Mara: A Chamber Opera Libretto by Stephen Batchelor + Music by Sherry Woods

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.