Chapter 24 Chapter 2 Emotions and Pain-6

During the battle of Bodh Gaya, Mara used various weapons to attack Siddhartha.He specially sacrificed a large number of special bows and arrows.Each arrow has the power to destroy: the arrow that causes lust, the arrow that causes mental dullness, the arrow that causes pride, the arrow that causes conflict, the arrow that causes arrogance, the arrow that causes blind obsession, and the arrow that causes loss of consciousness. arrows and more.We read in the Buddhist scriptures that in everyone's mind, the devil is still undefeated - he shoots all kinds of poisonous arrows at us at any time.When we lose awareness and cling to the ego, that is Mara's anesthetic.Gradually, destructive emotions must follow and permeate our whole body.

When we are hit by the arrow of desire, all common sense, composure and clarity disappear, and false dignity, resignation and immorality slowly seep in.People who are poisoned will do anything to get what they want.A person who is hit by lust may think that a hippo soliciting sex on the street is sexy, while a beauty sitting at home is crazy.Like moths to a flame and fish to a bait, millions of people around the world have fallen into the trap for food, fame, praise, money, beauty and reverence. Greed can also manifest itself as a desire for power.Leaders obsessed with such greed turn a blind eye to how their lust for power destroys the world.If it weren't for the greed of some peoples for wealth, the highways would have been filled with solar-powered vehicles and there would have been no famines.And at the same time, we resent the injustice and blame it on George Bush et al.We are shot by the arrow of greed and fail to see that it is actually our own desires - such conveniences as owning cheap imported electronics, luxury Hummers - that are supporting the war that is destroying the world .Every day during rush hour in Los Angeles, the roads are jammed with thousands of single-occupancy vehicles, while the ride-sharing lanes are empty.Even those demonstrating against No Blood for Oil rely on imported kiwifruit for their fruit smoothies.

Mara's bow creates never-ending conflict.Throughout history, religious figures who have been held to stand above desire as exemplars of integrity and virtue have repeatedly attested to the same hunger for power.They manipulate believers with threats of hell and threats of heaven.Today, we see politicians going to the point where they might bomb innocent countries with Tomahawk missiles in order to rig elections and build support in the polls.Who cares if you win the war as long as you win the election.Other politicians pretend to be holy to trumpet religion, get themselves shot, create heroes, fake disasters, all to satisfy their lust for power.

When the ego is full of pride, it manifests in countless ways—such as narrow-mindedness, racism, vulnerability, fear of rejection, fear of being hurt, insensitivity, etc.Out of masculine arrogance, men have suppressed the capabilities and contributions of over half of humanity - women.During courtship, each partner exhibits individual arrogance, constantly assessing whether the other is worthy of them, or whether he is worthy of the other.A wealthy nobleman squandered a one-day wedding for a marriage that he didn't know whether it would last long; on the same day, people in the same village were dying of hunger.A tourist rewards his revolving door concierge with ten dollars to show off, and the next minute he's haggling with a peddler struggling to support his family for a five-dollar T-shirt.

Pride and self-pity go hand in hand.Egoism is purely self-indulgent, thinking that your own life is harder and sadder than everyone else's.When the ego develops self-pity, the space for others to develop compassion disappears.In this imperfect world, many people have suffered and are still suffering.But some people's suffering is classified as more "special" suffering.Although exact statistics are not available, we can be fairly certain that the Europeans who colonized North America slaughtered as many Native Americans as other recorded genocides.However, there is no widely used term such as "anti-Semitic" or "Holocaust" to describe this unimaginable massacre.

The massacres by Stalin and Rwandan Hutus have no recognizable labels, let alone elaborate museums, legal charges for vengeance, and endless documentaries and dramas.Muslims cry out for persecution, forgetting that their Mughal ancestors, in the name of preaching, subdued most of Asia's devastation.The devastation they wrought - many remains of the monuments and temples that were once erected in honor of various gods were destroyed, and traces of them can still be traced today. There is also the arrogance of belonging to a school or religion.Christians, Jews, and Muslims all believe in the same God, who is, in a sense, brother and sister.However, due to the arrogance of each of these religions and the belief that they are the "correct" religion, the number of deaths has so far exceeded the combined number of deaths in the two world wars.

Racism spills from the poisoned arrows of pride.Many Asians and Africans accuse white people in the West of being racist, but racism is equally entrenched in Asia.In western countries at least there are laws against racism and it is publicly condemned.A Singaporean girl cannot bring her Belgian husband home to meet his family.In Malaysia, Chinese and Indians cannot obtain the status of "sons of the land" (that is, Malays) even if they have settled there for several generations.Many second-generation Koreans in Japan are still unable to naturalize as Japanese.While many Caucasians adopt children of color, wealthy families in Asia are less likely to adopt Caucasian children.How many Asians would feel.What would happen if these immigrants established their own communities, took jobs locally, imported brides from their homes, spoke their own language for generations, refused to use the language of the host country, and supported religious extremism in their home countries.

Jealousy is another arrow of Mola.It is one of the most powerful loser emotions.It's irrational and creates wild stories to distract you.It will pounce when you least expect it, maybe even when you are enjoying a symphony.Even though you never wanted to be a cellist, or even touched a cello, you might start feeling jealous of that innocent cellist you've never met.Just because she is so talented is enough to poison your heart. Most people in the world are jealous of America.Many religious and political fanatics ridiculed and criticized the United States, calling Americans "fellow travelers of the devil" and "imperialists."Out of sheer envy, and often induced by the media, the general public in society almost always criticizes anyone or anything who is successful, be it financial, physical, or academic.Some journalists claim to be defending the disadvantaged and disadvantaged, but are often afraid to point out that some "disadvantaged groups" are actually fanatics.These journalists refuse to expose any abuses and crimes, and the few who speak out risk being stigmatized as extremist.

Mara cleverly preaches freedom, wanting to gain followers, but he doesn't necessarily like it if someone actually exercises it.Basically, we want freedom only for ourselves, not for others.No wonder, if we really exercise all our freedom, we won't be invited to any parties. This so-called freedom and democracy is just another tool of Mara's control.