Monastery, Magician, Shaman & Medium

I just had a couple of chances to chat with some visitors and it turns out that many people new to magic did not draw a clear line between ‘conscious’ and ‘possessed’.

Well, in new age school, nothing matters as everything is cool. But if we are to become a good conjuror or a magician; then a clear line had to be drawn.

The acceptance of magic into religion varies: In Hinduism and Buddhism, magic are more tolerated. While a major part of Taoist rituals are related to magic. In Christianity and Islam, the learning of magic is totally prohibited.

The Tibetan Ningma Sarma sect allows the practitioners to get married and practice tantric arts outside of monastery. This group of practitioner is known as ‘ngakpa’. In the Hinayana system in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia people call them arjans.

Not many people can become monks and certainly lesser can be Ngakpa or Arjan. The reasons are that monks and magician/ngakpa/arjan will need years of study and practical training. So we have mediums around that are considered to be below the Magicians and a shaman is between a medium and a magician.

It is extremely important to know what we want to stand in magic: a magician, a shaman or a medium. The basic differences amongst the three are:

1.      Magician

a.       Control over matters, does not depend on possession to perform magic.

b.      Must be knowledgeable of theory of magic.

c.       Must have a strong mind.

2.      Shaman

a.       Partly control, only possessed by his/her guide/familiar spirits.

b.      Must be knowledgeable of the theory of shamanism

3.      Medium

a.       A medium has no control over what type of spirits come into his/her body, easily possessed and no control what so ever.

b.      Spirit possession can happen anywhere or any time.

c.       Limited knowledge of magic

Although I would still say that choices are yours. But once a person becomes a medium or shaman; then he/she cannot differentiate nor control of what spirits wanted to possess his/her body. So, what do you want to be: A magician, shaman or medium? I want no part of all J!