THE DEFEAT OF MARA

The story of the Buddha, whose name means "the Enlightened One," is part history and part myth. The real
Gautama Siddhartha was born in the 6th century B. C., a prince in the Shakya Kingdom of Northern India (now
Nepal). Because he became a very great teacher of religious wisdom, his life story was reinterpreted in
symbolic terms emphasizing his extraordinary nature.

Before he was born, his mother dreamed of a radiant white elephant

descending from heaven and entering her right side. Because of this dream,
the positions of the stars at the time of his birth, and the unusual marks on
his body, the holy men at the palace foretold that this child would grow up
to be a great leader of men. He would be either a powerful and influential
king or a wise religious teacher. His father, a king himself and member of
the warrior caste, wanted his son, of course, to be a king.

Therefore, from the time he was old enough to learn, Siddhartha's father The Buddha being born painlessly from his
gave him everything he needed to become a great king. He was given mother’s side.
lessons in history and government and was trained in all the arts of warfare.
When the proper time came, the king arranged a marriage for Siddhartha with the most beautiful and gentle
princess in the land. The prince enjoyed his life in the palace, loved his wife, and for many years never
questioned his father's rule, which forbade him to go outside the city walls.

Then, one day when he was twenty-nine years old, he became restless and, disobeying his father, ordered his
charioteer to drive him outside the city walls. For the first time in his life he encountered the suffering of
mankind. He saw three things, each of which made him increasingly distressed and confused. He saw an old
man bent over and barely able to shuffle along with his cane; a sick man moaning and groaning on his cot; and a
corpse being carried off to the burning grounds. Each night he went home and thought about the things that he
had seen. He realized then that he and his family could become sick, and
that surely someday they would all become old and die. This made his heart
sad and he began to worry about the suffering in the world.

On a fourth trip outside the city gates, he met a man with a shaved head who
was dressed in a simple rough cloth and was carrying a begging bowl. When
asked, the man answered that he was called "a homeless one." He had given
up the world and its ways, his home and family, to seek freedom from the
miseries of the world. The prince then decided that he would give up his
palace life, his wife and newly born son, his jewels and silken clothes, and
would become himself "a homeless one." That night he silently bid farewell
to his sleeping wife and son and departed from the rich comforts of palace Siddhartha leaving his father’s
life. palace.

Spirits of the earth held up the horse’s hooves so no one would be awakened as he rode out of the city. When
he was well outside the city walls and at the edge of the forest, he stopped and got off his horse. Using his
sword, he cut off his long, flowing hair. Then he took off his heavy jewels and rich clothes. He-gave these
things to his charioteer and asked him to deliver a message to his father and family, saying that he had departed
from his worldly life. He was going to live with the other hermits and yogis to seek liberation from the miseries
of this world.
 Siddhartha studied with various Brahman wise men in the forest, but he became
dissatisfied with their theories and talk. Then, he moved to another area and with the
yogis he there underwent great trials. He would sit for long hours under the sun in
uncomfortable positions. He fasted for days and weeks, becoming very thin and feeble,
but still he did not become enlightened. Just as the teachings of the Brahmans had led him
into greater confusion, now the pain he felt from these trials distracted him from his
meditations. He decided to leave the yogis' mountain retreat because it was disconnected
from the life of men and the problems he was trying to solve.

As Siddhartha walked near a town a young girl with a bowl of rice cooked in milk saw
him. Her heart went out to this weak and hungry- looking person, and she offered him her
food. Gratefully he took it and knew as he felt this food nourish his body that this was the
right path to take. To deny the body, to deny the life force itself, was not the way to bring
Fasting Siddhartha
understanding or relief from suffering. Feeling stronger, he became determined to sit in
quiet meditation until he understood the cause of worldly misery.

With resolution as his only companion and support, he set his mind firmly toward the task of enlightenment and
went to the foot of a Bodhi tree. Sitting on some fresh grass, he adopted the cross-legged position and vowed
that he would not rise from that place until he had achieved his purpose. It is said that the world rejoiced when
he made this vow and that the birds circled in the clear sky above him.

But Mara, the demon King of Passions, trembled and was afraid. His sons and daughters asked Mara why he
was distressed. He answered: "Over there sits a great holy man. He has no weapons but is armed only with his
vow and resolution, and he intends to destroy me. But I shall go to him and, as a swollen current breaks the
banks of a mighty river, so shall I cause him to break his vow."

First, Mara sent his lovely daughters to tempt the meditating

Siddhartha. But when their beauty and seductiveness did not stop
him, Mara sent his army of horrid-looking demons. Some had
animal heads; some had extra eyes and arms. They were equipped
with weapons of all kinds: spears and arrows, swords, clubs, and
stones. Hurling these weapons and making fearsome noises they
charged the meditating Siddhartha, but he did not stir and the
power of his concentration turned their weapons into flowers that
dropped harmlessly to the ground.

Then Mara sent whirlwinds and earthquakes, but Siddhartha sat

firm and cross-legged beneath the tree. The temptations of Mara’s hosts and Siddhartha
touching the Earth, asking her to be his witness.
Finally, Mara called out to Prince Siddhartha, "If you are indeed so
good and worthy of enlightenment, give me some proof." Siddhartha put out his hand and touched the earth, and
Mother Earth herself spoke in an earth-shaking voice, saying, "I am his witness." At that moment Mara's power
was weakened.

No longer bothered with doubt or sorrow, anger, fear, or desire, Siddhartha's mind grew clear and a great peace
came over him. Seeking one last time to break the Buddha's concentration, the demon called forth torrential
rains; the serpent king, wanting the prince to succeed in his task, curled himself underneath the prince and
raising him up out of the mud, spread his broad hood over the meditating prince to protect him from the falling
rain. Siddhartha never broke his concentration. He sank into a deep trance that lasted for forty-nine days. In this
time the meaning of all things became clear to him. He had reached the state of perfect enlightenment.
However, with this enlightenment there came upon the Buddha a sense of great isolation: how could it be
possible to share this wisdom with men less wise than himself? Would anyone understand what he had to say?
But, no sooner had this thought occurred to him than he felt great compassion for all mankind. He knew he must
try to the best of his ability to teach his understanding of the Four Noble Truths {the causes of suffering) and the
Eight-fold Path of Salvation to all who would listen. So, once again he set off with resolution, this time to the
Deer Park of Sarnath, where he would preach his first sermon.

Story adapted from the version in Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Ananda Coomaraswamy and
Sister Nivedita.