The following story was received on our paranormal story submission page.
Paranormal experiences vary between people, depending on their karmic affinity. Some people encounter spirits directly and have disturbing experiences with the unseen whilst there are others who experience it very differently, and they feel the incident has helped them overcome their current situation or obstacle.
Despite general skepticism of unseen beings, it doesn’t mean that they do not exist just because you cannot see them. I believe that there are beings all around us in different realms… we just don’t know because we cannot see them.
After reading the following story, it looks like it isn’t just me who has encountered the supernatural… Many people from various parts of the world are now writing in to share their paranormal stories with us here. How exciting!! I hope many many more people share with us their interesting experiences.
L.Lee from Washington State had a paranormal experience in July 2009 after the death of her dog, Kiki. She believes that it occurred to comfort and help her overcome her tremendous loss. It is a sweet and touching story, and it goes to show that we sometimes need a miracle to help us pull through.
Thank you for your submission, Ms. Lee.
Tsem Rinpoche.
Paranormal Experience: Ghosts
Date: July 2009
Location: Washington State
This is something that happened in 2009 when our beloved dog, Kiki, passed away. Even though I have a keen interest in paranormal subjects since I was a child, personal paranomal experiences was something that never happened to me. So what happened here was very touching and very striking.
Kiki was 18 years old — in human years — when she passed away. I rescued Kiki from an animal shelter in 1997 when she was seven years old because her previous owner, who was an elderly lady, was moving to a facility that didn’t accept pets.
In any case, after I got married she became very attached to my husband, and we both loved and cared for her as if she was our child. In fact, Kiki was one of those dogs that truly did not think she was one. She never engaged with other dogs and never behaved like a dog around other dogs. But around people, Kiki was always curious and wanted to interact with them.
She also had a very sensitive and caring side to her. Once, one of our friends came to visit us and his back was causing a lot of discomfort to him so he went to lie down on the couch. Kiki was already very familiar with our friend, and as if to comfort him, she walked over to him and lay down next to him on the floor. She was that kind of a being. On our walks, she would always bring a smile to someone’s face whenever they saw her. Why? Because no one could resist her smile. Kiki smiled a lot.
The time finally came when we knew there was something wrong with her and took her to the vet. The vet informed us that one of her kidneys had a tumor, and he didn’t recommend we pursue surgery because of her old age. He estimated Kiki had maybe three months at the most; she passed away six months later.
So during this time, we made sure she was comfortable and I began saying a lot of mani mantras to her everyday. It wasn’t really until the last few weeks of her life that her condition weakened rapidly. She managed to go on short walks even three weeks before her passing. When she got to the point where she was unable to walk on her own and lying down a lot, I had a CD player quietly playing a recording of mantras almost constantly when I wasn’t next to her reciting mantras. She passed away peacefully like this.
We moved her to the shrine room where I continued to play the mantras on the CD player. I remember directing thoughts of comfort and assurance to Kiki during this time — thanking her for all the good times we had together, how much we loved her, and that we would meet each other again. Mind you, I was also a wreck at this point. Finally saying goodbye was one of the most painful and difficult experiences to endure.
It happened on about the third day after she passed away. Her body was still in the shrine room and we would soon be moving her body to the cremation facility. One morning I went out to do an errand. When I returned and entered the house, I could hear faint sounds coming from somewhere in the house. We have a two-story house and the shrine room and bedrooms are on the second floor.
I began walking up the stairs and could clearly hear the sounds were like the hum of voices. It didn’t sound anything like any of the mantra recordings I had been playing, but as I slowly walked down the hallway toward the shrine room, I could tell that the ”hum” was the sound of mantras. When I pulled the door curtain back and entered the shrine room, the sound began to fade away. And I felt a sense that everything would be okay with Kiki. There was no mistake, the sound I heard appeared to come externally, not just something I was hearing in my head.
I was later surprised at my husband’s reaction when I told him about my experience. He seemed to take great comfort in hearing about this experience. I haven’t experienced anything else since that time, but I believe that experience helped us through our grieving process.
L. Lee
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Research has suggested that paranormal beliefs and experiences are associated with thinner mental boundaries and traumas during childhood. Some paranormal experiences are easily explainable, based on faulty activity in the brain. To me I understand each of us who have experienced such a case all depending on our karmic affinity. Different people experience directly and some encounter with unseen beings in a different way. Unseen beings, do exist afterall , its only that we cannot see them. I do believe that there are unseen beings all around us in different realms.
Glad to read the story of L Lee loosing Kiki and how her experience helped them through their grieving process.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
All the being have their own mind when the existing in own six realm whether they have form and formless. H.E.Tsem Tulku Rinpoche always tell us to take care animal, simple because animal also have feeling, yet they can’t tell human what is their suffering. We need to generate compassion for them.
