------------------------------
The
Urban Dharma Newsletter - June 15, 2004
------------------------------
In
This Issue: Mara and His Armies
0.
Humor...
1.
Mara in Buddhism
2. The Great Enlightenment
3. Mara
4. Mara and His Children
5. MARA --- Buddhist teacher Eugene Cash
5. Temple/Center/Website: None
6. Book/CD/Movie: eBook - Letters from Mara ...A story by
Punnadhammo Bhikkhu - (Free eBook)
-------------------------------
0.
Humor...
The
LALA Times.com - Buddha's Gym: Becoming One With Any Body
http://www.lalatimes.com/Issue18/buddha.html
Physical
and spiritual toning are the twin pillars of a quietly trendy
gym in Venice, California, built around the embodiment of the
Buddha. Members dig the low-key approach to getting buff.
VENICE,
Ca. —When you enter Buddha's Gym on Rose Avenue, hanging
purple drapes, flickering candles and distant chanting bring
your attention to an inscription on the far wall: "Embrace
suffering — and move on."
Ananda
Jones, the gym's founder and manager, is a 37-year-old woman
with raven-black hair, a wiry frame and "Get Over Your
Self" inscribed across the seat of her velour sweatpants.
She practically floats through a tour of prospective members,
who attempt to keep pace. "The first illusion you've probably
already encountered is that because of the image of the Buddha,
you must be chubby to get in here. That's simply not true; the
goal is not to sit and gain weight — though we respect
that if that's your choice."
One
tour member asks if there's a dress code. "You may perceive
a certain… aesthetic here," says Jones, "but
there's no dress code. If someone wants to come in wearing a
g-stringy thing, everyone just goes with the flow — men
may see it for the temptation that it is, and even women may
ponder that woman's beautiful physical presence… but you
won't find people judging her. In fact, many of our female clients
admit they come here because they're tired of the leers they
get at the mainstream meat-market gyms. The vibe here is totally
chill, totally hip, 100% shanti."
On
the way to the workout room, we pass a food and juice bar with
esoteric names emblazoned on the menu overhead: Lotus Power
Shake, Himalayan Smoothies, Tibetan Drink of the Dead, Nirvana
Nutritional Bars, Chakra & Okra, Tofu or Not Tofu, Dharamsalad,
Tantric Toast & Cosmic Egg, and Kundalini Alfredo.
Jones
brings us to the first workout machine, where a muscular blond
young man wears a shirt which depicts the Buddha sitting beneath
the Bodhi tree, eyes shut, curling dumbbells with his wrists.
"We call this step machine the Eightfold Path. Each of
the eight levels gets increasingly difficult, but when you get
to the top, you'll see that it's well worth the work."
In fact, as we sneak a peek at the exerciser's monitor, it shifts
from level six, "Right effort," to level seven, "Right
mindfulness."
We
pass another step machine which simulates climbing 108 steps
to the top of a Buddhist stupa while chanting plays in the person's
headphones. In this case, as the exerciser walks along he gazes
into the screen image of the so-called "third eye,"
commonly depicted on the tops of stupas.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We
also offer a popular 'BuddhaSizeIt' class... and then there's
always 'Dharma and Spinning,' featuring the dreaded cycle of
Samsara... and our 'Karmaerobics' classes are really catching
on, too."
—
Ananda Jones - founder/manager, Buddha's Gym
------------------------------------------------------------------------
At
another station, a man grunts as he tries to turn a giant brass
"prayer wheel" cylinder around a steel pole. Each
rotation changes the digital number on a nearby monitor.
"In
L.A.," admits Jones, "not everyone will make time
to meditate, but they'll make time to go to the gym. So we sort
of kill two birds with one stone... well, we don't really hurt
anything — you know what I mean.
"We
don't like to get too hung up on machinery, too," says
Jones. "That's why in these other rooms you'll see we also
offer a popular 'BuddhaSizeIt' class… and then there's
always 'Dharma and Spinning,' featuring the dreaded cycle of
Samsara… and our 'Karmaerobics' classes are really catching
on, too."
