Mara considers itself the ruler of 6th heaven and all the realms below it and it considers it a challenge or threat to his authority if one tries to surpass him. As Buddhism leads one beyond all the heavens, it also leads one beyond Mara's control and this Mara dislikes. He tries to hinder the practice of those who are close to attaining jhanas.
Also Mara continues to interact with the Buddha throughout his teachings and impacts the Sangha continuously throughout the Suttas. Mara is like gravity. Its nature wants to pull us down. You can look at aviation as our Buddha nature, finding its path to the skies of awakening.
Thank you Allan. Mara and BUDDHA are like two sides to a coin. That coin is our enlightment. In our journey to Enlightment, Mara is also good in a sense like you said in your vedio to help us to aware of it(in its manifestations as challenges and obstacles) and improve on our practices, so that we can get closer to or/and even enlightment. When unaware, Buddha becomes Mara. Buddha and Mara are one and within us. Which side will you choose? 😁All the best, Allan.
Is it fair to assume that Mara can be perceived as everyday struggles or temptations such as laziness, distractions, digital obsessions, greed, hate, and all negative emotions trying to sway us from the path? If so, how do we overcome them quickly and effectively?
“Mara” is all around us and difficult to see. It’s one reason why Buddhist mindfulness is important. But also wisdom, etc. The most standard wat to “see” Mara, is to follow the threefold training in Buddhism (wisdom, conduct, and concentration). Based upon the three groupings of the eightfold path. This is where practicing as part of a temple and guidance of monastics helps us as laypersons.
So, operating in this world, Mara could sometimes be those people who encourage you to feel your anger or grief? Those who say "don't bottle it up, express it" are not giving you a way to detach from it, they're making room for its expression into the field of humanity? Like psychologists?
Interesting story. Thank you for sharing. I'm curious if an anthropomorphic-symbolic way of presenting Mara is western rationalization or if people in ancient times see it this way as well. I'm just afraid that long time ago people believe in ghosts and kind of demons.
Good question. The broad answer is the Buddha never said Mara was not an actually entity. But as Buddhist laypersons, our focus is working to seeing Mara in all forms and experienced. Whether he is ultimately actually real or not, the teaching and practice is a strong one and way to be mindful.
That someone would be the Buddha. There’s nothing that says he equated it to mental states, or not. As I mentioned, we use Mara (whether you see it as a real entity or not) as a way to apply the teachings into active practice. Mara is the opposite of a Buddha and brings forth the three poisons in us = greed, anger, ignorance. Ending those is the focus of Buddhists everywhere.
Mara is the antagonist to The Buddha, and is often described as a demon or deva, depending on explanation. He also has several different manifistations. He is not, however, a deity in a way that Buddhists worship.
Understand your reply. Mara, however, was indeed an antagonist (if anything else) to the Buddha. We can look at Mara as the opposite of a Buddha. He also worked pre and post enlightenment to challenge, trick, deceive, etc., the Buddha and his followers.
