To some, it might look like the world is celebrating around a meditating Buddha who is lost in his own celebratory thoughts.

To others, it might look like the universe is conspiring to spoil focus and will of Buddha and snare Buddha into the trap that is Maaya.

The struggle is ages old. Saints and ascetics try desperately to cut ties from the world they live in, by not performing any deed at all. And then comes a moment when their willpower wavers and they lose control of themselves to commit a deed – either a curse hissed to a passerby, or quenching their thirst for lust.

Probably, what the picture is trying to tell is that the world and the ones around you will indeed distract you, manipulate you, coerce you and even blackmail you into committing deeds that you don’t want to do. It is of paramount importance that you stay steadfast to your ideals and thoughts. Your failure will not be due to the cacophony, but due to you reacting to it.

It is the unannounced job of the society to transform you into a deed-committing member; it is up to you if you want to. The universe is your playground. You know the rules, so do I. Stay true to yourself; this is easier to do when you’re naive and young. As you march towards your death, it becomes tougher to stay true to yourself – simply because you lost touch with your self. So go on, find your true self and stay true to it.

Buddha – enlightened one
Maaya – illusion