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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Rainbow Body	Michael	Saturday, April 14, 2012
Question: Hello! Ive not asked a question of the EWTN forums in several years, however, after searching the forums and all Catholic sources on the subject (including extensive searches), Im coming up short on answers and Im very interested to know the Catholic perspective on the Buddhist phenomena of what is called the "Rainbow Body." Raimbow Body is a phenomena whereby advanced, saintly practitioners of Buddhism - certain Llamas - enter an advanced state of meditation right before they die, so after a few days, all that remains of them is hair and nails, and they are able to release their body back into the elements from which it was made. They are sometimes known to appear to their followers with a "body of Light" after death. I know this may sound curious, or even impossible, however there are historical accounts of this phenomena going back hundreds of years. I know Jesus or course rose from the dead and appeared to His followers. I also know Gnostic Christians may have taught this technique to Buddhists from mystery schools. Additionally, we know certain people, like Elijah - were taken up to heaven, and certain Saints seem to do the reverse - their bodies do not decay after death. Might this phenomenon be a sign of holiness, or simply a normal human process science has yet to really understand? After all, some Yogis can regulate their body in such a way as to enter a state of hibernation, something many people are not trained to do. Would you mind answering what a Catholic should believe about this subject? Ive severly doubted my faith for quote some time because this seeming "miracle" seems to lend credence to another faith. I very much appreciate your time! Ive found many articles on the subject, none of which I am able to post in this question because it doesn't let me, but if you google "Fr. Francis Tiso" and "Rainbow Body" many resources will come up. out of the many mentions on the Internet. Also a priest, Greg Mayers, has done a comparison between Buddhist Rainbow Body and Christian Resurrected body. Finally, Mattheew Kapstein wrote a book about Light and suggest Rainbw Body may be a cultural construct. Thank you!
Question Answered by Dear Michael: Why in God's name would your faith be in doubt over this? We know, and you should know, that the only true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We know that the Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scriptures, as interpreted by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, are the only guides and rule of our faith. We know from Scriptures that Satan can counterfeit and mimic even an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, we know that Satan can perform all sorts of feats to trick us into believing we are experiencing something from God. The so-called "rainbow body" does not exist. Any phenomena actually observed can only be to the power of Satan, that is, those phenomena that are not outright trickery, which most of it is. Satan has a vested interest in counterfeiting the things of God. Satan does not invent anything nor he does create anything. Satan does, rather, take the spiritual and natural laws that God has created and perverts them, counterfeits them, in order to trick us into his snare. These tricks that Satan produces are not genuine miracles. But they do use spiritual laws, in a perverted way, to counterfeit miracles so that we think that something is a genuine miracle when it is not. This is why we are warned in the Bible to test the spirits. While some of these Buddhist monks are able to perform incredible feats they do so through natural means. There is nothing miraculous about it. These gurus, however, cannot affect their dead bodies in any way. The abilities they have in life cease to exist when they die. The notion that these people can meditate before their death so that nothing is left of their body after a few days other than hair and nails is utter nonsense. The body does not naturally decompose that quickly. Those who claimed to witness this phenomenon are being tricked. The dead guru has an accomplice who fakes these effects. In the country of India, as well as other countries, these gurus have become a serious problem for the authorities. There seems to be a guru on every block claiming all sorts of nonsense to scam the public. These gurus who do this are evil. They are con artist praying on people with desperate hopes. There have been documentaryand news reports on this problem. The equivalent in the U.S. of these con artist gurus are the faith healers and televangelists who make huge amounts of money preying on the sick, infirmed, and vulnerable. As for the so-called, "body of light", that to is a trick. If these bodies of light are real, then what is happening is an apparition caused by Satan. Again, we know from the Bible that Satan can appear as an angel of light. I would suggest that you stop reading information about all this and start reading your catechism and the Bible. One who is fully competent in the knowledge of their own faith will not have their faith weakened or in doubt because of things like this. Do not accept the explanations of the Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims, or other groups. None of those groups worship the True God and none of them are the standards to which we judge anything. Stay close to the Church. Learn your faith. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Rainbow Body

Michael

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Question:

Hello!

