Biblical: 1) demons: khong nang 'dre zhugs so/ he has an evil spirit (Mk. 3:30), mchod pa ni 'dre la 'bul lo/ sacrifices are given to demons (1 Cor. 10:20), 'dre'i chos la rten/ to follow the teaching of demons (1 Tim. 4:1-2); 2) ghosts: 'dre la sha dang rus pa med/ a ghost does not have flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39), 'dre'o zer zhing 'jigs pas 'bod bsgrags so/ "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear (Mt. 14:26).
Buddhist: 'dre/ the most general and inclusive term for evil spirit. Evil spirits are perceived on two levels in Bsm. Folk Bsts. accord them substantial existence and may even claim to have seen them; the more educated regard them as manifestations of impure mental consciousnesses (e.g. greed, lust, etc.). While different classes of evil beings are represented in the words given below, there is great overlap between each type (KTM). Though feared by the laity, the monks take a more sanguine view of the supernatural, as in the story about a geshe moved to tears by the sufferings of all sentient beings. When the local demons and spirits came to harm him, they found they could not, because of his attitude of compassion for all beings (JPG 395). 1) The 'dre/ are one class of spirits which are quite powerful and invoke much fear (KTM): gu ru rin po ches lha 'dre dam la btags sa/ the place where Guru Rinpoche bound an evil spirit (DPD), 'dre dang grogs po byed na/ if you want to be friends with a spirit (KPU 33); 2) a bad person [this sense used only by educated modern people] (AMD).
Cognates: 'dre shig bedbug (DPD).
Biblical: a general term for demons [Gr. daimon] or evil spirits [prob. more common in Ladakh]: 1) demon 'gong zhugs shin tu drag po gnyis/ two very violent demon-possessed men (Mt. 8:28), khyed kyi mtshan gyi ngang nas 'gong po ma bskrad dam/ in your name did we not drive out demons? (Mt. 7:22), 'gong po'i gtso bo/ the prince of demons (Mt. 9:34), 'gong po skrod pa'i dbang / authority to drive out demons (Mk. 3:14), khyed 'gong zhugs yin pa da shes so/ we know you are demon-possessed (Jn. 8:52); 2) evil spirit: 'gong pos mi de dkrugs/ the evil spirit shook the man violently (Mk. 1:26), 'gong po rnams kyis khong mjal ba tsam/ whenever the evil spirits saw him (Mk. 3:11).
Buddhist: a general term for a class of demons believed to be responsible for producing illness. A sorcerer is usually called in to cast lots to determine if such a demon is present, then a ceremony of exorcism is performed to drive it out (EBN).
Cognates: 'gong ba/ to bewitch or enchant.
demon or devil (see also Satan)
Biblical: bdud kyang yid ches/ the demons also believe (Jas. 2:19), bdud kyi stobs thams cad las rgyal ba'i dbang / authority to overcome all the power of the enemy (Lk. 10:19), 'on kyang khyed las gcig ni bdud yin/ yet one of you is a devil (Jn. 6:70), bdud rnams kyi rgyal po/ the prince of demons (Mt. 9:34 SV).
Buddhist: 1) In orthodox Bsm. the bdud/ are impersonal obstacles to Bst. practice, e.g. the bdud bzhi/ are phung po'i bdud/ aggregates, nyon mongs pa'i bdud/ ignorance 'chi bdag gi bdud/ death lha'i bu'i bdud rnams/ the evil of a son of a god [i.e. lust] (CNG 37). 2) these forces can be personified as the Bst. devil bdud dga' rabs dbang phyug the Lord of Desire, who is often depicted as the chief tempter of the Buddha and his saints bdud dga' rabs dbang phyug phrag dog skyes nas/ the evil spirit Sunandesvara had grown jealous (BLI 332 no. 83); 3) a general category of formless, invisible, omnipresent, and powerful evil beings. The purpose of the bdud/ is to keep people from Bsm. through various types of mischief (KTM). bdud sdig to can rnams/ demonic tempters (SGN 11), bdud des sangs rgyas la gnod pa skyel thabs byas kyang / though the devil tried to harm the Buddha (SGN 18), bdud kyis dge slong zhig la nyams sad btang / the devil tempted a monk (DPD), lha bdud du mi dbab/ do not turn a god into a demon (UCO 150).
Proverbs: bud med yin na bdud kyi yan lag red/ woman is a manifestation [lit. branch] of the devil (KPU 33).
Biblical: an unclean or evil spirit: unclean spirit gdon mi gtsang ba/ an unclean spirit (Mt. 12:43), gdon mi gtsang ba mi'i nang nas thon pa'i tshe/ when an evil spirit comes out of a man (Mt. 12:43).
Buddhist: 1) impersonal forces obstructing the practice of Bsm. gdon gsum/ the three evil forces steng gdon gza' dang rgyu skar/ the planet of the upper world, bar gdon btsan dang rgyal po/ the mountain gods of the intermediate world, 'og gdon klu dang da bdag the nagas and earth lords of the subterranean world (TRI 138); 2) gdon/ is a class of demon which causes disease (KTM).
Cognates: gdon 'dre/ = 'gong 'dre/ evil spirit.
Biblical: a demon: bgegs kyis zin pa'i mi gnyis/ two demon possessed men (Mt. 8:28 SV), khyed kyi mtshan nas brjod de bgegs bskrad pa ma yin/ in your name did we not drive out demons? (Mt. 7:22 SV), bgegs rnams skrod pa'i dbang / authority to drive out demons (Mk. 3:14 SV), bgegs rnams kyi sdod gnas/ a haunt for demons (Rev. 18:2).
Buddhist: 1) obstacles, obstructions, impersonal forces obstructing the practice of Bsm. rang snang dbang du 'dus na dgra bgegs thul/ as your perceptions come under control, enemies and obstructing influences are subjugated (HTE 186); 2) the bgegs/ [lit. hindrance, obstacle] is a class of demons believed to create obstacles and difficulties for man (KTM).
[lit. non human being]
Biblical: mi ma yin gyi bstan pa rnams/ things taught by demons (1 Tim. 4:1 SV); 2) ghosts: mi ma yin zhig la sha dang rus pa med/ a ghost does not have flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39 SV).
Biblical: evil one: 'di las lhag pa ji yod ngan pa nas 'byung ngo / anything beyond this comes from the evil one (Mt. 5:37).
Biblical: a killer demon: la las ma rangs pa'i tshig smras nas gshed mas bsad pa ltar/ as the destroying angel killed some of them after they complained (1 Cor. 10:10)
Buddhist: 1) A gshed ma/ is a class of killer demon believed to take the life of an individual by seizing its life force srog when it is in a deteriorated condition. The exorcism of a gshed ma/ from the home of the deceased is known as za 'dre kha sgyur/ , (turning away the mouth of the eating demon). Though a gshed ma/ is what causes the death of an individual, its exorcism is known as the exorcism of a 'dre/ (KTM), 2) a derogatory name for oppressive rulers, meaning "one who is completely selfish and without reason" (AMD).