitioners because of their faith. Dorje Shugden practice started about 300-400 years ago and it has never been a threat to national security, there is no reason it should be banned. May the ban be lifted soon and no more discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners.

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3. 

   S.Prathap on Dec 9, 2019 at 5:26 pm

   Watching the videos gave us a good explanation and information all about Witches. For the last 400 years witches had misrepresented and suffered prejudice against through history.
   We should not being afraid of them and we must respect them. Witches are not as creepy as we though.Thank you for this good sharing.

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4. 

   sarassitham on Nov 6, 2019 at 6:04 pm

   Witchcraft is undoubtedly, a very fascinating topic. Very interesting characteristic, ]powerful using magic to cause either harm or good depending on the person intent.
   This existing in almost every religious culture and targeting mostly women, witchcraft has been used to both empower and oppress women throughout history.

   It is certainly one of the most misunderstood religions. It will continue to remain to be misunderstood if people insist on keeping a closed mind on the subject and believe the stories and rumors that have been misconstrued over the years.

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5. 

   Samfoonheei on Nov 3, 2019 at 2:06 pm

   Interesting….to know more of witches. Witchcraft had a long and complicated history indeed. To me before reading and watching these videos , I use to think witches were people whom were perceived as evil beings who practiced witchcraft ,using magic spell or spirits for help. In pop culture, the witch has been portrayed as a benevolent, nose-twitching suburban housewife. Many of us have the wrong conception regarding witches.
   Watching the videos gave us a good explanation and information all about them. For the last 400 years witches had misrepresented and suffered prejudice against through history. Many of those who involved with witchcraft were persecuted for their spiritual beliefs in the early centuries. Witchcraft is not a religion after all. Times have changed in this modern era where it been look differently, they are allow freedom to choose and practice what they want to believe. The Tibetan Leadership ( CTA ) still remains the same even though , they say they are democratic and allows freedom. The CTA should respect the choice one choose.
   Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.

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6. 

   Chris on Nov 1, 2019 at 2:35 pm

   It is good to know that witchcraft has been acknowledged and accepted as a religion on its own. Modern democratic countries such as the US has already accepted Wicca as a true religion. The government respect religion and allows people to follow the religion on their own choice. This should be the example for CTA who labels themselves as a democratic body.

   However, CTA is far from a democratic government. They put a ban on Dorje Shugden practice and encourage their own community to turn against the Dorje Shugden practitioners. They do not respect religious freedom at all. CTA should learn from history and not repeat the same mistake.

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7. 

   Calvin Aww on Nov 26, 2015 at 1:52 am

   Thanks Rinpoche for sharing these videos about witches. Yes, witches have nothing to do with worshipping something negative, they are not praying to the devil. We should not being afraid of them and we must respect them. Witches are not as creepy as we though. Witches are human too, we must respect what they are practicing.

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8. 

   Vinnie Tan on Jul 29, 2013 at 7:42 pm

   It is just so fascinating to hear or read stories like that. I remember that there was once one of my friends told me that his mother practices witch craft, his relatives from his mother’s side practice the same as well. I think it is really cool that there are people like that, playing with energies, using ways from the elements of the earth to do things to help. But at the same time, when there is good there will be evil. There definitely will be black magic that is around us as well. I believe that if we do not cause any connection or trouble to others, the black magic would not be able to harm us.

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9. 

   Edward ooi on Jul 12, 2013 at 5:22 pm

   Dear Rinpoche, the history makes no sense. Even if they think people who practices witchcraft are demon worshipers then that is their own problem because people can believe or practice whatever they want, they have their own wills. All those innocent people are drowned to death just because they are suspected as witches. Some of them drowned because they can’t hold their breath any longer and the rest didn’t drown because they are able to break the ropes and survive but the survivors was burned to death. But I’m really happy that everyone can practice whatever they want now.

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10. 

    Anila on Jan 28, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    Witches gives me the idea of being evil. But after reading and watching the videos. For the 1st time I have a different view of witches.In fact I find similarities to our Buddhist practice where the spirits that are used goes through a medium or an Oracle. Whereas witchcraft are practiced by the Christians in Europe and America. Because witches are supposed to be evil they are condemned and put to death. But to the Buddhist we believe that it is the Protector or Deity that goes through the Oracle in trance to heal or give a blessing or a message. The difference in witches they are put to death instead. In Buddhism Oracles are very well revered.