Ive not asked a question of the EWTN forums in several years, however, after searching the forums and all Catholic sources on the subject (including extensive searches), Im coming up short on answers and Im very interested to know the Catholic perspective on the Buddhist phenomena of what is called the "Rainbow Body."

Raimbow Body is a phenomena whereby advanced, saintly practitioners of Buddhism - certain Llamas - enter an advanced state of meditation right before they die, so after a few days, all that remains of them is hair and nails, and they are able to release their body back into the elements from which it was made. They are sometimes known to appear to their followers with a "body of Light" after death.

I know this may sound curious, or even impossible, however there are historical accounts of this phenomena going back hundreds of years.

I know Jesus or course rose from the dead and appeared to His followers. I also know Gnostic Christians may have taught this technique to Buddhists from mystery schools. Additionally, we know certain people, like Elijah - were taken up to heaven, and certain Saints seem to do the reverse - their bodies do not decay after death.

Might this phenomenon be a sign of holiness, or simply a normal human process science has yet to really understand? After all, some Yogis can regulate their body in such a way as to enter a state of hibernation, something many people are not trained to do.

Would you mind answering what a Catholic should believe about this subject? Ive severly doubted my faith for quote some time because this seeming "miracle" seems to lend credence to another faith. I very much appreciate your time!

Ive found many articles on the subject, none of which I am able to post in this question because it doesn't let me, but if you google "Fr. Francis Tiso" and "Rainbow Body" many resources will come up. out of the many mentions on the Internet. Also a priest, Greg Mayers, has done a comparison between Buddhist Rainbow Body and Christian Resurrected body. Finally, Mattheew Kapstein wrote a book about Light and suggest Rainbw Body may be a cultural construct. Thank you!

Question Answered by

Dear Michael:

Why in God's name would your faith be in doubt over this? We know, and you should know, that the only true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We know that the Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Scriptures, as interpreted by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, are the only guides and rule of our faith.

We know from Scriptures that Satan can counterfeit and mimic even an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, we know that Satan can perform all sorts of feats to trick us into believing we are experiencing something from God. The so-called "rainbow body" does not exist. Any phenomena actually observed can only be to the power of Satan, that is, those phenomena that are not outright trickery, which most of it is.

Satan has a vested interest in counterfeiting the things of God. Satan does not invent anything nor he does create anything. Satan does, rather, take the spiritual and natural laws that God has created and perverts them, counterfeits them, in order to trick us into his snare.

These tricks that Satan produces are not genuine miracles. But they do use spiritual laws, in a perverted way, to counterfeit miracles so that we think that something is a genuine miracle when it is not. This is why we are warned in the Bible to test the spirits.

While some of these Buddhist monks are able to perform incredible feats they do so through natural means. There is nothing miraculous about it. These gurus, however, cannot affect their dead bodies in any way. The abilities they have in life cease to exist when they die.

The notion that these people can meditate before their death so that nothing is left of their body after a few days other than hair and nails is utter nonsense. The body does not naturally decompose that quickly. Those who claimed to witness this phenomenon are being tricked. The dead guru has an accomplice who fakes these effects.

In the country of India, as well as other countries, these gurus have become a serious problem for the authorities. There seems to be a guru on every block claiming all sorts of nonsense to scam the public. These gurus who do this are evil. They are con artist praying on people with desperate hopes. There have been documentaryand news reports on this problem.

The equivalent in the U.S. of these con artist gurus are the faith healers and televangelists who make huge amounts of money preying on the sick, infirmed, and vulnerable.

As for the so-called, "body of light", that to is a trick. If these bodies of light are real, then what is happening is an apparition caused by Satan. Again, we know from the Bible that Satan can appear as an angel of light.

I would suggest that you stop reading information about all this and start reading your catechism and the Bible. One who is fully competent in the knowledge of their own faith will not have their faith weakened or in doubt because of things like this.

Do not accept the explanations of the Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims, or other groups. None of those groups worship the True God and none of them are the standards to which we judge anything. Stay close to the Church.

Learn your faith.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.