Eight classes of gods and demons

Eight classes of gods and demons (lha srin sde brgyad). There are various descriptions but in the sutras the most general is:

   devas,
   nagas,
   yakshas,
   gandharvas,
   asuras,
   garudas,
   kinnaras, and
   mahoragas.

All of them were able to receive and practice the teachings of the Buddha. These eight classes can also refer to various types of mundane spirits who can cause either help or harm, but remain invisible to normal human beings:

   ging,
   mara,
   tsen,
   yaksha,
   raksha,
   mamo,
   rahula, and
   naga.
On a subtle level, they are regarded as the impure manifestation of the eight types of consciousness.

Source

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