The
end of our tour fittingly brings us to a sign over the exit
which states simply, "If the roots are strong, the tree
will flourish."
Jones
clasps the palms of her hands together and bids us all a shanti
day.
1.
Mara in Buddhism
http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/m/mara.html
In
Buddhism Mara is the demon that tempted Gautama Buddha trying
to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women. In Buddhist
cosmology, Mara is personified as the embodiment of unskilfulness,
the "death" of the spiritual life. He is a tempter,
distracting us from practising the spiritual life by making
the mundane alluring or the negative seem positive. The early
Buddhists, however, rather than seeing Mara as a demonic, virtually
all-powerful Lord of Evil, regarded him as more of a nuisance.
Many episodes concerning his interactions with the Buddha have
a decidedly humorous air to them. In traditional Buddhism four
senses of the word "mara" are given. Firstly, there
is klesa-mara, or Mara as the embodiment of all unskilful emotions.
Secondly, mrtyu-mara, or Mara as death, in the sense of the
ceaseless round of birth and death. Thirdly, skandha-mara, or
Mara as metaphor for the entirety of conditioned existence.
Lastly, devaputra-mara, or Mara the son of a god, that is, Mara
as an objectively existent being rather than as a metaphor.
Early Buddhism acknowledged both a literal and "psychological"
interpretation of Mara. Whichever way we ourselves understand
the term, Mara has power only to the extent that we give it
to him.
2.
The Great Enlightenment
http://www.kat.gr/kat/history/Rel/Bud/Buddha.htm
One
morning, seated under a banyan tree, Gotama accepted an offering
of a bowl of milk rice from Sujata, the daughter of the landowner
of the village of Senanigama. This was his last meal before
his Enlightenment. He spent the day in a grove of sal trees
and in the evening went to the base of a pipal tree (Ficus religiosa),
now known as the bodhi, or bo, tree, and sat cross-legged, determined
not to rise without attaining Enlightenment.
At
that point, the greatest of Gotama's struggles began: Mara,
the evil one, the tempter who is the lord of the world of passion,
determined to defeat him and prevent him from attaining Enlightenment;
he approached Gotama with his hideous demonic hordes. Gotama,
however, sat unmoved in meditation, supported only by the 10
paramitas ("great virtues") that he had perfected
during innumerable past lives as a bodhisattva ("buddha-to-be")
in order to attain Enlightenment. (In order to attain buddhahood,
all bodhisattvas [i.e., those who aspire to become buddhas]
have to perfect, during innumerable lives, these 10 paramitas:
charity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, patience, truth,
determination, universal love, and equanimity.) Mara was thus
vanquished and fled headlong with his armies of evil spirits.
The
battle with Mara is graphically described in ancient Buddhist
texts and depicted in paintings on the walls of Buddhist temples.
In the Padhanasutta ("Discourse on the Exertion")
of the Pali Suttanipata, one of the earliest texts, the Buddha
states that, when he was practicing austerities by the Nerañjara
River in Uruvela, Mara approached him, speaking such words as:
"You are emaciated, pale, you are near death. Live, Sir,
life is better. Do meritorious deeds. What is the use of striving?"
After some preliminary words, Gotama replied:
Lust
is your first army; the second is dislike for higher life; the
third is hunger and thirst; the fourth is craving; the fifth
is torpor and sloth; the sixth is fear (cowardice); the seventh
is doubt; the eighth is hypocrisy and obduracy; the ninth is
gains, praise, honour, false glory; the tenth is exalting self
and despising others. Mara, these are your armies. No feeble
man can conquer them, yet only by conquering them one wins bliss.
I challenge you! Shame on my life if defeated! Better for me
to die in battle than to live defeated. Mara, overcome with
grief, disappeared.
