Controversy over ghost stories<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Discussing the possible existence of ghosts is
\nalways sure to lead to disagreements and arguments.<\/p>\n
A Dutch expert on historical buildings, Lodewijk Wagenaar,
\nonce said he did not believe the stories about old buildings
\nbeing haunted by ghosts.<\/p>\n
"It's nonsense. For me it is even surprising that the word
\n'ghost' exists in dictionaries."<\/p>\n
However, while there are many fictitious ghost stories -- some
\npresented on movie screens -- there are many people who claim to
\nhave had experiences with ghosts, claims which most of us cannot
\neasily digested because they go against our logic<\/p>\n
"There are too many things which have yet to be revealed in
\nthis big world and are beyond our understanding. We can't just
\nsay that there are no ghosts in this world. How can you prove
\nthat?" said Cornelis Wowor, the director of Buddhism affairs at
\nthe Ministry of Religious Affairs.<\/p>\n
Cornelis and his family have had their own experiences with
\nthe spirit world. One such experience was when his late mother,
\nwho lived in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, was ill. She was visited by
\na spirit that looked like Cornelis, and after this visit she
\nrecovered.<\/p>\n
"It was my father and my younger brother who saw the spirit;
\nat the time I was in Java and I did not feel anything. An
\n'expert' said it was the spirit of my uncle in one of my previous
\nlives," he said.<\/p>\n
Buddhism teaches that there are 31 realms of existence,
\nincluding the two which can be seen, namely the realms occupied
\nby human beings and animals, said the lecturer at the Nalanda
\nSchool of Buddhism in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"Unseen creatures live all around us and they have
\ncharacteristics similar to those of human beings, namely some of
\nthem are kind and some are cruel," he said.<\/p>\n
That is why, Cornelis said, it is not surprising that people
\nsometimes see ghosts. "The ghosts can materialize but it is
\ndifficult to prove that their appearance represents the
\npersonality of the person that is seen."<\/p>\n
So if you see a ghost that looks like your dead grandmother,
\nit can either be the spirit of your grandmother or the spirit of
\nanother creature.<\/p>\n
"In this case, we should always be alert and not immediately
\ntrust the appearance (of the ghost)," he added.<\/p>\n
The existence of spirits is also acknowledged by other
\nreligions, including Islam.<\/p>\n
The book Dialog dengan Jin Muslim, Pengalaman Spiritual
\n(Dialog with Muslim Genies, Spiritual Experience) says God
\ncreated the spirits from fire before creating humans.<\/p>\n
The book's author, Muhammad Isa Dawud, says that principally
\nspirits are unseen unless God wills otherwise, and that the
\nspirits can change into various forms.<\/p>\n
"The number of genies is very great .... The number of spirits
\nthat resides in this world is billions of time greater than the
\nnumber of human beings," Muhammad said, adding that these spirits
\nconsist of different races and religions, and have their own
\nkingdoms and nations. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/controversy-over-ghost-stories-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}