Letter # 103: "Demon"

When younger, I used to relish the occasional horror movie but not now; our endlessly demoniac newscasts grant me similar displeasure.
By demoniac I mean diabolical, monstrous, and fiendish, though I admit that the word demon can be used in a positive sense such as enthusiast, activist, and visionary. The word demon has meaning beyond the spiritual domain; it has invaded literature, computer programming, and games.
Wiktionary explains that one meaning of demon is “a lesser deity between men and gods”. Though it has origins in the neutral Latin word dæmon "spirit", the English word demon has generally come to mean an unclean spirit.
In the Holy Koran, demons are referred to as jinns. They inflict havoc on men. "O ye assembly of Jinns! Much (toll) did ye take of men." [6:128].
Jesus warned of what could happen if a man is not careful once a demon was exorcised. "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." Matthew 12:43-45.
We like to think of demons as being external to us. Here's an example that's humorous: an official, 1936 Japanese guide for English-speaking drivers warns, “Beware of greasy corner where lurk skid demon. Cease step on, approach slowly, round cautiously, resume step on gradually.”
I'm sorry but I don't quite agree with those who believe in external demons.
Lord Krishna emphasizes that it is the thinking and attitude of a person that determines his or her nature, demoniac or otherwise. Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita, a Vedic spiritual text, deals with the Divine And Demoniac Natures. In that chapter, Lord Krishna states: “The demoniac person thinks: ‘So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him, and my other enemies will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice.’ In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.” [BG 16.13-15] Krishna continues: “Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell." [BG 16.16].
I see that hell reflected daily in newspapers, magazines and television; and so much so that I have little appetite left for horror movies. Instead, it's high time for each of us, myself included, to be on guard against the demoniac mind within. If we each did that then the horrors out there would diminish.

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.