In response to Mara!

In his quest for finding a way out of suffering, Buddha followed severe ascetic practices that professed ignoring the body and its needs completely. Depleted to nothing more than just skin and bones he was very close to his death when young Sujatha offered him some food.

Realizing that such extremity had not brought him any closer to the truth Buddha ate the food offered by this young woman. She had saved his life but had not answered his questions.

So he sat in meditation once again and vowed not to get up until he had his answers.

The story goes that the demon ‘Mara’ tried to distract him with all kinds of threats and temptations. But Buddha sat still and attained what he sought all along.

Buddha simply understood that keeping the mind still enables us to be free of agitation caused by the demons of our feelings, thoughts, emotions and sensations.

While this does not explain complex issues like how the universe was formed or if human life has a purpose. It can definitely refrain us from entering a cesspool of questions for which we perhaps can never have the answers. He encouraged us to not take our questions seriously and treat them like dancing Mara.

We all have our ‘Mara’s’, that hound us from time to time.

Am I worthy? Am I good enough? Am I accomplished? Am I respected? Am I loved?

When my own ‘Mara’ visits there is not one other human who can dismiss him for me. Hearing the words, ‘yes, you are worthy’, ‘yes, you are good’, ‘yes, you are loved’ from several others does not chase away my ‘Mara’.

Over time I have discovered that there is little left to do but to sit still and allow for ‘Mara’ to stay for as long as he wishes to. Sometimes reacting to him also encourages him to stay longer. Just being aware of his presence and continuing to do what I do is the only way to be free of him.

When he leaves on his own after many unsuccessful attempts to disengage me all I can do is say, “Goodbye, I’m sure I will see you soon.”

Over time Mara’s visits have come down, his ferocity has dampened and his stories are less appealing. But he’s very creative so I should expect to see him every so often.

Apparently Buddha hesitated teaching what he had experienced because he was not certain that it could be taught. Now some 2500 years later, I feel grateful for the human who resisted the ‘Mara’ of doubt and shared his learning’s with others.

It occurs to me that these stories are all that we have to help each other!