What did the Buddha teach about magic…
Fortune telling, magic charms, etc.
Question: What did the Buddha teach about magic and fortune telling?
Answer: The Buddha considered such practices as fortune telling, wearing magic charms for protection, fixing lucky sites for building, prophesizing and fixing lucky days to be useless superstitions and he expressly forbids his disciples to practice such things. He calls all these things ‘low arts.’
“Whereas some religious men, while living of food provided by the faithful make their living by such low arts, such wrong means of livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, interpreting dreams… bringing good or bad luck… invoking the goodness of luck… picking the lucky site for a building, the monk Gotama refrains from such low arts, such wrong means of livelihood.” D.I, 9-12
Question: Then why do people sometimes practice such things and believe in them?
Answer: Because of greed, fear and ignorance. As soon as people understand the Buddha’s Continue reading
