A Buddha to help us in these difficult times.

In these difficult times, its easy to lose our equanimity. Keeping this Buddha around is a good reminder of how vital it is to maintaining, or regain, our equanimity, so we can act with clear intention and compassion. This unique statue of the Buddha with Demons shows by example, to stay calm in the midst of what can seem like tumultuous assaults, by fears in daily life of what may come next and the awareness of so many people who are suffering. Many years ago I found this statue on a shelf in a dusty shop in Bali. I was immediately drawn to him because while he is engulfed in turmoil, he remains tranquil. He reminds me to maintain equanimity, to simply notice what is happening, what my senses tell me, and feel my feelings as they are. Equanimity! He has a ferocious pig monster grabbing at his feet and he is sitting in the mouth of a demon, reminiscent of a famous Milarepa story. Milarepa came home from gathering firewood to find his cave full of demons. As they gobbled up his food, tore up his books, and walked with muddy shoes on his sleeping mat, he sat on his stool and tried to reason with them. Then he yelled at them to go away. They ignored him. Finally, he gave up resisting. He went to the biggest demon, put his head in its mouth, and said, "Ok, eat me". The demons vanished. I love this image because it helps me remember to face fears and because it makes me laugh. It may not solve the problems of our world but sitting with the fears as they are can open unexpected doors to new ways of thinking and being. https://admin.shopify.com/store/samma-ajiva-buddhas/products/296949415949