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Mara

Mara · Buddhist Demon-King of Desire — Hinderer of Enlightenment

The demon-king of Buddhist mythology. Lord of the Paranirmita-vasavartin, the sixth heaven of the realm of desire (kāmaloka), he pulls humans into desire and delusion to obstruct liberation. He is most famous for sending armies and three daughters (Desire, Discontent, Thirst) to tempt the Buddha as he neared enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree — all failed. The Sanskrit 'Māra' means 'death' or 'destroyer.'

Origin

Appears as the Buddha's adversary in both early Buddhist scriptures (Pali Suttanipata, etc.) and later Mahayana sutras. The episode of the Buddha defeating Mara at the Bodhi tree and attaining enlightenment is iconic in Buddhist art. The archetypal demon-king of Eastern myth — the root of 'demon-king' (maō) characters in Japanese fantasy.

Features

Vast and menacing demon-king figure
Mounted on an elephant, or leading an army
Accompanied by his three daughters — Tanha (Desire), Arati (Discontent), Raga (Thirst)
Weapons of illusion — his arrows turned to flower petals when hurled at the Buddha

Stories

Invoked in Buddhist meditation and practice as a metaphor for the 'inner Mara' — one's own desires, sloth, and doubts. In Southeast Asia, Tibet, Korea, and Japan, temple paintings and sculptures commonly depict the Buddha's defeat of Mara.