the timboucher experience

The average Christian seems to believe that the End of the World is a literal event that will occur somewhere along the time axis. Looking at it from other mystical perspectives though allows us to read in many other layers of possible meaning. The basic premise of the Christian eschatological story is that our world passes away in a cataclysm, and is replaced by the new city of God. The story of Buddha achieving enlightenment seems to offer a rather close mythological parallel.

This event occurs after Buddha has sat down at the bodhi tree, and gone through various other preparations. He is encountered by Mara, who is something like the Christian devil, in that he is that demon who offers to fulfill all your desires.

Mara caused a whirlwind to blow, but in vain; he caused a rain-storm to come in order to drown the Buddha, but not a drop wetted his robes; he caused a shower of rocks to come down, but the rocks changed into bouquets; he caused a shower of weapons–swords, spears, and arrows–to rush against him, but they became celestial flowers; he caused a shower of live coals to come down from the sky, but they, too, fell down harmless. In the same way hot ashes, a shower of sand, and a shower of mud were transmuted into celestial ointments. At last he caused a darkness, but the darkness disappeared before Buddha, as the night vanishes before the sun. Mara shouted: “Siddhattha, arise from the seat. It does not belong to you. It belongs to me.” Buddha replied: “Mara, you have not fulfilled the ten perfections. This seat does not belong to you, but to me, who have fulfilled the ten perfections.” Mara denied Buddha’s assertion and called upon his army as witnesses, while Buddha declared: “I have no animate witnesses present;” but, stretching out his right hand towards the mighty earth, he said: “Will you bear me witness?” And the mighty earth thundered: “I bear you witness.” And Mara’s elephant fell upon its knees, and all the followers of Mara fled away in all directions. When the hosts of the gods saw the army of Mara flee, they cried out: “Mara is defeated! Prince Siddhattha has conquered! Let us celebrate the victory!”

Likewise, in the Book of Revelations, we see the armies of the Beast and the Antichrist arrayed upon the Earth, and given the power to cause great destruction. Ultimately though the Lamb of God triumphs over them, they are overthrown, and a Heaven descends to earth (nirvana) in the city of the New Jerusalem.

• Bodhisattva, won’t you take me by the hand?
• Bring on the Apocalypse!
• The Buddhist Monk-Dog
• Archetype of the Apocalypse
• Apocalypse As Endless Barbecue