The Enlightened One

Temptations of Mara Panel - Gautama Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra, cave 26 of Ajanta - c.5th Century CE

(Based on the 'Temptations of Mara' panel inside Cave 26 - dated c.5th Century CE, of Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra,  which depicts Gautama Buddha in his famous 'Bhumisparshamudra', in deep penance, ignoring the threatening goblins and the tempting daughters of the demon Mara)

An army of goblins created a reckless ruckus,

their shrill deafening voices filled with ugly roughness. 

Curses, trumpets and drums failed to dampen the spirit

of the lone mortal, set to attain a blameless merit.

To that man, an avalanche of slander meant nothing.

Then - bejeweled and bewitching, they apperared, dipped in beauty, shaking;

the beautiful daughters of the great demon set to entice him,

yet they've failed beautifully, their pride taking a nasty skim.

At the cusp of glory, the man waited and bid his time,

Neither temptations nor warnings could dampen the ambition so selfless and prime.

Centuries later;

when pressures all around seize my senses, I think of this panel -  

of the enlightened one, the mortal turned divine, before I turn into a vandal.