In the hours preceding his final enlightenment, when he is doing battle with his ego, the Buddha’s tormentors shoot volleys of arrows at him. Some people interpret this barrage as representing the internal enemies of anger, intolerance, and pride while others see it as symbolic of the rage of external foes. Whichever interpretation one prefers, the outcome is the same. The arrows turn into bouquets of flowers as they rain down upon him. They do not hurt the Buddha, whose mirrorlike wisdom has outmaneuvered his ego. The power of his understanding turns the arrows into harmless objects of
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