I have read various mythological and histories about curse where it has destroyed kingdoms and kings. Does curse have that power? If so, how it can be explained in relation to karma? What is Buddhism's view on curse?
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Can you provide specific examples?– kamiCommented Nov 6, 2015 at 11:43
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troy, moses vs pharoah, kurushetra– user5256Commented Nov 6, 2015 at 12:46
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Did these curses involve Buddhists?– kamiCommented Nov 6, 2015 at 13:31
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No. It is about human frailty and suffering. This is extreme emotion displayed in distress and I want to know whether it has power to affect people not associated with it and how does Buddhism deal with curse and events that follow because of it.– user5256Commented Nov 6, 2015 at 15:02
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1I'm afraid there is no Buddhist view on curse, just like there is no Buddhist view on sin, for example. They are simply concepts from different religions/mythologies, and they are not applicable to Buddhism.– kamiCommented Nov 6, 2015 at 15:08
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2 Answers
The Buddha quite clearly implies that an "act of hate" (i.e, a curse) can destroy forests. It is of course a matter of opinion whether the Buddha "really" believed this, or was simply using it as a didactic device - but that is what the text says. See the Upali Sutta (MN 56).
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Actually, the Upali Sutta talks about the opposite. A sage's defiled mind turned some land into forests, not destroyed them. :) tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Upali_Sutta– ChozangCommented Feb 24, 2023 at 0:41
Curse is utterance of hatred to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. I think the mind is like a double-edged sword. Besides mind precedes everything. The powerful mind could be used for both good and the bad. So contrary to popular belief I found the following instance in Vimanavattu.
Ujjaṅgalaṃ tattamivaṃ kapālaṃ,
Anāyasaṃ paralokena tulyaṃ;
Luddānamāvāsamidaṃ purāṇaṃ,
Bhūmippadeso abhisattarūpo.
KN Vv -10 Serīsakavimānavatthu
I could not find an "official" English translation online but based of Buddha Jayanthi Edition, translation goes like this;
There is only dust and scorching sand. This rough soil is like a scorched iron pot. It is like hell, without any happiness. This place has been haunted by ghosts for a long time. It seems that this land is under a curse of rishis.
answered Nov 6, 2015 at 19:18