Many year ago,when i was with Rinpoche at Thailand. I had witness a young novice possessed by naga spirit because he accidentally kill the snake. The spirit of the naga very angry and take revenge possessed on him. The naga spirit always whisper to him jump off from high building or possess him acting acting like snake. The negative karma of this young novice the snake has brought him tremendous suffering until he make rinpoche advice him to some some practice to counter naga disturbing problem. This incident has always remind me we can’t simply hurt or kill animal.
A year a go i adopted a big dog 8 years old, Fatty. He was a beautiful dog but for some reasons he’s being abandoned by his owner. The first time in my life i was being cuddled by a dog as he rubbed his face over my legs when i am home like saying welcome home. very sweet dog. Fatty loved pumpkin and potato instead of dog food, hence he became a vegetarian like us after that. But a few weeks ago he had left us in his most comfort condition – sleep. I did the ritual and prayer for him as for my late mother who had passed away 3 months ago. Fatty was very blessed have his funeral with Kechara puja team at our very own pet crematorium with full ritual and rites and cremated him. I am relief as Dorje Shugden prayers has been done for his future rebirth.
Experiences with unseen beings are known all over the world and very old. The experience Ms. Lee had is touching and relieving at the same time. Our pets, dogs or cats are like family members and it is very hard to let them go. But the mantras Ms. Lee chant to Kiki help her in her future life to connect with the Buddha and the Dharma, which is the best gift.
In Buddhism we learn that every being has been our mother before. So we need to respect all as they have all been extremely kind to us. Many ways to communicate have been explored to get in touch with our pets and it is very intriguing is that some people have developed the skill to communicate with even wild animals. Here is the link to a YouTube video with an animal communicator which I find stunning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL–zc1KIxk
Dogs, humans’ best friends.
What we give is what get. If we show love & care to a person or a sentient being, no doubt that they are going to treat us just like how we treat them. I’m lucky because I have the opportunities to contact with dogs since I’m small and I’m not afraid of them and we show love to each others. I’ve know someone who has fear on dogs, even though the dogs are friendly and harmless. He seem to has phobia on animals. Fortunately, his phobia do not become something terrible that make him hate animals.
I never is the animal lover until i have to take care of “abandon” dogs. Therefore when reading this article on how KiKi as a sensitive and caring dog, i felt the same of my dogs which are also a very caring dogs. People have on numerous occasions caused me to feel disappointment and betrayal but i never came across the dogs will do so.
When talk about Paranormal, we always connect this with ghost and peoples always feel scary about it. The love Ms L.Lee toward Kiki may be cause Kiki is coming back to visit her before taking rebirth , I believe, so is nothing to be scare of.
Anyway, Ms Lee has shown us a good example on the love to the animals and thanks for her sharing.
“I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.”
—Abraham Lincoln
Spirits does exist, no doubt on that, since small, I have been hearing people having disturbances, and some it even affected their living.
During my school days, one of my relative got possessed, and when she speak, it actually came out man’s voice and everyone in the house got scared, at the end they found a master to help solve this issue. Since then, I never doubt the existence of spirits.
It is very heart warming to see such love between a dog and human, whether we are animal or human, we are the same, we needed love and care, it is sad to see Kiki left in sickness, but Ms Lee’s experience showed how close their relationship and how well they have been taking care of Kiki, and even towards the last moment of Kiki’s life, she play Mantra song for her, it really shows how much Ms Lee love her.
Wish Kiki has good rebirth and be in a place near to Dharma.
Reading this article reminded me of my very first pet dog name Lucky. We adopted him when he was about 2 months old. Lucky grew up as a very active, smart and jovial happy dog. As I could say hyper active. He loves to play hide and seek and bath. When he is happy, he will run with full speed and when he see us home, he will jump joyfully as high as possible.
Besides, he was a very good observer and learner. He knew how to open our house front door gate by using his nose!! I saw him doing it once. (Thanks to my sister for teaching him…ONCE and he remembered! No jokes, it’s true). He could even managed to removed a hook padlock. Lucky is truly a special and amazing dog.
He spend his life 14 years laboring love endlessly on us. I heard that dogs who lives more than 10 years have a chance to be reincarnate as human. So I think Kiki will share same faith as Lucky too, have a swift rebirth.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
The Buddhist practice of relating to others is to transform all affinities to positive and even pure ones, via the Four Immeasurable Minds of loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice and equanimity, as guided by wisdom, and forgiveness, should there be a need… instead of letting any relationship remain negative with nursing of their opposites – hatred, cruelty, jealousy and partiality, along with grudge-bearing. Although effects of karma are impermanent, no karmic affinities can be permanently severed; they can only be transformed. Since this is so, why not transform negative affinities to positive ones? After all, in the criss-crossing web of many lives, all paths will cross again… many times too.
Thank you Rinpoche and L.Lee for sharing this story.
I believe our pets love us even when they have passed away, and the encounter is heartwarming to read.