Having
defeated Mara, Gotama spent the rest of the night in deep meditation
under the tree. During the first part of the night he gained
the knowledge of his former existences. During the second part
of the night he attained the "superhuman divine eye,"
the power to see the passing away and rebirth of beings. In
the last part of the night he directed his mind to the knowledge
of the destruction of all cankers and defilements and realized
the Four Noble Truths. In words attributed to the Buddha himself:
"My mind was emancipated, . . . Ignorance was dispelled,
science (knowledge) arose; darkness was dispelled, light arose."
Thus
Gotama, at the age of 35, attained the Enlightenment, or Awakening,
and became a supreme buddha during the night of the full-moon
day of the month of Vesakha (May) at a place now called Bodh
Gaya (Pali and Sanskrit: Buddhagaya).
3.
Mara
http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/gcsere/revision/buddhism/bud1/8.html
As
soon as he started meditating, Siddhartha was confronted with
the figure of Mara, the lord of darkness. Mara tried to tempt
Siddhartha into despair and into giving up.
Mara
represents all the parts of us that don't want to change, that
are threatened by change, and want to deny it. Mara is that
part of you that opposes the good that you want to do and tries
to stop you acting upon what you know is right.
Mucalinda
As
he meditated, the great snake, Mucalinda, came out and sheltered
the meditating prince from the rain, he wound his body seven
times round the prince and sheltered the prince with his head.
Mucalinda
is the serpent. In Buddhist mythology the serpent or Naga represents
the forces of the depths, of the unconscious. The serpent also
represents the yogic idea of Kundalini - the coiled serpent
energy at the base of the spine, which is liberated by yogic
practice and rises up through the seven chakras or psychic centres.
So through Meditation the Buddha liberated his blocked and dormant
energies.
Mara's
Daughters
Mara
then sent his daughters to tempt Siddhartha. These represented
the spirits of lust, greed, desire, pride and ignorance. Siddhartha
kept his mind strong and resolute. Mara had tried to tempt Siddhartha
with these forms, but Siddhartha resisted them.
He
managed to master his own craving and desire. Siddhartha saw
through and dispelled the compulsions of Tanha (desire), Arati
(aversion) and Raga (lust).
Mara's
Hordes
Mara
became angry and sent his armies, the hordes of Mara, they represented
fear, and sum up all our deepest fears. The armies lined up
before Siddhartha and fired their arrows and spears at him.
Siddhartha was unmoved, and looked full square into his fears.
The flying arrows and spears turned to flowers in the air, their
petals raining down on the prince.
Siddhartha
faced his fears, he realised how we are all driven and dictated
by our fears, how they dissolve our ability to act and take
control. The Buddha let go of his fear and anger, and what he
feared turned into flowers.
The
Buddha's Ego
Then
Mara faced the Buddha himself, taking on the guise of the Buddha
himself. The Buddha faced Mara, and told him that this false
self, this ego, did not exist.
Mara
here represents the Buddha's ego, his false self. The self is
the object, the thing that one sees in the mirror. This is the
idea of a you that says, "I can do this", or "I
can't do that", or "I am like x", or "I
am not like Y", as if the self is a thing that can be fully
described and fixed. But the Buddha realised that this idea,
this ego, is pure illusion.
Earth
Goddess
Mara
demanded to know what right Siddhartha has to claim to be a
Buddha. Siddhartha then touched the earth, and called the earth,
in the shape of the Earth Goddess to witness his efforts over
many lives. The Earth Goddess testified to his right to occupy
the "throne" or the Vajrasana, the Diamond Seat. This
episode represented the natural forces in harmony with the Buddha's
path.
As
the morning star arose, the Buddha experienced full awareness
or Bodhi. He saw the ultimate reality of all things, that all
things are impermanent, they change, and that all movement in
the universe is an effect brought by a cause, he saw too that
there is no wisdom without compassion. From that moment he was
called the Buddha the awakened one.
4.
