Murder Using Wight

Original text from Section One of the Upasaka Five Precepts Sutra: Vetala Killing. If an upasaka, on the twenty-ninth day [of the lunar month], seeks a fully intact corpse of a deceased person, recites spells to summon spirits to possess the corpse and make it rise, washes it with water, clothes it, and makes it grasp a knife in its hand; and if he mentally wills and orally declares: "I perform this Vetala for the sake of so-and-so," then recites the incantation; if the person he intends to harm dies, he commits the unpardonable offense. If the intended victim enters into samadhi, or is protected by heavenly deities, or is rescued and freed by a great master of spells, so that the harm is not accomplished, he commits a moderately pardonable offense. This is called Vetala killing.

Explanation: Regarding killing using a corpse-raising spirit: If an upasaka, on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, finds a fully intact corpse of a deceased person, recites spells to summon spirits to empower the corpse, makes the corpse stand up, washes it clean with water, clothes it, and makes it grasp a knife; and if the upasaka mentally wills and orally declares: "I am creating this corpse-raising spirit for the sake of so-and-so," then recites the incantation to harm the person; if the person he intends to harm dies, the upasaka commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person enters into samadhi and thus avoids the evil spell, or is protected by heavenly deities, or is rescued by a great master of spells, so that the killing is not accomplished, the upasaka commits a moderately pardonable offense. This is the method of killing using a corpse-raising spirit.

Why can a corpse-raising spirit kill? The corpse itself cannot kill, because it lacks a conscious mind (vijnana), and thus cannot be driven to act. However, if a spirit possesses the corpse, its consciousness merges with the body, and the spirit's conscious mind can then drive the corpse to act, enabling it to grasp a knife and kill. As long as one offers the spirit some benefit, such as food and drink, the spirit will obey human commands and summons, serving the person. Some spirits can also be driven by the power of spells, meaning they are commanded by the spellcaster. There is another method of killing using spells alone, without a corpse or spirit, where the incantation directly causes death. What is the principle behind this? Spells represent the human mind. If a person's mental power is strong, their mental intention can cause others to act accordingly. If the mental power is weak, the power of the spell is also weak.

Original text from Section One of the Upasaka Five Precepts Sutra: Half-Vetala Killing. If an upasaka, on the twenty-ninth day, makes an iron chariot. After making the iron chariot, he makes an iron man. He summons spirits by incantation to possess the iron man and make it rise. He washes it with water and clothes it. He makes the iron man grasp a knife in its hand. If he mentally wills and orally declares: "I recite this spell for the sake of so-and-so." If that person dies, he commits the unpardonable offense. If the intended victim enters into samadhi, is protected by heavenly deities, or is rescued and freed by a master of spells, so that death does not occur, he commits a moderately pardonable offense. This is called Half-Vetala killing.

Explanation: Regarding killing using a half-corpse-raising spirit: If an upasaka, on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, crafts an iron chariot. After crafting it, he then crafts an iron man. He recites spells to summon spirits to make the iron man rise, washes the iron man clean with water, clothes it, and makes the iron man grasp a knife in its hand. If the upasaka mentally wills and orally declares: "I am reciting this spell for the sake of so-and-so." After reciting it, if that person dies from the spell, the upasaka commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person enters into samadhi and thus avoids the spell, or is protected by heavenly deities, or is rescued by a master of spells, so that he does not die, the upasaka commits a moderately pardonable offense of killing. This is called killing using a half-corpse-raising spirit.

Why can entering samadhi allow one to avoid being afflicted by an evil spell? Because when a person is in samadhi, their own magnetic field is extremely powerful, capable of blocking all external interference and harm. Therefore, evil and poisonous spells cannot penetrate.