I’ve been away from this community for a while. Almost all my energy is focused on supporting Wildmind’s community of donors who help me teach and explore meditation and Buddhism. This piece is a condensed version of writings I’ve done for them. If you like what you read and want to support Wildmind, check out the benefits for our sponsors on our website.
I want to introduce you to a transformative practice I’ve developed over the years. Have you heard of Māra? He’s a character from Buddhist mythology who often tries to tempt or distract spiritual practitioners, including the Buddha. When recognized, Māra vanishes.
Though he’s sometimes depicted as a demon, Māra in scriptures is a handsome young man, suggesting he’s a cunning and smooth-talking figure. His name comes from a Sanskrit root that indicates death and destruction, and he’s known as the destroyer of spiritual practice and peace.
In the scriptures, Māra appears to spiritual practitioners, including Buddha, to distract or make them fearful. He might show up as a young man, an animal, or cause physical disturbances to instill fear. Despite these attempts to cause turmoil, he never physically harms anyone, suggesting that even early Buddhists saw him as a psychological projection.
The key to making Māra vanish is to recognize him. For example, when the nun Uppalavaṇṇā recognized Māra trying to scare her, she remained unshaken, and he disappeared. This teaches that mindfulness can dispel unskillful or unhelpful thoughts.
I’ve adopted this approach myself. Whenever I feel annoyed, despondent, or anxious, recognizing that Māra is trying to trick me helps bring back my calmness and balance. Simply saying, “I see you, Māra,” can be enough to break his spell.
I suggest trying this for yourself. When you’re upset or caught up in negative emotions, observe your thoughts and feelings, then acknowledge them with “I see you, Māra.” Recognize these forces at work within you and refuse to be deceived by them.
Acknowledging Māra’s clever tricks is another important aspect of this practice. You can say something like, “Nice try, Māra!” This lets those disruptive inner forces know that you’re aware of them and refuse to be manipulated. Appreciate how convincing Māra’s tricks are—how they’ve fooled you into reacting with anger, fear, or frustration.
Admiring Māra’s work as if it were a thrilling movie with impressive special effects can help you remain detached from your reactions. Feelings like despondency, anxiety, and annoyance are vivid and compelling, but recognizing that they are just reactions can help you stay grounded.
There are reasons why appreciating Māra’s tricks is powerful. Firstly, appreciation is a skillful state of mind, which helps reinforce freedom from Māra’s delusions. Secondly, appreciating these tricks as delusions helps you see the illusory nature of your reactions.
The Buddha compared the forms we perceive, feelings, perceptions, emotions, and consciousness to illusion-like phenomena. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions are insubstantial, like dreams or bubbles. Recognizing this can help you disengage from reactivity and find peace.
Knowing that Māra is part of your mind trying to help you, albeit misguidedly, can shift your perspective. For instance, if you wake up from an anxiety-inducing dream, acknowledging Māra’s convincing tricks and offering compassion can help calm you down and return to sleep peacefully.
So next time you feel upset, recognize that Māra is at work. Appreciate how convincing his attempts are and offer compassion to the part of yourself that is generating these feelings. This practice transforms your relationship with your inner demons and brings about peace.
If you found this practice helpful and want more guidance, consider supporting Wildmind’s Meditation Initiative.