UnbornMind Zen

Posts Tagged ‘Evil’

The best way to expose evil is through its actions. The proclivities of Satan and Māra are well documented. The activities of Satan or the Devil are many, but for the most part fall into the following categories: temptation, deception, obstruction and torment, possession and instigation, and destruction. (Boyd) Satan the Tempter The best known instance is the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Alone, living in the wilds with little food or shelter for 40 days, Jesus as human was susceptible Read more [...]

Evil is wide and prevalent in our Saha-World. Unlike the Truth, it assumes an endless array of faces and embeds itself unmercifully in all the assorted-affairs of sentient beings. The dominant Western and Eastern terms for these faces of evil are Satan and Māra. The term “Satan” is derived from a Hebrew term meaning, the adversary. The popular term “Devil” is derived from the Greek, diabolos. Both of these terms are found in the New Testament and later on in the writings of the Church Read more [...]

On Ash Wednesday, February 18th, roughly 1.2 Billion across the globe will be ushering-in the season of Lent. One of the passages from scripture that always begins this solemn season, is the one in which Jesus is tempted by Satan for 40 days in the Desert. This is a highly symbolic event, since Lent itself lasts 40 days; and so, during this stretch of time, one is asked to do assorted penances and make new resolutions, ones that are in tune with self-denying one’s carnal appetites, in favor Read more [...]

For this study of the Vimalakirti Sutra I have been referring to four different translations. My primary source has been Robert Thurman’s text; the root base of his text is akin to another, truly marvelous, translation by the renowned Belgian scholar and Indologist, Étienne Lamotte; Lamotte’s translation was difficult to come by. It was long out of print and the surviving available hard-copies were too astronomical in price. Fortunately, I was able (finally, just two weeks ago) to get a Read more [...]

4. The Reluctance of the Bodhisattvas, cont’d The Buddha then said to the bodhisattva Jagatimdhara, "Jagatimdhara, go to the Licchavi Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness." Jagatimdhara replied, "My Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness. Why? Lord, I remember that one day, when I was at home, the wicked Mara, disguised as Indra and surrounded with twelve thousand heavenly maidens, approached me with the sounds of music and singing. Having saluted Read more [...]

On Wednesday for many quarters the solemn season of Lent begins. The whole premise is based on the encounter that the Bodhisattva Jesus had with Satan (Mara) in the desert of karmadhautu for 40 days. For many, they just outwardly “deny” themselves something for this time period before Easter rolls-around—but it’s all really just superficial—no true inner Metanoia occurs. Yet, that encounter in the desert is another metaphor for something that constitutes the inner warfare that occurs Read more [...]