|
|
|||||||||
|
After he grew up and had been practicing meditation for a number of years, looking deeply into his body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness, one day Siddartha, the buddha-to-be, felt that he was about have a breakthrough. Meditating under a beautiful pippala tree, he had the sense that some time that night he would realize full enlightenment and become a Buddha. Suddenly, Mara appeared. Mara sometimes appears as doubt, sometimes as anger, darkness, jealousy, craving or despair. When we feel doubtful or skeptical he is there. When we feel angry, irritated or lacking in self-confidence, that is Mara. Siddartha had been visited by Mara many times before, and he knew that the best way to treat him was to be very... gentle. -- By Thich Nhat Hanh, from "Touching Peace" |
