The lost mythology of deception

I also read other things besides Buddhist literature only to find they open up other Buddhist ideas worth blogging about.  Just recently, I hypothesized that much of the good literature from novels, poetry, plays, etc. is fragmentary.  Each work I began to believe was part of an ancient mythology that had been lost to us.  Then one day, because I am somewhat of a J.R.R. Tolkien fan, I had a literary satoric event. I realized that Tolkien with his works, The Silmarillion and, The Lord of the Rings, had rediscovered this lost mythology. 

Evil is not so much about doing bad things that harm life and well-being, that are easily recognized .  It is far more diabolical and powerful.  As I read the first part of The Silmarillion, evil, personified by Melkor (also known as Morgoth), appears to undermine Eru Ilúvatar or The One’s grand thought/creation; Melkor being no less than an antithetical thought/creation (negative unity). 

Melkor surely is evil but evil in what way?  The answer, by his ability to beguile, deceive and lie.  He is somewhat like Mara the Evil One in Buddhism who is able to deceive us making even a representation of the Buddha.  The psychophysical body is also Mara’s and all that it beholds through the senses.  It deceives us into believing it is the true self or ātman so that we cling to it.  Mara also deceives others into believing there is ultimately no true self since it cannot be seen in the psychophysical body.

When we come to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the main character, if we can call it that, is the One Ring which is really a deceiving power, deceiving all the other ring bearers.  It is totally evil and has only one master who is the Dark Lord Sauron who wants to bind all in darkness.  One who bears this evil ring is gradually deceived by it, the greatest deception being that of power but power in the Buddhist sense of producing the effect of abhāva which means absence or privation.  Such power inevitably leads to one’s destruction and annihilation.  Ironically, we could say that this evil must eventually destroy itself so that in the end the “flame imperishable,” also the “secret fire,” of Eru Ilúvatar is revealed.  Eru’s creations can eventually lead to this revelation but only by heroic spiritual effort and struggle can we overcome the power of deception.

Comments

[smith]

http://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/lam-rim/samsara-nirvana/demonic-forces-the-four-maras

[smith]

zennist: especially in the universities.

[Mr.nobody]

Having looked up some of the wiki info, I find the lore centered around the timeless halls and the great one known as Eru to be fascinating; the entire idea that all of reality is a thought, an idea within the mind of Eru made manifest is amazing; no wonder his work was such an amazing pure of art, it sings deeply; Further that these ideas were manifested through melody is amazing.

[thezennist]

Avalon: It remains one of my favorite films. In this day and age, Tolkien and others teach us about deception which goes back to Mara the Evil One. The problem of deception is now a huge problem and getting worse. From all sides we are being deceived and taken advantage of. Even in the university deception is at work.

[Avalon]

1981, A rather eccentric director, named John Boorman, made an astounding little masterpiece named Excalibur. Suffice to say, Englands finest actors were chosen for the various part in this drama directed by a Master.

The movie touched ground with the same questions about good and evil,liberation and deception in the same way later Tolkien movies did. It was in my opinion not only very entertaining, but also a good audiovisual story steeped in a mythology and wisdom, now long forgotten.