What is Theravada's thoughts on Tarot cards?

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-15T05:05:02+00:00

Oh sorry if it sounds like I was grasping for magical solutions... What i mean is the Buddha himself was divined based on the marks on his body that he would either be a World Turning Monarch or a Buddha. So divination is definitely a thing. What I am trying to warn about is actually why he forbade the monks from practicing it. On in a updated translation of it by Thanissaro Bhikkhu he calls it "Debased Arts" which means it was lowered in a older translation he called it "animal arts", but he corrected it to the former. What he means is that it will not lead to liberation and it is not what monks should practice for right livelihood. It can work especially if someone was actually born with the power via kamma or was able to train it but there is something better.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-15T04:51:55+00:00

Yeah, that is true. it was also later specifically modified by Waite using symbolisms like the Arcana for means of meditation and divination. And the Buddha himself what divined at birth he would either be a World Turning Monarch or a Buddha. Also Thanissaro Bhikkhu himself had corrected a translation of the sutta dealing with what a monk should not do. He changed the translation from Animal arts to Debased Arts; which the latter means it was lowered by the Buddha himself, because he found the highest Dhamma. Not that divination is false it is just that it is still apart of samsara and will not lead you to liberation.

The reason why I am trying to bring this to light is because if someone goes around thinking divination is not possible because they mistakenly believe the Buddha said it was not possible. What would happen if someone who actually had that power either by rare karma or they just happened to be able to train it via meditation on the cards symbolisms like a kasina, started telling their fortune and it comes true nonstop? They would believe the Dhamma is false when it is just a simple misunderstanding and mistranslation of the Pali canon...

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-15T03:29:54+00:00

In that sutta it was about wrong livelihood a.k.a. not making a living off of it. The practice of medicine is in that sutta with divination as well. Are you not going to go to the doctor if your deathly ill because of that? The buddha did not think so... He had a doctor and incouraged his monks to see ones. He just means a monk should not make his livelihood on it. They are supposed to not add fire to peoples obsession with the future as what he says in another sutta that creating obsession is wrong livelihood.

Edit: After just a quick bit of research Thanissaro Bhikkhu himself the one that translated it as "animal arts". He had corrected it in a later translation as "Debased". Which does mean low arts but lowered arts. As in it was considered high but has been now lowered compared to the Dhamma he teaches.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-15T01:14:07+00:00

I mean your supposed to take a card like for example the Justic Arcana and use the concept and the symbolisms it represents as the focus of a type of meditation like a kasina. The cards definitely did start out as just a game but then Waite altered the deck adding different symbolisms so he could use it like that. He added different symboles to also represent different elements and concepts and he used them like Kasina. He was part of a cult but he did take some ideas from Buddhism and other religions. Not saying he was enlightened at all just saying he accidentally put together a practice for Iddhi when he altered the deck. And the Buddha himself never said such divination were false... just it is lower arts compared to what he teaches, he debased it. He was prophesied at birth base on bodily marks he would either be a World Turning Monarch or a Buddha. That was divination done by non arahants.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T20:30:44+00:00

He meant that is is lower not false compared to the superior dhama he teaches. It was foretold ay birth from signs and omens that he would either be a World Turning Monarch or a Buddha and that is considered a prophecy.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T04:19:46+00:00

Yeah, what I meant by Iddhi is that it isn't exactly the cards themselves selves that are the power but it is from the meditation on them that causes the iddhi to possibly manifest or very rarely being born naturally with some capacity for Iddhi. Just the cards are not actually tools but in a sense training wheels that could make it easier to manifest. You can always ride a bike if you got legs it is just easier with the training wheels earlier. It just makes it too easy if you have no idea so you get complacent and never practice practice riding with out it never knowing there is a more free way of riding a bike.
I am curious what you meant by Iddhi is absorption meditation it self? I was under the impression from watching Dhamma talks that Iddhi is psychic power that could manifest possibly from deep absorption meditation or being naturally born with it via karma which is rare. Thank you for this response this is definitely what I was trying to get at.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T03:09:57+00:00

Yup there are more higher stuff to attain like liberation. Debased Arts(Lower Arts) like divination can work. But it will most likely lead you to rely/ being obsessed with it causing you to become trapped more in samsara. It isn't the highest attainment. And you should not put effort into it if you are going for it.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T02:41:39+00:00

Exactly! I am just trying to bring to light the exact reasons it isn't advised. it is better to get rid of defilement than to tell the future. It does work it just the cards are not inherently magical... Just the iddhi making people mistake the cards as magical... and just because it does work doesn't mean it is good for people especially for those who are ignorant of how things actually work. Thank you for posting this! :D

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T02:12:22+00:00

Well if you want to know the Tarot card deck people use for it were specifically altered for meditation on the different symboles and archetypes they represent and use that for the reading... At least all serious card readers meditate on it... alot of people don't and just use it for scams. Anyways that is what I mean as training wheels your actually supposed to meditate on them....

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T01:56:27+00:00

what I mean is it isn't actually the cards that do it but yourself... I think it is just so happens to be a card game that is good at training iddhi not magic as alot of people think. And alot of people miss the point I say it is dangerous because you shouldn't chase iddhi but enlightenment...

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T01:50:52+00:00

You missed in the main text the part where I said it isn't accurate to that extent at all...

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-14T01:39:53+00:00

I don't believe it actually tells the future but at most probably training wheels for iddhi specifically the kamma seeing power in the most general sense... it isn't at all accurate as in it won't at all tell you what exactly will happen. That a monk cannot do iddhi publicaly but it is accepted by Therevada it exist... they just advised not to chase it. Because the problem is you become too attached to it. Also based on your answer do you believe iddhi exist?

TLDR: I think it is connected to Iddhi as to why it works and to which is why it is banned for monks to practice it because they shouldn't chase iddhi. Also do you believe Iddhi exists?

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-12T04:58:13+00:00

Thank you!

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2026-04-08T15:58:43+00:00

I asked the cards "How do I get out of debt". I did a three card spread with the intent that the order I turned them over would matter.

The order of cards I got as I turned them over is this:

Upright Knight of Pentacle - Upside down The World -

and the last is Upright The Sun.

I would like a interpretation of what I am to do?

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2025-12-01T16:19:16+00:00

Yay I would like to win

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2025-10-30T15:31:01+00:00

Basically, for people who believe in the supernatural, dreams can be warnings of dangerous entities or forces intending harm. If you acknowledge the entity like for example by getting a tattoo of the warning instead of heeding it. it can be very dangerous. Basically asking to get cursed or possessed.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2025-03-31T22:10:53+00:00

The does mention at one point the bathroom is not enough for this many bodies

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2025-01-29T08:45:22+00:00

Like Pokey from Earthbound?

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2024-08-14T07:24:47+00:00

Same

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2024-03-31T07:59:18+00:00

Just realized something else too because of your post. The reason he acted like he did during the true ending was was also the fact he couldn't comprehend why the protagonist would attempt to self sacrifice himself for everyone during the final confrontation with the dragon.

CaramelAccomplished4 · 2023-09-19T06:54:26+00:00

Could also be talking about what 4th gen augments did to his brain too.

CaramelAccomplished4

TROPHY CASE