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11. 

    martin on Jan 9, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    Josh, in many ways “witch hunts” are still very much alive today, in all societies. At its benign stage, it is no more than bigotry in yet another form.

    However, on a more malignant level, in the “modern” witch-hunt, one group of believers deploys schismatic propaganda and fear tactics to isolate, maginalise and eliminate the practice and beliefs of another group. It is still happening all over the world.

    If there is an upside, it is an opportune time for one to test the strength of one’s own faith and belief. From trials, perseverance is built, and perseverance under trial shapes the cornerstone of Faith,from whence one’s spiritual practice matures.

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12. 

    Josh Akers on Jan 9, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    My shift-leader at Carl’s Jr. is a Wicca. She is nice to me we get along well… We are both members of a religion that is not super mainstream in America, and Buddhism and Wicca are often lumped into the “strange beliefs” category by what I would call “less educated people.”

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      tsemtulku on Jan 9, 2011 at 4:54 pm

      Josh, that is so funny. ….the less educated people….It is the relgion of over 1 billion ppl…heeheh

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13. 

    martin on Jan 8, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    I do not know much about Witchcraft except for the fact that “witches” celebrated oneness with mother earth, were mainly alternative healers and believed that there is a spirit in all things and also embraced that belief of reincarnation.

    There was a time when one would be labelled a Pagan if one did not belonged to a mainstream religion. It didn’t matter if one practiced good spirituality. It was more important to BELONG to a religion.

    Being a “witch” was not necessarily a bad thing until a certain mainstream religion practitioners decided that it was…and from there, people were licensed to kill and murder presumably under the authority of “god”.

    Essentially, the same witch hunters would have labelled Buddhists as Pagans and/or Witches, notwithstanding the fact that Buddhism started advocating compassion and tolerance over a thousands years before the “inquisition” was commissioned.

    How dangerous it is for religious bigotry to exist.

    “The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description.” – Albert Einstein

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14. 

    Sarah on Jan 7, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    Many years ago, before Tibetan Buddhism was known to me, I explored quite a few spiritual paths or ‘religions’… and Wicca was one of them.
    It’s very peaceful, and many things that i read in the books can somehow relate a little to Buddhism. For example, Wiccans believe in Karma too, they believe that if a person does something bad, it returns 3 fold.
    Another unique thing i found about Wicca is that the rituals performed is more of to worship the Goddess within. I love how they connect everything to nature.

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15. 

    Zla'od on Jan 6, 2011 at 9:42 am

    The word “witch” is used in several ways.

    1. Anthropologists report various concepts of witches and witchcraft across many cultures. For example, in southern Africa, people are regularly accused of being a witch (with “witch” translating various terms in local languages) and killed by their neighbors, shunned, or forced to flee. Here, “witchcraft” is a kind of social institution which permits certain people to be targeted. Sometimes, however, “witches” are described as invisible, supernatural creatures (like demons).

    2. The familiar figure from Western folklore–archetypically, an old hag who wears black clothing (including a distinctive pointed hat, examples of which have actually been found buried with ancient Siberial mummies!), rides atop a flying broom, and has magical / supernatural powers. Witches in this tradition are usually (though not always) depicted as evil, and according to some accounts, have entered into a pact with Satan. The witch-hunts of the European Middle Ages, and at Salem, assumed that witches existed, as described above. Alternatively, they have been conceived as relatively benign people (again, usually old women) who practice folk magic, e.g. love potions.

    3. A family of new (mostly 20th-century) religious movements found in English-speaking countries. Despite attempts by some adherents to trace their religion back to the European Middle Ages or even pre-Christian antiquity, others are aware that most elements of modrn Witchcraft were assembled by Gerald Gardner and his circle around World War II (though with some roots in 19th century traditions of ritual magic). Until recently, “Wicca” was considered a synonym for this relgion; nowadays, the former often refers to a specific initiatic chain, while the latter includes others who follow cognate traditions. Typical emphases include ritual magic, a reverence for nature as divine, and support for feminism, including worship of some sort of Mother Goddess. Though great diversity exists in belief, witches are usually duotheistic (worshipping a god and goddess), polytheistic, or pantheistic.

    Witches of the third type often complain that they are confused with witches of the second type, and hence with Satanists. However, their embrace of “evil”-sounding language like “witch,” “pagan,” and “horned God” may have begun as a conscious decision in order to attract attention, or because participants enjoyed the idea of wickedness. For that matter, actual Satanists have complained that Witches, in the course of distancing themselves from Satanism, have unfairly vilified Satanism.

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