The way in which the story goes, when Siddhartha sat beneath the Bodhi tree and meditated on the night time he was to turn out to be the Buddha, the god Mara slung arrows at him all night time.
Mara is basically the god of Shadow, and his arrows have been manifestations of all of the unawakened ideas and feelings of Siddhartha’s human expertise. These included (amongst others) anger, lust, jealousy, disgrace, embarrassment, and self-doubt.
With every arrow that reduce by way of the air in direction of him, Siddhartha introduced consciousness and compassion to it. The arrows, when obtained by his compassionate consciousness, become flowers and fell at his ft.
By the point morning arrived, there was a sea of flowers surrounding the now woke up Buddha.
Even after he turned “enlightened,” the Buddha found that Mara would present up on occasion when he was educating. He can be educating to a crowd, and describe seeing Mara stroll round within the again.
His response to Mara remained this heat, compassionate consciousness. “Hiya Mara, I see you there. Let’s have tea.”
The Ego
In fashionable terminology we are able to contemplate Mara to be our Ego. It’s the place of all our ideas, worries, fears, and behaviors which inhibit us from being fully open, lighthearted, and compassionate each second of day-after-day.
Our Ego is each our safety from ache and supply of our emotional and psychological points. It operates each consciously and never.
Having an Ego is a part of being human. We cannot eradicate our Ego from our being any greater than we are able to eradicate our DNA. It’s tied to us. Nonetheless, it’s not true that all we’re is Ego, and we are able to be taught to free ourselves from our Ego’s sticky grasp and see life from an even bigger perspective.
You Are Not Your Ego
With mindfulness apply, we be taught to see our Ego as an object in our consciousness, not who we actually are. We’re capable of see Mara and his arrows earlier than they inflict their wounds.
The extra apply we get at being nonetheless, the extra simply we’re capable of witness the noise of our minds and never establish with it.
After we are nonetheless in meditation, our minds will communicate up and attempt to get our consideration. But when our minds are attempting to get our consideration, then we are able to’t be our minds.
We should be one thing else. We’re those listening to our minds. If we’re conscious that Ego is current, we can’t be it.
You’re the one who hears your Ego, who responds to your Ego. You’re the consciousness that resides past your Ego. For many of us, more often than not, we establish as the Ego.
Over time and with apply we be taught to establish extra with the background area of consciousness, the area backstage of Ego. That is the journey of enlightenment.
Being Conscious With Ego
A pair years again, issues have been notably demanding for me. I had loads happening with work and household and my to-do checklist felt longer than common, full of objects that loomed massive over my head.
I used to be sitting on my sofa feeling overwhelmed when my spouse requested me if I would love her assist to triage my checklist of duties. She provided to assist me arrange a schedule for the subsequent few days so I might accomplish what I needed to do in a clearer, calmer, extra grounded vogue.
When she stated that, this white-hot burning sensation of anger and resentment got here effervescent up from my intestine.
It needed to shout at her, “Depart me alone! I’m high quality! I don’t want you to inform me what to do! You’re not my mother!” That was my Ego, and I used to be aware of its presence.
On condition that consciousness, I used to be empowered to reply, “Nicely, this white-hot burning sensation of anger and resentment got here effervescent up once you requested that, so… sure, I feel it’d be an excellent thought so that you can assist me.”
She did, and it was really useful as I broke up my lengthy checklist into manageable bite-size items.
The Journey of Enlightenment
There’s a notion about enlightenment that there’s a full dissolution of Ego revealing absolute bliss. I don’t assume that’s completely correct.
As a substitute, contemplate the angle that enlightenment is a technique of studying to not relinquish management of our lives to our Egos. We be taught to remain above them. We have now our Egos sit within the again seat of the automobile of our life; we don’t give them the steering wheel at any time when they present up.
Our Egos are going to have a response to life – corresponding to getting offended at my spouse for her provide to assist me triage my to-do checklist.
Nonetheless, the extra I understand I’m the attention behind my Ego, the extra I’m able to see the response of my Ego as not me, and know that I’m free to decide on one other manner.
The Buddha stated, “I see you, Mara, let’s have tea,” as an alternative of “Right here Mara, you’re taking the microphone.” We don’t kill our demons, as an alternative we be taught to beat them by recognizing we don’t should combat them.
One other falsehood about enlightenment is that it occurs all of sudden. The concept that there’s a spontaneous parting of the clouds and every little thing is completely crystal clear is a pleasant one.
It does occur, however that’s not the one manner it occurs. Enlightenment isn’t a selected expertise to have, however slightly, a course of to undertake.
Everybody I do know who has ever had a spontaneous awakening has not completely shed their Ego. It comes again. Having the spontaneous expertise is nice story-telling, however there’s extra to the story afterwards.
A zen story goes:
A scholar approached his grasp and requested, “How do I attain enlightenment?”
The grasp replied, “Chop wooden, carry water.”
“And what do I do after I attain enlightenment?”
“Chop wooden, carry water.”
Enlightenment isn’t the tip. It’s one other step on the journey. Could your journey proceed.