Mara and His Children
http://www.khandro.net/doctrine_four_maras.htm
In
a final, desperate attempt to foil the intent of the bodhisattva,
Shakyamuni; to diminish his merit and his karma in the face
of all the universe as he sits in determined meditation under
the Tree, the Tempter and Sower of Doubt, Great Mara manifests
with his offspring: Devaputramara, child of the gods; Kleshamara,
mental afflictions; Skandhamara, appearance as form, and Mrtyamara,
mortality.
Maras
According to Thrangu Rinpoche
Mara
is most commonly presented in the Buddhist tradition as four
different types of maras called: Devaputramara, the mara that
is the child of the gods; Kleshamara, the mara that is the mental
afflictions; Skandhamara, the mara that is the aggregates; and
finally Mrtyamara, the mara that is the lord of death. These
are primarily internal.
The
first of these, Devaputramara, the mara that is the child
of the gods, refers not to some kind of external demonic force
but primarily to your own great attachment and great craving.
Therefore, it is given the name of child of the gods, because
when this mara is depicted iconographically — because
it is craving or wanting something so much —it is not
depicted as something ugly and threatening, but as something
attractive, because that is the feeling-tone of attachment.
It is liking things so much that it interferes with your dharma
practice and your attainment of awakening.
The
second mara, Kleshamara, the mara that is mental afflictions,
is your mental afflictions themselves. These become a mara because,
due to the beginning-less habit of maintaining and cultivating
them, they keep on popping up again and again. They are very
hard to abandon or even to suppress, and when they are momentarily
absent, they come up again, and in that way they interfere with
your practice of dharma.
The
third mara is Skandamara, the mara of the aggregates. The
aggregates here refer to the five aggregates that make up samsaric
existence — forms, sensations, perceptions, thoughts,
and consciousness. Now, these aggregates are themselves mara,
because being aggregates or composite, they are impermanent.
Being impermanent they are constantly changing, and therefore
they are always a cause, directly or indirectly, of suffering.
In order to attain permanent happiness, in order to transcend
the suffering of samsara, we must transcend the five aggregates.
There is simply no way to attain a state of permanent happiness
within the bondage of these aggregates.
The
fourth of the four maras is death itself, which is depicted
iconographic[al]ly as wrathful or unpleasant. Death, of course,
is what we are most afraid of. Death is what comes with great
agony and fear and pain. ~ issue 10 of Shenpen Osel news.
Ven.
Traleg Khyabgon Rinpoche: "The devil is that aspect of
ourselves that is unexplored, unacknowledged, denied, pushed
out. Mara it is called in Sanskrit."
Gampopa
in The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: ... "the name of certain
limiting experiences, which, as the term Mara [<cf. French:
mort] implies, have a deadening influence on life."
...
elaborating on the mara-nature of skandhas "the psychosomatic
constituents of individual life" which when we conceive
of any of these as Real or "ultimates" they have deadening
influence - so we practice to maintain insight (and non-attachment)
as they arise.
And
"The experiences in meditation which [seem to] have a 'divine'
character because they go beyond the merely human concern, are
also nothing ultimate in themselves. But by clinging to them
instead of understanding them they turn into dead concepts which
are likely to undermine the mental health of the individual.
Hence they are termed 'the deadly influence of divine powers'.
It is necessary to overcome these deadly foes if spiritual freedom
is to be won."
"So
-- rather like something in my fridge when it has sat in there
too long unattended to. Phew! has to be thrown out! I like the
notion that clinging to anything as "me" or "mine"
as "deadening" -- it seems so. Solid, opaque bodies
that cling certainly leave the realm of our Unborn BuddhaNature
and thus tend to smell, and to die." ~ J. on the Kagyu
email list
Devaputra
Mara
This
Mara is a way of talking about a condition of life, or a thing,
that seems so good that we give it special consideration instead
of regarding it with equanimity.
