Me, Prince Siddhartha and Demon Mara

They say Demon Mara visited prince Siddhartha just before he attained the enlightenment. The mission was to scare off Prince Siddhartha from his meditations and push him towards a lay life. Yes, a lay life of a common person, just like you and me.

 

Ten divisions of Mara brigade (dasa Mara sena) were called in to the battleground. Story goes that Prince Siddartha refused to be sacred and budged away from his stance. Well, if the victim refuses to be sacred, the other party has no option but to back off, isn’t it? At least that’s what you and I would do in such a situation. However our Demon Mara had other plans and ideas, as well as some excellent resources.

 

Mara employed his favorite daughters, Thanha (Cravings), Rathi (Lust) and Ranga (Dancer) to hoodwink Prince Siddhartha. Mara wanted his daughters to show Prince Siddhartha what he is going to miss in his life if he crosses the line of no return and achieve the enlightenment. Thanha showed money, wealth and power in a dazzling presentation. No one could resist the temptation. Rathi was exposing her best, real hot stuff enough to bring any man to his knees and ask for more. Lust and love, sex and sin bundled together to create a fantacyland.  Ranga performed with ease to melt even the rock hard hearts of most ruthless men. Three of them played all the tricks in their respective books in front of Prince Siddhartha but failed their mission miserably, and had to leave the good Prince alone.

 

Why I suddenly think of Demon Mara, his Ten Divisions of Mara Brigade and his three favorite daughters? Well, the answer is I am trying to give up some of my inner cravings. I was trying to be less materialistic. I want to give up my previous thoughts of climbing up in the social ladder. I do like to be less competitive. I want to live a less stressed life. Could I do that?

 

As soon as I wanted to do a noble thing in my life, Demon Mara and his Ten Divisions of Mara Brigade were making me sacred. They made me think of my present and future. No money, no honey, they told me. No power, nobody will listen to me let alone take me seriously, ever!  They told me that I better forget about a comfortable retirement. People will laugh at me should I proceed with my original plans.

 

Mara’s devoted daughters showed me the “luxuries” I am going to miss if I were to be a “better” person. Yes, I was given enough and ample evidence of goodies in life which I am not going to have in future. Just play the game you are destined to play, they advised me. If not forget about all sorts of pleasured of flesh, they warned me.

 

All of a sudden, I was being attacked from inside. However the attack was so subtle that one could feel it as a friendly warning or a wise advice! After all, who, with a sane head, would think of being less competitive in this cut throat world?

 

First thoughts came to my mind was that what Prince Siddhartha experienced were not coming from outside. At least in my case, Demon Mara and his Ten Divisions of Mara Brigade along with Demon Mara’s three daughters were already living inside me! Yes, I am not joking, they were inside me all right. However they never showed any sign of their existence until I have decided to give up my inner cravings.  Just like some harmless bacteria living inside a healthy person, getting nasty and give diseases when that person’s immunity is compromised! They let me operate on my own as far as I do not try to be smart and try something they loath, being Indifferent to all and sundry!