Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/08/2019

Māra threatens the Buddha with a “mental snare” in the sky.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse: “There’s a mental snare wandering the sky. I’ll bind you with it—you won’t escape me, ascetic!” “Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touches so delightful: desire for these is gone from me. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/07/2019

Māra discourages the Buddha from teaching, warning him that he will become corrupted by favoritism.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans near the brahmin village of Ekasālā. Now, at that time the Buddha was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople. Then Māra thought, “The ascetic Gotama is teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople. Why don’t I go and pull the wool over their eyes? [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/06/2019

The Buddha rests after being struck by stone splinters, and Māra criticizes him for being lazy.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Maddakucchi deer park. Now at that time the Buddha’s foot had been cut by a splinter. The Buddha was stricken by harrowing pains; physical feelings that were painful, sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, and disagreeable. But he endured with mindfulness and situational awareness, without worrying. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/05/2019

Māra criticizes the Buddha for his lion’s roar, asserting that the Buddha is not in fact peerless.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now, at that time the Buddha was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly. Then Māra thought, “The ascetic Gotama is teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly. Why don’t I go and pull the wool over their eyes?” Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse: “Why now do you roar like a lion? [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/04/2019

Māra smashes boulders in an attempt to scare the Buddha.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the Buddha feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, approached him, and crushed some large boulders close by him. Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse: “Even if you shake this entire Vulture’s Peak, the rightly released, the awakened, are unshaken. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/03/2019

Though the Buddha says that life is short, Māra says it is long.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There the Buddha … said: “Mendicants, the life span of humans is short. You must go to the next life. So you should do what is skillful, you should practice the spiritual life. No-one born is immortal. A long life is a hundred years or a little more. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/02/2019

Though the Buddha says that life is short, Māra says it is long.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, the life span of humans is short. You must go to the next life. So you should do what is skillful, you should practice the spiritual life. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 05/01/2019

The Buddha and Māra exchange verses on whether attachments are a source of delight or suffering.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence: “Your children bring you delight! Your cattle also bring you delight! For attachments are a man’s delight; without attachments there’s no delight. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 04/30/2019

After meditating all night, the Buddha lies down to sleep at dawn, and Māra scolds him for being lazy.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. He spent most of the night practicing walking meditation in the open. At the crack of dawn he washed his feet and entered his dwelling. He laid down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. [Read More]

Your Daily Digital Buddhist Devotion for 04/29/2019

Māra manifests as a huge serpent, but the Buddha is unshaken.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the Buddha feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, manifested in the form of a huge serpent king and approached him. [Read More]