Sometimes, finding the truth is only the beginning. The real challenge is not turning that glimpse of truth into yet another belief. This delightful Zen tale reminds us how easily wisdom can become certainty—and how much truth we may lose when we stop questioning.
“One day Mara, the Evil One, was traveling through the villages of India with his attendants. He saw a man doing meditation walking whose face was lit up with wonder.
The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, “A piece of truth.”
“Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?” his attendant asked.
“No,” Mara replied. “Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it.”
Note: In Buddhist stories, Māra is a figure who represents temptation, distraction, and the forces that keep us from awakening. He is sometimes described as a kind of “tempter” who tries to derail the Buddha and other seekers from seeing the truth.
In a broader sense, Māra can be understood less as a literal demon and more as the voice of doubt, desire, fear and ego within us.
Image: A postage stamp of Laos (2005) depicting seated Buddha. Courtesy https://www.buddhiststamp.com/