"This
describes something instantly recognizable that I never had
a name for. Actually it is something I reflect on every morning
on the bus. As a somewhat lonely gay practitioner who was celibate
from age 22 to 34, and is still without a partner at 50, handsome
men can provide a certain challenge to my morning equanimity.
[For] Somehow I have never found the aversion therapy approach
of the oft- recommended "bag of pus," [viewing the
body as merely the sack of vile fluids] ... very appealing.
In
the face of beauty I prefer to briefly acknowledge the suffering
of the afflictive emotions and move on to attempt to engender
bodhicitta: Joy dedicated rather than denigrated.
For
some time now these "devaputtra maras" have caused
me to offer up prayers that [those people] come to experience
the blessings [as expressed] in the Four Immeasureables.
And
then I reflect that their beauty alone makes them no more deserving
than any one else on the bus, and my seemingly casual gaze and
intention embraces all of [the passengers with no exceptions]
as well. Alternately I pray that the object of my interest,
and all beings, be reborn from the lotus buds in Sukhavati [the
Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha.]
Some
days the escalators at Vancouver's Granville Skytrain Station
carry a stream of lotuses up and out into the morning."
~ The Kagyu Mailing List
5.
MARA --- Buddhist teacher Eugene Cash, from "Letter
to a Householder," Spirit Rock News
http://www.donshewey.com/2001_zine/mara.html
I
have tried to study the Eight-Fold Path as you recommended.
In fact I spent some time contemplating "Right Speech"
and when I examined the content of my conversation it was appalling.
I’d say 90% of the time is spent telling stories about
someone who isn’t present, analyzing their problems or
maybe even discussing their plight for sheer entertainment value!
If I’m not talking about someone else in social situations,
then I’m most likely worrying, planning, comparing or
complaining. I suppose I could talk about the weather . . .
.
In
your letter one attitude stands out that needs to be addressed
and responded to: the level and identification with self-criticism,
self-judgment, and self-condemnation. In psychological terms,
the super-ego. This one area, if left unilluminated, will render
much spiritual work and practice impotent and ineffectual. So
I want to speak to this in some detail. Personally, I see the
condemnation and self-attack to be the single most pervasive
hindrance to spiritual (or psychological) understanding. It
functions, as far as I can tell, to keep the (familiar) sense
of self in place. It doesn’t allow for objectivity or
maturation. Thus it is vital to become aware of, and to learn
to dis-identify with, the inner critic. It is imperative that
we study this aspect of self.
In
the Buddhist scriptures this phenomenon is at the center of
the story of Gautama Siddhartha’s enlightenment. As he
sits under the bodhi tree, rooted in his commitment and resolve
to awaken, he is attacked by Mara, the evil one in Buddhist
mythology. Mara attacks the Buddha with what are called the
armies of Mara to dislodge him from his goal. After all the
armies of greed, hatred and delusion fail, Mara himself shows
up and challenges the Buddha: "What right do you have to
enlightenment?" Mara comes at this penultimate moment in
the quest for freedom as judgment. A Buddhist version of "who
do you think you are, buddy?" And the Buddha responds by
touching the earth to acknowledge his right to be here, his
right to awaken. And he awakens in the next moment.
How
can we relate to and use this archetypal story in our own struggle
for liberation, for freedom? In my practice I find it is essential
to be aware of what is occurring, whether I like what is happening
or not. This is true even if what is happening goes beyond the
reality with which I am familiar and the constructed sense of
self, which is based on familial, cultural, societal, or spiritual
injunctions. In order to let go of something (greed, aversion,
fear, lust, apprehension, etc.) I have to know it directly,
without denial, repression, or pejorative judgment.
We
need to study the judging mind and learn to dis-identify, to
de-cathect from it. We need to disempower this habit of mind
because it disembowels us. We begin by paying attention to judgment.
We want to see it. How does it come? As words, images, beliefs,
a sense of feeling bad about ourselves, a sense of unworthiness?
