The Awakening

Under the sprawling Bodhi Tree,

Siddhartha sits with his primary vow:

How to alleviate suffering

In this world--here and now.

 

Suddenly, Mara appears--

Mara the tempter--with his sinister grin.

Siddhartha stays calm and unafraid

And graciously welcomes the tempter in.

 

Offering supernatural powers

Around which the human ego revolves,

Mara observes as Siddhartha sits,

And every thought of power dissolves.

 

Mara then offers his beautiful daughters,

Hoping Siddhartha yields to temptation.

In silence the unperturbed seeker

Shows the depth of his aspiration.

 

Growing furious, Mara calls up

Armies of demons of fear and desire.

They surely should stir Siddhartha's

Deep anxieties and inner fire.

 

Siddhartha merely gains greater insight

Instead of succumbing to Mara's ploys.

Mara departs in a rage, leaving

Siddhartha in a calm, quiescent poise.

 

After six days a Buddha "awakens"

As the traces of night start to disperse.

From looking into his innermost nature,

He's seen the face of the universe.

 

(6-28-16)