Skandha Demon

​Question:

Ven. Master,

First of all, I wish you and the venerable sangha health, peace and bliss.
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I left the home life 10 years ago and am practicing Chan. I am vigorously practicing in order to develop samadhi power. My teacher passed away a few years ago. I am currently practicing by myself and worry that the skandha demons will come to destroy all of these years of gongfu training. 

A venerable monk gave me documentation on the skandha demons in order for me to find insight and not fall into their traps. But I am unsure about the accuracy of this document. Please kindly provide me guidance so that I can have peace of mind when I use this information in my continued practice.

Amituofo,
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DH

​Answer:

Thank you for your kindness.

I applaud your sincerity and vigor. That being said, I am concerned for you as it is not a good idea to practice Chan by yourself because you need the proper protection and guidance in order to resolve your obstructions and difficulties.

May I point out to you that you could be meditating for another 20 years and still be stuck. I have encountered too many left home people such as yourself. If they had practiced under a competent teacher, they would have been much better off.

It is true that all cultivators will have to deal with the skandha demons at some point. While the venerable sanghan was kind to you in giving you the documentation, I tend to disagree with this approach. Instead, I would like to advise you to seek a competent teacher.

I tend to dismiss these kind of materials as not helpful because of the overall nature of the advice. And frankly, I do not have the time to go over the entire document word by word to attest to its accuracy.

As far as I know, Great Master Xuan Hua of the DRBA authored a book explaining the 50 Skandha Demons. I’ve read both the English and Chinese versions and have found them to be extremely helpful. I don’t know whether or not his disciples have translated it into Vietnamese, but you could easily inquire by contacting them via their website. I have not read the Vietnamese version and do not intend to, and therefore I cannot attest to its accuracy.
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It is my hope that you will realize the importance of finding a competent teacher in your community to assist you. I wish you the very best.