What are the specifics of it? It can be helpful to add some
reflection and investigation to mindfulness of judgment. Why
do we believe it? What happens if we don’t believe it?
What other practices will help diminish the power of judgment?
How is it addressed in Buddhism? How is it viewed and worked
with in other traditions? Does modern psychological understanding
offer any help for working with the form of Mara? What practices
of compassion and loving-kindness might be called for here?
What books might be helpful? (See Soul Without Shame by Byron
Brown (Shambhala); Loving-Kindness and Heart as Big as the World
by Sharon Salzburg (Shambhala); and Tara Brach has a set of
tapes called "Radical Self Acceptance".)
We
begin to learn how to work with judgment as part of our practice.
When Mara comes we touch the earth, figuratively or literally
sometimes, to acknowledge our right to stay present, wakeful
and compassionate with experience. With those qualities as a
foundation, awakening can occur, release happens!
Now
developing those capacities requires practice, patience, resolve
and kindness. So my question to you is what are you doing to
cultivate these qualities? For me sitting practice, just doing
it regularly at home and on retreat, teaches me to be patient
with myself and my experience because I can’t control
it; develops my sense of resolve and the power of commitment;
and helps nourish kindness through the recognition of the suffering
(mine). If you pay attention you may notice that parenting can
also develop these qualities and more. To parent well we need
to be aware, responsive, patient, kind, etc. I have no doubt
that you bring these qualities to your parenting practice. My
question is: Do you recognize this as practice? Do you recognize
the qualities being developed? The cultivation of "Right
View" ("Right" meaning "that which brings
us in accord with the truth") is to begin to recognize
that each moment is practice. If you can begin to do this you
can begin to recognize the positive qualities that are being
cultivated in your relationship, parenting, work and community.
How
do we respond when we discover qualities that are not so positive?
You describe your reaction as you become mindful of your speech
and seeing how much speech is disconnected to the qualities
you would wish. You sound disturbed by this realization. Dharma
practice is disturbing! If it weren’t it wouldn’t
be worth the time, effort and struggle that it calls for. Dharma
practice is difficult, disturbing and challenging. But there
is a big difference between being disturbed and being attacked,
between waking up and beating (ourselves) up. It is the difference
between objectively perceiving that my speech is inappropriate
and condemning myself. The self-condemnation is Mara. It arises
out of delusion, the delusion of not seeing clearly how deeply
we have been conditioned. One of the natural responses to seeing
clearly our conditioning is compassion. Other objective responses
are resolve and commitment to study this part of ourselves.
So
Mara comes to us . . . Big surprise! Even after the Buddha was
fully and completely enlightened Mara kept coming. Mara would
appear in many disguises and the Buddha, through the power of
his presence and mindfulness, would say "I see you, Mara."
In the texts Mara would say "the blessed one has seen me"
as he crept away. This is our work: seeing Mara. Bringing a
kind and caring attention to what is true and not true as we
"study the self."
One
last word about Mara. A sense of humor, developing the capacity
to hold it all lightly, really helps. We can get so tight that
practice becomes a burden, something else to feel bad about,
and that doesn’t help anyone. Life is short. Let’s
enjoy the absurdity as well as the profundity.
6.
Letters from Mara ...A story by Punnadhammo Bhikkhu - Arrow
River Forest Hermitage
This
is a free eBook (11 pages/54KB) you can download from
the link below...
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/lettersfrommara.pdf
A
story about mara and his armies... Author's Note: Apologies
are extended to the late C.S. Lewis, author of 'The Screwtape
Letters', for my use of his clever idea.
Letter
From Mara
Your
first squadron is Sense-Desires,
Your second is called Boredom,
then Hunger and Thirst compose the third,
And Craving is the fourth in rank,
The fifth is Sloth and Accidy,
While Cowardice lines up as sixth,
Uncertainty is seventh,
the eighth Is Malice paired with Obstinacy;
Gain, Honour and Renown, besides,
And ill-won Notoriety, Self-Praise and Denigrating Others.
