24/08/2026
💓Wat Phra Yai (Temple of the Big Buddha)✨️ Koh Samui, Thailand
~~~Buddha is sitting with one hand pointed towards the earth - which is all about calm, inner stability, equanimity and awareness in overcoming fear and illusion (Mara).
Mara represents the forces that pull us away from awakening - the spiraling mind, fear, craving for something that you don't have, aversion to something that has happened, attachments, judgments etc.
In Buddhism, Mara is said to become strongest right before the moment of clarity, growth and transformation because that's when the ego structure feels threatened by awakening as old patterns and habits lose their grip. 💓
~~~
"When Mara visits us, in the form of troubling emotions or fearsome stories, we can say, “I see you, Mara,” and clearly recognize the reality of craving and fear that lives in each human heart. By accepting these experiences with the warmth of compassion, we can offer Mara tea rather than fearfully driving him away.Seeing what is true, we hold what is seen with kindness.
We express such wakefulness of heart each time we recognize and embrace our hurts and fears.
Pema Chödron says that through spiritual practice “We are learning to make friends with ourselves, our life, at the most profound level possible.” We befriend ourselves when, rather than resisting our experience, we open our hearts and willingly invite Mara to tea."
~ by Tara Brach in Radical Acceptance ❤️✨️🙏