My personal experience was with one of my beloved dog, Jay who passed away years ago out of old age. I love him so much and very sadden by his leaving, always wonder how was he after passing away, did his soul rest in peace? I believe he sent me a message in my dream that I saw him in his healthy and happy shape (not like the sick condition when he passed away), with his significance curled up tail, he came, stood up to hug me as if telling he is well and don’t worried. I hug him and pat his beautiful fur, the feeling was very real. He went away after that with smiles on his face.
He is a forever good boy in my heart and may he be like Kiki, rest in peace.
Thank you
Being in animals realm it’s difficult for them to learn and practice dharma for purification and to collect merits for their future life. It’s sad to have our lovely pet to leave us but one day anyone will leave when the time come. What important is what are we doing before it come and what are we doing when it come.
I am glad that Kiki has Lee who did the right thing to collect merits during this important moment and has strong faith in the Buddhadharma. Our love for our pets is not just taking good care for their food & health but also their future life. They are not able to talk so it’s all depend to us whether we want to help them. Playing mantra for them to listen, placing Buddha statue for them are some of the thing we can create imprint for them for their future life. True love is not just about this life time but forever.
I do believe in paranormal experiences. I think, I might have experienced it. Although it was kinda like in a dream but I was actually ‘awake’. And the scary part was that it was 3 dreams in a row. I got scared and woke up after the first dream, and continued to sleep, had the second and the third. It could be just dreams OR maybe I was just imagining it. Nevertheless, it was really scary and until today, I can still remember the dreams.
I believe there are unseen beings from the stories I have heard from many people, but that doesnt mean that I would actually want to see them to believe it.
Paranormal experiences and stories always fascinate most people, believers or not. And most of us have either heard of such experiences from family members, relatives, neighbours, friends, colleagues at work and acquaintances. Even at school on picnic or on camping trips, ghost stories are a favourite. Perhaps those things that are not seen or heard by majority people is a fascination. Maybe people want to get the high from the adrenaline rush from spooky tales. Whatever the reason, we have had heard of ghost stories one time or another. Some people do not believe, some people do. For those who had personal encounters surely believe there are supernatural forces and energies that exist. There are people who are ‘sensitive’ and they can see, hear, feel and communicate with these entities. I had my own share of such experiences, and I know of rationale people who had ghostly encounters. Do I believe? Yes.
Dear RInpoche, I do believe that spirits exits and they have personalities just like us humans. I think everyone would love a pet that will comfort us when we are going through hard times. I wonder if animals are able to think like us humans after they die? I would also play musics to my pets (If I ever had one) because they would still collect merits.
Dear Rinpoche, I believe that Kiki is the pet dog that everyone wishes for. Kiki really lived long for a dog, normally most dogs live up to only 12 – 15 years but Kiki lived up to 18 years which makes a lot of difference. I hope Kiki will take a better rebirth and may she meet the Dharma and learn the Dharma.
It is important for the people who have a lost a person or a pet to feel comforted to the best possible state. Sometimes we never really know how close we feel for people or animals, until they have to go away for good. So lets cherish what we have now. NOW is the time!
Ms Lee is a such a loving and thoughtful animal lover.She took care of her pet dog kiki from day one until her final day and have planted dharma seed in her as well, i felt that they must have strong karmic link in their previous lives. I also hope that all the dogs owners can be like her never neglect or abandon their pets .
We used to have a puppy but he didn’t have the chance to grow up as it was ran over by a neighbor’s car and we had to watch the whole ordeal in front of us. Even after he was ran over, he ran back to our house to die. It was really heart breaking and we cried uncontrollably while burying him. I pray that he will have good rebirths in future.
Every time heard this kind of stories that must be a man or a woman, or a girl or a boy…but when I read through this write up I find out it is a lovely puppy’s story. Kiki’s mum loves her so much. She treated Kiki like her kid. Both relationships is very close and warm.
Kiki is a very special puppy. She likes to hang around with people. She cared about her human friends. Definitely she is cute and beautiful. Her merit is good because her mum give her the most precious thing is Buddha’s mantra. How wonderful she can die in peaceful with holy Buddha mantra surrounding.
This article is short but sweet. After finished reading you feel more humility and may be build up inside aspiration do more good thing to help all sentient beings around us.
The touching point is love without agenda is so much beautiful. This kind of love you will able to do more because you care and concerns. Kiki is a very lucky puppy, I am sincerely wish that she can have a good rebirth.
HI Lee,
It is very nice to know someone who cares so much about her four-legged friend. I hv a dog too, and I love her very much. She is in her 9th year (human year, meaning about 52 years old).
She never fails to welcome me whenever I walk into my room and funny thing is, she will bark at whoever that walks into my room when I am there, as if she is protecting me (she obviously does not know that for her size, she can only run after a cat the most). When I am not in my room, she will be wagging her tail to whoever that walks in.
I do my best to give her the best I can. She is very precious to me.
With the mantras that you kept playing to her, she will be in a good place. She is very fortunate to have met you in this life.