|
In the paradigmatic tale of the spiritual rebirth, or enlightenment, of the Buddha, he sits under a bodhi tree. The young prince is determined to receive spiritual illumination. While he sits cross-legged in meditation, Mara, the foe of joy and peace, comes to attack the young seeker. Mara uses a sword and arrows to deter the young prince and frighten him. Yet, the weapons against the aspirate turn each into flowers.
This story is a mythic portrayal of the human journey with the Word, Christ: Who is Light. If we wait long enough and open ourselves to Christ, we find that Mara, or Satan, attacks us with perceived weapons. Mara, or Satan, is that tendency in the self to sabotage loyalty to move to a deeper fellowship with the Universal Light.
There is a Mara, or Satan, in all of us. We each have a tendency to spoil our innate Light-given inheritance of joy and peace and love. But the Light One wants nothing less than you to experience daily love, joy, and peace.
We might like to focus outside ourselves. Then, we can blame someone or something for dissatisfaction or discontentment. "I would feel love but...." I would have joy but...." "I would like to have daily peace but...." "If only you understood what I go through...." Even some spouse might say, "If only you knew what I live with...." Or, one might say, "If only you knew whom I have to work with...." But, see, all these statements are about something or someone outside ourselves. Love, joy, and peace are about a spiritual quality of the Light, one that can never, no never, come from what is outside.
It is amazing the rationale we can use to escape the very things we most want to be blessed with and enjoy. Then we may complain that we do not have the things we ourselves sabotaged earlier. I have done that, possibly you have, too.
However, we, like the young prince, can choose not to project outward our tendencies to unhappiness and misery. We can open to that innate brokenness that we Christians call Original Sin. Original Sin is not that we are bad; there is an unnatural tendency in us to err from love, joy, and peace.
We can own our own self-debilitating tendencies and ask the Spirit of Christ for help to discontinue blaming our misery on others. We can pray, "Dear Light, I want so much to have Your love, Your joy, and Your peace. Flow and saturate me, thoroughly with Your Self. I open my self as best I know how to be led in the ways of love, joy, and peace. I need Grace. I open to You, Love. Show me how I sabotage the possibilities to have these qualities I so long to enjoy and share. I am open, grant me courage to remain open."
|
|
But what about Mara's, or Satan's, flowers? Ironically, it is that which you feel assaults you that is present to bless you. Right now many of my friends are facing situations that are painful and provide a temptation to, so to speak, throw up the hands and say, "What's the use!" My heart goes out to them, and I love them in prayer and presence, letting myself feel their pain.
What I try to communicate to them, even if unspoken by me, is "Please, don't miss the flowers." That is, the very situations that seem so oppressive and hurtful do bear hope and blessings. Arrows and swords, meant to hurt us, are the very energy that contains what we most want. If we quickly seek to run from the arrows and sword, we might miss staying long enough to see the beautiful, aromatic flowers that come forth from them. I hope you get the metaphor.
It is the imagination of faith that promotes being able to see that flowers are forthcoming, if we can realize the temporality of Mara's, or Satan's, attacks. Mara, in the Buddha myth, represents all in us that seems bent on annihilating all that would help us enjoy joy. However, with patience, faith, and love that same energy is transformed and bears the fruits of love, joy, and peace.
So, please be patient, as you judge most wise. Please stay in love. Do return to moments of nurturing peace. Whatever seems to be trying to bring you hurt is that which is the harbinger of perfect peace and salvation, which is, healing and wholeness.
*OneLife writings are offered by Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist pastor serving in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. He writes in the spirit of John Wesley's focus on the priority of inner experience of the Triune God; scriptural holiness; ongoing sanctification; the goal of Christian perfection (or, wholeness). Brian seeks to integrate the best of the contemplative teachings of Christianity East and West, from the patristic Church to the present. Brian lives a vowed contemplative life with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, in North Florida. OneLife writings are for anyone seeking to live and share love, joy, and peace in the world and in devotion to God as she or he best understands God.
*Brian's book An Ache for Union, a book of poems on mystical union with God through love, can be ordered through major on-line booksellers.
The Grace of Christ be with All!
|
