Earth Touching Buddha

[Kyousui]

I found a neat picture on the web about Buddha touching the earth while surrounded by Mara's delusions. The one on the web was not of the best quality and probably copied from a book source ( which I can't find) so I had a pro photographer friend massage it. Since I'm not eager to mess with my equanimity, I'll just post a link to it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/62ks8ypq48...202.5.jpg?dl=0

I framed it and put it on my altar.

sat today/LAH

[Jishin]

IMG_0759.JPG

My Buddha belly.



Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jundo]

Ah, Tom's picture is an image of when Mara, the Buddhist "Devil", sent "fear" to the Buddha to interfere with his meditation. At other times, he sent other temptations and wild emotions to pull the Buddha from his Zazen. In modern interpretations, Mara represents the devilish aspects of the human mind, thoughts and emotions, such as anger, fear, jealousy, excess desires and the like.

Of course, the Buddha just sat with all that, unperturbed, in equanimity and his Zazen went on. Just the same as we sit in Shikantaza with the mind games of "Mara," unperturbed in equanimity at whatever games pass through the mind.

By the way, the earth touching mudra is lovely in traditional beliefs ...

the Bhumisparsha mudra, translated as the earth touching gesture. Buddha statues with this mudra are commonly known as the "earth-witness" ... This gesture represents the moment of the Buddha's awakening as he claims the earth as the witness of his enlightenment. Just before he realized enlightenment, it is believed that the demon Mara tried to frighten him with the armies of demons and monsters including his daughters who tried to tempt him to get out of meditation under the Bodhi tree. While the demon king Mara claimed the throne of enlightenment for himself, his demon army claimed to be the witness for Mara's enlightenment. Mara then challenged Siddhartha about the witness. Then the former prince reached out his right hand to touch the earth as it is believed that the earth itself roared "I bear you the witness!" Hearing the roar from the earth herself, the demon king disappeared. The following morning saw the first appearance of the one who is awakened, the Buddha. Hence, it is believed that the Bhumisparsha mudra, or "the earth witness" mudra commemorates the Buddha's victory over the temptation by the demon King Mara.

This particular mudra does not only represent the defeat of Mara and his demonic army by the Buddha, it also represents the unwavering or firmness shown by the Buddha while he was in the pursuit of enlightenment by meditating under the Bodhi tree.
https://www.burmese-art.com/about-bu...isparsha-mudra

However, I take it that the Buddha is just very "down to earth" and grounded. Truly, when he sits, from the earth below to the sky above ... all is sitting.

Now, if you ask me, one thing that Mara could have thrown at Buddha that would have knocked him right of the cushion? A picture of naked Jishin's belly! Gee, I think that would give even a Buddha chills and nightmares!

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

PS - Actually, nice tattoo for you work, Jishin, as a bodhisattva trying to keep folks grounded.

[Byrne]

I like the tiger holding a cobra as a weapon. I'm glad his snake buddy could help him out seeing that he forgot his spear.

Gassho

Sat Today

[Kyousui]

I know that snakes are the symbol of wisdom. But don't know the symbolism of a tiger.

[Doshin]

IMG_0759.JPG

My Buddha belly.



Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

Wow my friend, I am now guilty of navel gazing!

Doshin
St/lah

[Jishin]

Wow my friend, I am now guilty of navel gazing!

Doshin
St/lah

I got a friend that owns Big Buddha, a local tattoo parlor. Tell him I sent you and you can be a Buddha too!



Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Byrne]

There's nothing worse than getting whacked to death with a snake by a tiger. Believe me.

Gassho

Sat Today

[Byokan]

There's nothing worse than getting whacked to death with a snake by a tiger. Believe me.

Gassho

Sat Today

Gassho
Byōkan
sat + lah

[Risho]

hahahahahhaha

[Byokan]

A. Not much in it for the snake, really.
B. Inefficient use of resources by the tiger.
C. Just bad.

Gassho
Byōkan
sat + lah

[Kyonin]

Tom,

Thank you for the picture. I just saved it to my collection. It's funny, this weekend I gave a talk about Mara and I found that some people had a hard time picturing this devil on their imaginations. I think I will share this with them.

And about that belly... I am also guilty of staring to a naked mans torso. And I also have to admit that it's a work of art

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[aprapti]

Jishin : _/|\_



Coos
std/lah