Under the sprawling Bodhi Tree,
Siddhartha sits with his primary vow:
How to alleviate suffering
In this world--here and now.

Suddenly, Mara appears--
Mara the tempter--with his sinister grin.
Siddhartha stays calm and unafraid
And graciously welcomes the tempter in.

Offering supernatural powers
Around which the human ego revolves,
Mara observes as Siddhartha sits,
And every thought of power dissolves.

Mara then offers his beautiful daughters,
Hoping Siddhartha yields to temptation.
In silence the unperturbed seeker
Shows the depth of his aspiration.

Growing furious, Mara calls up
Armies of demons of fear and desire.
They surely should stir Siddhartha's
Deep anxieties and inner fire.

Siddhartha merely gains greater insight
Instead of succumbing to Mara's ploys.
Mara departs in a rage, leaving
Siddhartha in a calm, quiescent poise.

After six days a Buddha "awakens"
As the traces of night start to disperse.
From looking into his innermost nature,
He's seen the face of the universe.

- by Bob B