Assualted by Temptations
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:47 am
In the narrative of Buddha's enlightenment it is said that the closer he got to freedom, the harder Mara attempted to entrap him back into desire. Until recently, I took the story as a fable with Mara as a personification, not an actual person. But recent events in my life have led me to believe that there may be more to it than I believed
To be brief: it seems that every time I renounce something I suddenly find myself drowning in it. I give money away and people start offering me $20 bills or I find lesser denominations blowing about in the wind. I resolve to eat only one meal a day, and suddenly I get free food without so much as hinting that I am hungry. I tell the chicks to frak off and teenaged girls all say hi to me with big dumb smiles on their faces whenever I walk by and fondle each other with the clear intention of enticing me.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is Mara really out to get me (and if so, how much should I hold out for)?
To be brief: it seems that every time I renounce something I suddenly find myself drowning in it. I give money away and people start offering me $20 bills or I find lesser denominations blowing about in the wind. I resolve to eat only one meal a day, and suddenly I get free food without so much as hinting that I am hungry. I tell the chicks to frak off and teenaged girls all say hi to me with big dumb smiles on their faces whenever I walk by and fondle each other with the clear intention of enticing me.
Has this happened to anyone else? Is Mara really out to get me (and if so, how much should I hold out for)?