Does anyone know any real-life accounts of a monk or a lay person seeing devas or other beings?
The accounts that I’ve heard of described devas as having really white and radiant complexion. This is similar to how ancient folklore from other cultures describe elves. I think elves are Bhumma Devas. Elves in ancient folklore don’t have pointy ears and are just believed to be beautiful, white radiant beings in humanoid form.
In the Buddhist texts, devas are described as having golden and radiant complexion.
The humanoid form can only achieve so much beauty. So the splendor of the radiant beauty comes from radiance.
- maṅgalasuttaṃ
- The Discourse on Blessings
- evaṃ me sutaṃ – ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
- Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, at Jeta’s Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṃ jetavanaṃ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi.
Then, when the night was far advanced, a certain deity, whose surpassing radiance illuminated the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, she paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side.
ekamantaṃ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi –
Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Blessed One in verse:
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