Letter from Mara

by Venerable Punnadhammo


 

 Venerable Punnadhammo is the abbot of Arrow River Meditation
 Center in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Following ten years at
 the center as a lay student of Khema Ananda, he was ordained a
 bhikkhu at Wat Pah Nanachat in 1991. For more information about
 the center--->  Arrow River Forest Hermitage

Author's Note: Apologies are extended to the late C.S. Lewis, author of 'The Screwtape Letters', for my use of his clever idea.



Mara in Buddhism symbolizes the passions that overwhelm human beings as well as everything that hinders the arising of the wholesome roots and progress on the path of enlightenment.

Mara is the lord of the sixth heaven of the desire realm and is often depicted with a hundred arms, riding on an elephant.

According to legend, the Buddha Shakyamuni was attacked by Mara as he was striving for enlightenment, because Mara wanted to prevent him from showing men the way that liberates from suffering. Mara first called up a horde of demons, but Shakyamuni did not fear them. Then he sent his most beautiful daughter to seduce Shakyamuni, but before Shakyamuni's eyes she turned into an ugly hag, where upon Mara admitted conclusive defeat.*

*The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen


"Letter from Mara"

Part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4



Now in PDF --- Free Download

Letter From Mara
11 Pages - (54 KB)

A Letter from Mara — A story by Punnadhammo Bhikkhu - Arrow River Forest Hermitage. --- Written in the style of a 1950's Science Fiction story - Letter from Mara tells of the Matrix like existence we live as humans and what challenges lie ahead for those who want to wake up... A fun and insightful story.