The Sin of Killing People by Means of a Corpse-Animating Ghost (vetāla)

Original text of the first section of the Sūtra on the Precepts for Upāsakas: 毗陀罗者。若优婆塞以二十九日。求全身死人。召鬼咒尸令起。水洗着衣。令手捉刀。若心念口说。我为某甲故。作此毗陀罗。即读咒术。若所欲害人死者。犯不可悔。若前人入诸三昧。或天神所护。或大咒师所救解。不成害。犯中可悔。是名毗陀罗杀也。

Explanation: Regarding killing by means of a corpse-raising ghost: if an upāsaka on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar calendar finds a dead body that has been kept whole, he recites a ghost-summoning mantra to empower the corpse, making the corpse stand up; he washes it with water and dresses it, and has it hold a knife in its hand. If he mentally intends and verbally states: "I have done this corpse-raising (vidyādhara rite) for the sake of so-and-so," and then recites the mantra to harm someone—if the person he wishes to kill dies, the upāsaka commits an unpardonable killing offense. If that person enters samādhi and thereby escapes the evil mantra, or is protected by heavenly deities, or is rescued and delivered by a great mantra master, so that the killing does not succeed, the upāsaka commits a middling pardonable offense. This is called killing by means of a corpse-raising ghost.

Why can a corpse-raising ghost kill people? A corpse itself cannot kill, because there is no conscious mind in the body, and thus nothing can drive the corpse to act. But if a ghost possesses the corpse, the conscious mind and the body combine, and the ghost's conscious mind can then drive the corpse to act, enabling it to take up a knife and kill. As long as a person gives the ghost some benefit, such as food and drink, the ghost will obey that person's command and summons, serving him. Some ghosts are also driven by the power of the mantra—that is, they are driven by the one who recites the mantra. There is also a kind of killing by mantra that uses neither a corpse nor a ghost; the mantra alone can curse a person to death. What is the principle behind this? The mantra represents the person's mind. If a person's mental power is strong, then whatever the mind intends for someone to be, that person will become. If the mental power is not strong, the power of the mantra is weak.

Original text of the first section of the Sūtra on the Precepts for Upāsakas: 半毗陀罗者。若优婆塞二十九日作铁车。作铁车已。作铁人。召鬼咒铁人令起。水洗着衣。令铁人手捉刀。若心念口说。我为某甲读是咒。若是人死者。犯不可悔罪。若前人入诸三昧。诸天神所护。若咒师所救解。不成死者。是中罪可悔。是名半毗陀罗杀。

Explanation: Regarding killing by means of a half corpse-raising ghost: if an upāsaka on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar calendar makes an iron cart, and after making the iron cart, makes an iron man; he recites a ghost-summoning mantra to make the iron man stand up, washes the iron man with water, dresses it, and has the iron man hold a knife in its hand. If the upāsaka mentally intends and verbally states: "I recite this mantra for the sake of so-and-so," and after the recitation, if that person is cursed to death by the mantra, the upāsaka commits an unpardonable killing offense. If that person enters samādhi and escapes the mantra, or is protected by the heavenly deities, or is rescued and delivered by a mantra master and does not die, the upāsaka commits a middling pardonable killing offense. This is called killing by means of a half corpse-raising ghost.

Why can entering samādhi allow one to escape an evil mantra being cast upon one? Because when a person is in samādhi, one's own energy field is extremely powerful and can block all external interference and harm; therefore evil and poisonous mantras cannot invade.