These
are your squadrons, Namuci;
These are the Black One's fighting squadrons;
None but the brave will conquer them To gain bliss by the victory
(Sutta Nipata III, 2 Nyanamoli translation "Life of the
Buddha" p.20)
In
a faraway realm there is the most intoxicatingly beautiful pleasure
park in all the vast swarm of universes. Lovely maidens and
carefree youths stroll through groves of ever-flowering trees.
Golden leaves swayed by gentle breezes tinkle with soft and
lazy melodies. Gorgeous birds and enormous butterflies flutter
through the shady groves. The ground slopes up gently and in
the distance a fairy castle is visible atop a craggy peak; a
marvelous structure of twisting towers and intricate parapets.
Its very geometry dazzles the senses, no need to speak of the
jewel encrusted walls, the golden roofs or the gargoyles of
alabaster and jade.
In
the highest tower of this dazzling construction there is a large
and tastefully appointed room; an office if you will. Behind
a massive desk of rarest wood and cunning joinery there lounges
an elegant figure in a comfortable leather chair. He is tall
and handsome, impeccably dressed and groomed. His style is timeless
yet fashionable, his demeanor polished and suave. A goddess
of unearthly beauty sits beside him on a low stool, doing his
nails. Another one sits across from him with a dictation pad
on her lap.
The
being behind the desk glances out the huge picture window with
a smile of contentment. He watches the happy godlings at play
with a paternal satisfaction. After a while he turns to the
lovely goddess across from him, the heavenly secretary, and
speaks; "I'll want to dictate a letter in a moment my dear
-- in the meantime would you be a sweetheart and prepare a cup
of coffee while I survey the state of my empire..." The
manicurist gathers up her implements and exits with a smile
and a wink.
As
his secretary glides gracefully towards the celestial coffee-maker
the Prince of the Sense-Realms allows himself the pleasure of
a lascivious glance before getting down to business. His now
perfectly manicured hand rests upon a computer mouse (unicorn
ivory with a ruby button); with a few deft maneuvres he reprograms
the view in the window.
First
he checks out the various heavens within his dominion; the worlds
of pleasure where gods and goddesses sport in gardens and groves;
wandering about in heavenly chariots they travel from party
to party, from festival to feast. Clothed in gorgeous raiment
and bedecked with garlands and jewels they are intoxicated with
their own beauty. Heavenly musicians play constantly and celestial
nymphs of bewitching loveliness dance for aeons without a pause.
Of course every now and again one of these beings disappears
- poof - like a Christmas tree light burning out. The others
seem barely to notice; the more thoughtful may pause momentarily
and blink once or twice but are soon diverted from any momentary
melancholy.
"Ah...my
children, how they do like to play! But some don't play as nicely
as they might..." Another flick of the mouse and the window
displays beings in the animal realm. Running and chasing, hunting
and devouring, mating and giving birth.Caught in traps or dying
through cold or heat, briefly they pass in and out of existence.
Again
the view changes. The ghost realm appears, shadowy and dark.
Beings move about moaning and wailing, misshapen beings coarse
and ugly. Many have bloated bellies and tiny heads, some are
like living skeletons, others creep pathetically around refuse
piles.
Then
the hells come into view. Realms of fire and pain. Worlds of
unspeakable cruelty and horror. Beings impaled on red-hot iron
stakes, beings thrown into pits of fire and fished out again
with hooks. Beings boiled in cauldrons or skewered with knives.
The
Prince's mouth curls into a faint frown of disgust. He receives
his cup of steaming coffee gracefully as a swarm of writhing
beings falls into a pit full of blazing coals. The secretary
says with a divine pout "That's simply awful Mara sweetie,
I don't know why you keep that place going." A black eyebrow
is raised; "My goodness! As if it were my fault! Hell isn't
exactly my favorite...
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