Maras: The instigators, the agitators and perhaps, your best teachers.

We all have that very precious person in our life. That one person, who the universe put in our lives specifically to...

...test every thread of our patience. 

They are unavoidable. 
They are always poking, prodding and agitating. 
And often times, they are a direct reflection of our own inner demons.

This person is your own personal mara. And believe it or not, they just might be your greatest teacher.

The Many Faces of Mara

The Maras are a very old and widespread teaching in eastern religions and philosophies. Sometimes, Maras are personified into mythic characters like demonic tricksters and agitators, other times, the Maras are presented as simply philosophical tenets, guiding creeds of wisdom to help us understand our own inner tricksters and agitators. Like many teachings this old, there are many different and complex interpretations of the Maras. 

Zen teacher Lynn Jnana Sipe points out in "Reflections on Mara" that the notion of a trickster being responsible for disillusionment is found in Vedic Brahmanic mythological traditions and also in non-Brahmanic traditions. In other words, every religion in India seems to have had a character like Mara in its myths. In all of these tales, overcoming the mara was essential in our path. Shiva, the god of destruction had a mara. Even the Buddha has his own agitating mara. See? We are in good company. 

First, lets read about the 4 Maras in Buddhist Philosophy and then, learn more about their personified characters in eastern mythology.

The Maras in Buddhist Teachings:
The Four Avoidances

"All the maras point the way to being completely awake and alive by... letting go—by letting ourselves die moment after moment, at the end of each out-breath. When we wake up, we can live fully without seeking pleasure and avoiding pain, without re-creating ourselves when we fall apart." ~Pema Chödrön, from When Things Fall Apart

The Four Maras, drawn from mythic tales that you will read below, are profound teachings that illuminate the obstructive forces hindering our spiritual path. It’s crucial to understand that while these maras may seem inflicted upon us, they are actually creations of the mind. And it is the mind that holds the power to overcome them. We cannot control others' actions, but we can find peace in our reactions.

“When we feel embarrassed or angry, when pain presents itself to us in any form whatsoever, we run like crazy to try to become more comfortable. We are all addicted to avoiding pain,” writes Chödrön. "We must stop avoiding. In this way, we can discover that what seems to be painful is, in fact, the source of wisdom and a way for us to reconnect.”

The Four Maras:

1. Devaputra Mara: Avoiding Discomfort
Devaputra Mara embodies our tendency to escape discomfort and seek immediate relief. When faced with discomfort, we often shy away from the effort required to address it. However, just as lifting weights strengthens muscles through tension, life's challenges and discomforts are essential for cultivating inner strength and wisdom. Embracing discomfort as a necessary part of growth allows us to develop resilience and insight. By avoiding discomfort, we miss valuable opportunities to learn and evolve. Instead of evading these experiences, we should view them as integral to our journey toward greater self-awareness and personal development.

2. Skandha Mara: Avoiding Change
Skandha mara manifests when we resist accepting necessary changes in our lives. We may cling to the past, wishing to hold on to what was once good, and struggle to adapt to new realities. This often includes an urge to stay within the status quo or your comfort zone, avoiding the uncertainty that comes with change. For instance, leaving a job or ending a relationship can feel like a frightening leap into the unknown. Yet, embracing change allows us to discover new paths and opportunities for happiness. The comfort of the status quo may seem appealing, but it can prevent us from discovering what is truly meant for us

3. Klesha Mara: Avoiding Dark Emotions
This mara involves feeding only our positive emotions while ignoring or suppressing difficult ones. By doing so, we make these dark emotions even more painful to deal with. For example, we might avoid feelings of anger, sadness, or jealousy, pretending they don’t exist. We may avoid difficult conversations with a co-worker or loved one. However, facing and understanding these emotions can lead to deeper awareness and healing.

4. Yama Mara: Avoiding Death, Failure, or Endings
Yama Mara represents our fear of death, failure, and endings. This mara manifests when we cling tightly to success as a means of escaping failure and the lessons it offers. For instance, we might avoid pursuing a challenging goal because we fear we might fail. This fear prevents us from taking risks that could lead to significant personal growth and achievement. By avoiding failure, we also avoid the valuable insights and resilience that come from facing and overcoming our fears.

Failure is not just an obstacle; it is an essential part of the journey toward growth and self-discovery. Through failure, we gain wisdom, develop perseverance, and learn to navigate life's challenges with greater confidence. Embracing failure allows us to break free from the paralyzing grip of Yama Mara and recognize that each ending is a new beginning. By confronting our fears and accepting the possibility of failure, we open ourselves to transformative experiences that enrich our lives and lead to deeper fulfillment and wisdom. Instead of running from these endings, we should embrace them as opportunities to learn, grow, and ultimately find deeper fulfillment and wisdom in our lives.

By recognizing and understanding these maras, we can begin to address and overcome the mental obstacles that block our spiritual progress. Embracing discomfort, change, dark emotions, and the inevitability of endings allows us to live more fully and authentically, aligning with the wisdom of Buddhist teachings.

The Mythic Stories: Mara Personified

The Buddhists, following the traditions of their Indian fore-fathers, saw the universe as infinite in time and space, and filled with an infinite number of worlds like our own. According to Buddhist lore, in a parallel world much like our own, lives the demon Mara.

Mara: He who tempted the Buddha

In the course of his meditations, the Buddha was constantly tempted by the demon Mara. Mara sent his armies, various temptations, and finally (as depicted below) a challenge that the Buddha must defend his claim of enlightenment. 

Mara is described as "the personification of the forces antagonistic to enlightenment". Think of him as the Anti-Buddha. Several accounts in various sutras describe the Buddha’s defeat of Mara. In The Striving Sutta, aka the Padhana Sutta, from the Pali canon, Mara tries to convince the Buddha that life is long and time is plentiful so it's okay to indulge, avoid and procrastinate his path of dharma. 

The Buddha refuses. He knows life is short and tomorrow isn't guaranteed. He states, "one needs to live as if one’s head is on fire. We need to take advantage immediately of our precious human life." Mara gives up and slinks away.

Upon defeating Mara, the Buddha touched the earth, and called the earth to witness his achievement. This “touching the earth” is seen as a significant gesture (mudra) as seen in the image below. This iconography of the Buddha became very popular throughout Asia.

Mara can also be understood not only as a figure in a story, but also as a representation of inner temptations—mainly one’s ego or avoidance—that obstruct the path to enlightenment. Overcoming Mara is equivalent to overcoming the self.

Mara: He Who Agitated Shiva

According to Hindu Lore, Mara is synonymous with Kamadeva, the god of desire and temptation.

Once upon a time, in a world much like our own, the gods sent Mara to rouse Shiva, the god of destruction, from his solitude. After Shiva's beloved Sati dies, he had retreated to the edge of the realm to meditate alone. To rouse Shiva, Mara shot five arrows from his bow. These arrows were

• Arrow of intoxication (dga’-byed)
• Arrow of disillusionment (sred-byed)
• Arrow of numbness (rmongs-byed)
• Arrow of callousness (skem-byed)
• Arrow of lifelessness (‘chi-byed)​