BUDDHA, MARA, & THE QUESTION OF EVIL
Tricycle Magazine Members Presale
Prominent Buddhist thinker Stephen Batchelor talks about the philosophy and psychology of good and evil through the figure of Mara, the Buddhist equivalent of the Devil. Having overcome Mara in his struggle for awakening, Gotama (Siddhartha Gautama) nonetheless continues to engage with him until the very end of his life.
Mara symbolizes the obstacles in the way of our becoming wholly human and fully alive. Drawing on a wide range of sources, from early Buddhist discourses to the poetry of Dante and Baudelaire, Batchelor will explore the complexity of this archetype and its continuing relevance across cultures.
The figure of Mara has informed Batchelor’s work for many years: from his book Living with the Devil (Riverhead, 2004) to his libretto MARA: A Chamber Opera, the first full concert performance of which will be held at the Rubin Museum on both Wednesday, October 18 and Friday, October 20.
This program is co-presented with Tricycle Magazine.
Talk & Mara Performances
Buddha, Mara, & the Question of Evil with Steven Batchelor
Sunday, October 15 at 4:00 PM | $50.00
Prominent Buddhist thinker Stephen Batchelor talks about the philosophy and psychology of good and evil through the figure of Mara, the Buddhist equivalent of the Devil. Having overcome Mara in his struggle for awakening, Gotama (Siddhartha Gautama) nonetheless continues to engage with him until the very end of his life.
Wednesday, October 18 at 7:00 PM | $25.00
No great transformation is without its obstacles. Upon leaving home at the age of 29 on his quest for enlightenment, Siddhattha Gotama (Siddhartha Gautama) engaged in a sustained struggle to understand and overcome the forces that stood in his way. Once he had realized his goal and become the Buddha, he still had to contend with forces that resisted the establishment of his teachings and community. These psychological, physical, social, and institutional powers are personified in the complex, demonic figure of Mara. In MARA: A Chamber Opera, these deeply human conflicts are played out in a 75-minute performance with a libretto by best-selling Buddhist author Stephen Batchelor and music by Sherry Woods.
Friday, October 20 at 7:00 PM | $25.00
No great transformation is without its obstacles. Upon leaving home at the age of 29 on his quest for enlightenment, Siddhattha Gotama (Siddhartha Gautama) engaged in a sustained struggle to understand and overcome the forces that stood in his way. Once he had realized his goal and become the Buddha, he still had to contend with forces that resisted the establishment of his teachings and community. These psychological, physical, social, and institutional powers are personified in the complex, demonic figure of Mara. In MARA: A Chamber Opera, these deeply human conflicts are played out in a 75-minute performance with a libretto by best-selling Buddhist author Stephen Batchelor and music by Sherry Woods.
Box Office Notes
Your purchase of a ticket to the talk program Buddha, Mara, and the Question of Evil with Stephen Batchelor includes a ticket to a performance of MARA: A Chamber Opera. Once you have added the talk program ticket to your basket, you will be asked to select a performance date from the two available options: Wednesday, October 18 and Friday, October 20
Every ticket to the talk program requires you to also select an accompanying opera performance. If you’re only interested in the performance, opera tickets can be purchased separately.
212.620.5000 ext 344 Monday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. boxoffice@rubinmuseum.org