Poem: Tea with Mara

"I just want to make sure we understand each other."

The following poem is inspired by a Buddhist tale about the demon god Mara. You can read more about the story here, but in short: Mara is the spirit who represents all the terrible things we are capable of - the dark side of human nature. Mara appears to the Buddha on various occasions, threatening to thwart his position as a revered spiritual figure. Buddha’s response to this intrusion is simply to say, “I see you, Mara.” He then invites Mara to tea and treats him as he would a guest.

The moral of the story is not to get caught up in the shadow side of our behaviour, but to acknowledge that it exists, and deserves a seat at the table of our inner life. The poem imagines how such an encounter with Mara might go.

Photo by jay huang on Unsplash

Tea with Mara

I can’t help but see you, Mara,
sitting over there in your tangle
of shadows, making a mess of everything
I’ve worked so hard to keep clean.
Come. I’ve set the table, here’s
your seat, no you may not throw the fruit
at the wall, or climb onto the table,
we must be civilised. I’ve laid out 
two teacups, one for you, one
for me, it’s brewing on the stove,
you’ll only have to wait a minute.
We need to talk things over.
You can enjoy my hospitality
for a while, drink your fill,
and leave when you wish.
I just want to make sure we understand each other.
I can’t have you running amok
and ruining my reputation around here.
You always come knocking on my door
at the most inconvenient of times -
but you must want something.
What is it? Because I can’t figure it out
while you’re tearing up the place,
eating all my food and shitting in my bed.
Here you go. Say
when. No, don’t just gulp it
all down. Sip it slowly. We’re going to be here
a while. Me and my personal demon.
We’ve known each other a long time
but we’ve never really talked.
Only now have I noticed that sad
look on your face, that terrible hunger in your eyes.
Hey, don’t be so coy, staring at the ground,
pretending you don’t know what you’ve done.
You’re not fooling me anymore.
Sit up straight. Look at me.