The woman who could remember her past lives as a deva and meditator

The woman who could remember her past lives as a deva and meditator

Many Buddhists make a lot of merit, aspiring to go heaven after they die and enjoy heavenly pleasures. Now according to traditional beliefs in Buddhism, a life as a deva is supposedly very long. So Buddhists think that they can enjoy a long life of divine pleasure in heaven after they die. 

However, accounts of people who can remember their past lives as a deva state otherwise. There was an Indian boy who recalled that he lived in China and went to (Chinese) heaven and really enjoyed the experience, before being reborn in India. He claimed that it was due to his repentance and conversion to vegetarianism in China which resulted in his heavenly rebirth. 

And there was a Cambodian woman who could recall her life as a tree deva. She said that in that realm, she lived with her mother and there was no day and night like on Earth, it was just bright all the time. If anyone made merit at the temple and called out her name, she would be able to go there but she did not consume human food. 

A Thai lady by the name of Ratana Wongsombat could also recall her past life. 

Like the cases above, two actually, life as a deva and the preceding human life before that. 

Her case was documented by monks as well as foreign researchers, which made it more verifiable. 

This Thai lady was adopted by an ordinary middle-class family, when at the age of 11 months, she began started asking her adopted father to take her to Wat Mahathat. She said that in her previous life, her name was Kim Lan and she used to stay at Wat Mahathat and meditate there and shared a hut with Mae Chee Chan. 

Mae Chee Chan Suthipat (her full name) later confirmed almost everything that Ratana claimed was true, with regards to her former associate Kim Lan Prayoon Supamitr. 

And subsequently Ratana was taken to Kim Lan’s old home. 

Ratana claimed that after she [Kim Lan] died, her ashes were scattered instead of buried under the Bo[dhi] tree at Wat Mahathat, which made her upset. Kim Lan’s daughter verified that this was true, she had wanted to bury the ashes under the tree, but the roots were so extensive that she had to scatter them instead. 

An official who was a graduate of Bparian Level 7 (quite a high level Dhamma exam) did not believe what Ratana was saying, so they all went to interview this 5 year old girl. He asked, “so where did you go after you died?”

Ratana replied, “I don’t know where other people go after they die, but as for my past life as Kim Lan there was a Tewada who took a vehicle and driving slowly, brought me up to Daodeung [Tavatimsa] to see my father’s and my house.”

The scholar immediately interrupted, saying "There are houses up in heaven!?"

Ratana replied angrily, “The houses up there are called Wimaan [Pali: Vimāna meaning Heavenly Mansion or Divine Abode]. We were home just by ourselves. But on Wan Pra [Buddhist Holy Days], Phra Indra will take us to pay respects to the relics.”

The scholar then questioned, “What are the relics you are talking about?”

Ratana used her hand to pull on her hair, “This is it. It is called Phra Ket Chula,” causing the official to be dumbfounded and shocked at the 5 year old’s knowledge. [Admin: Note that Ratana is referring to the Chulamani Stupa located in Tavatimsa Heaven that contains the Buddha’s hair relics].

The official then asked her whether there was any grass in heaven for horses or elephants to eat. Ratana replied that, “Above, they only eat boon [merit]. Don’t eat any herbs unlike people on earth below. They eat boon together, it is not difficult.”

Interestingly, Ratana was born in 1964, only one-and-a-half to 2 years after Kim Lan passed away. She still maintained the Buddhist practices of generosity and dana to beggars, meditation, paying respects to the Buddha etc. 

However, observers note that Ratana allegedly still behaved as though she was from a wealthy family like Kim Lan was, for example asking for injections when ill (which at that time were only available to the rich), when her adopted family was just an ordinary family. 

This case teaches us that even if one makes a lot of merit in a past life, and manage to go to heaven, one’s merits may not last as long as we expect and we will find ourselves back down here again. Furthermore, we should not expect that we will be reborn in a wealthy family after finishing our [short]* life as a deva. 

*It could still be argued that time passes much more quickly in heaven than on earth, but one shouldn’t count on it!

Cr. Original owner of photos