I subscribe to a Buddhist magazine called “Tricycle” and today I read an article about Mara which is comparable to the notion of the Devil. Normally it would be seen as the mind encouraging a person to not let go of attachments, desires and pursuing an unhealthy path in life. But this Buddhist points out that the original Mara in texts was a person that whispered in the Buddhas ear when Buddha became enlightened and decided he should start teaching, saying things like “Don’t waste your time because those people are not intelligent enough to understand.”
I think maybe we have a number of these types of people in our world now whispering to us to stop meditating, showing compassion to others or doing anything that we don’t find pleasurable, making us happy or requiring effort.
In fact we have an overwhelming amount of Maras and only a spec of Buddhas, that is why they say we are living in Dark Times.
It is truly a challenge to not listen to whispering or roaring loudly Maras and remind yourself everyday what life is really about.
Today as I was leaving Loblaws to take the escalator down I saw a man lying on the ground near them while many people simply hurried by him to go home. No one even gave him a glance. And I too slipped onto the moving stairs. But by the time I got down I realized I needed to tell somebody about him in the store and even though I knew I was tired and would prefer to just go home. I went back up the other stairs and went to find a manager. She said when I told her a man is lying on her floor, that that part was not store property. I suggested somebody has to call community police. And just then a strapping big man with a vest saying POLICE emerged from the store and he went to see the man and said he would look after things.
I went home with a relieved heart that I didn’t follow the hundred others who simply see a human lying on the floor as trash.
It is hard work to observe yourself in each situation and walk the narrow path shunned by people like Musk who believes empathy is for suckers.
I think maybe we have a number of these types of people in our world now whispering to us to stop meditating, showing compassion to others or doing anything that we don’t find pleasurable, making us happy or requiring effort.
In fact we have an overwhelming amount of Maras and only a spec of Buddhas, that is why they say we are living in Dark Times.
It is truly a challenge to not listen to whispering or roaring loudly Maras and remind yourself everyday what life is really about.
Today as I was leaving Loblaws to take the escalator down I saw a man lying on the ground near them while many people simply hurried by him to go home. No one even gave him a glance. And I too slipped onto the moving stairs. But by the time I got down I realized I needed to tell somebody about him in the store and even though I knew I was tired and would prefer to just go home. I went back up the other stairs and went to find a manager. She said when I told her a man is lying on her floor, that that part was not store property. I suggested somebody has to call community police. And just then a strapping big man with a vest saying POLICE emerged from the store and he went to see the man and said he would look after things.
I went home with a relieved heart that I didn’t follow the hundred others who simply see a human lying on the floor as trash.
It is hard work to observe yourself in each situation and walk the narrow path shunned by people like Musk who believes empathy is for suckers.
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