words of the Buddha
Posted on May 17th, 2008
by 
hrtScholar
hrtScholar
gatha from Manzanita Village
One of my favorite stories of the Buddha shows the
power of a wakeful and friendly heart. On the morning of
Buddha’s enlightenment Mara, the fearsome demon who
symbolizes the shadow-side of human nature, fled in defeat
and disarray. In Sanskrit “Mara” means “delusion” – that
craving and fear that obscure our enlightened nature.
But it seems that he was only temporarily discouraged.
Even after the Buddha had embarked on his teaching career
and become a revered figure throughout Indian, Mara
continued to make unexpected appearances. Instead of
driving him away, however, the Buddha would calmly
acknowledge the ego's presence saying, “I see you, Mara.”
He would then invite him for tea and serve him as an
honored guest.
Offering Mara a cushion so that he could sit
comfortably, the Buddha would fill two earthen cups with
tea and place them on a low table between them. Mara would
stay for awhile and then go, but throughout, the Buddha
remained free and undisturbed.
You see, when Mara visits us in the form of troubling
emotions or fearsome stories, we can say, “I see you Mara,”
and clearly recognize the craving and fear that persists in
each human heart. The objective is to see what is true and
to hold what is seen with kindness....
Our habit of being a fair-weather friend to ourselves
– of pushing away or ignoring whatever darkness we can – is
deeply entrenched.... We truly befriend ourselves when,
rather than resisting our experience, we open our hearts
and willingly invite Mara to tea.
from Tara Brach's-Radical Acceptance
Access: PublicTagged with: Buddha, Buddhism, Gatha, Metta, Mindful Awareness, the four noble truths, Dharma, Mara, Tara Brach
buddha
July 2008
very precious
thank you!
thank you Anna..prayers that we” Spring from Love,”Heal the world and each other during this precious Journey. ~peace and light surrounding you and your Beloved one:) tess