Mara (demon)

Uncommon card · No. 90062

Mara, in Buddhism, refers to any form of malicious force hindering enlightenment. Both demonic as well as celestial beings are part of Saṃsāra and hence, considered to be under Māra's influence, if they do not follow the message of the Buddha. In the story of the Awakening of Prince Siddhartha Māra appears as a powerful deva, trying to seduce him with his celestial army and a vision of beautiful maidens (accharā) who, in various legends, are often said to be Mara's daughters. In other iterations, Māra is inspired by Hindu myths about asuras, a class of titans or lesser deities. In Buddhist cosmology, Mara is associated with death, rebirth and desire. Nyanaponika Thera has described Mara as "the personification of the forces antagonistic to enlightenment."

Read on Wikipedia · Image Anonymous 11th century artist. Digital image provided by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art., Public domain