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**lYVgWWcP** · 09-07-2010, 11:40 PM

Hi JadeRabbit,

Personally I don't think Buddha compares that much to Jesus, though as Jesus came a lot later probably some of the ideas he espoused were influenced by Buddhism.

It's true that Mara was said to tempt the Buddha just before his enlightenment, but Mara is generally considered to be the representation of negativity and temptation rather than an actual person. We've covered this subject in the past in some topics here.

Here's what the late Ajahn Buddhadasa had to say.

MARA

Now we turn to a rather strange word, the word "Mara" (the tempter, the devil), The Mara of everyday language is conceived as a kind of monster with body, face, and eyes of repulsive and terrifying appearance. Mara in Dhamma language, however, is not a living creature but rather any kind of mental state opposed to the good and wholesome and to progress towards the cessation of dukkha. That which opposes and obstructs spiritual progress is called Mara. We may think of Mara as a living being if we wish, as long as we understand what he really stands for.

No doubt you have often heard the story of how Mara came down from the Paranimmitavasavatti realm to confront the Buddha-to-be. This was the real Mara the Tempter. He came down from the highest heaven, the Paranimmitavasavatti realm, which is a heaven of sensual enjoyments of the highest order, a paradise abounding in everything the heart could desire, where someone is always standing by to gratify one's every wish. This is Mara the Tempter, but not the one with the ugly, ferocious countenance and reddened mouth, who is supposed to go around catching creatures to suck their blood. That is Mara as ignorant people picture him. It is the Mara of the everyday language of ignorant people who don't know how to recognize Mara when they see him.

In Dhamma language, the word "Mara" means at worst the heaven known as Paranimmitavasavatti, the highest realm of sensuality. In general it means any mental state opposed to the good and wholesome, opposed to spiritual progress. This is Mara in Dhamma language.

http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/Bo...f_Language.htm

09-07-2010, 11:40 PM	#11
lYVgWWcP Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 418 Senior Member	Hi JadeRabbit, Personally I don't think Buddha compares that much to Jesus, though as Jesus came a lot later probably some of the ideas he espoused were influenced by Buddhism. It's true that Mara was said to tempt the Buddha just before his enlightenment, but Mara is generally considered to be the representation of negativity and temptation rather than an actual person. We've covered this subject in the past in some topics here. Here's what the late Ajahn Buddhadasa had to say. MARA Now we turn to a rather strange word, the word "Mara" (the tempter, the devil), The Mara of everyday language is conceived as a kind of monster with body, face, and eyes of repulsive and terrifying appearance. Mara in Dhamma language, however, is not a living creature but rather any kind of mental state opposed to the good and wholesome and to progress towards the cessation of dukkha. That which opposes and obstructs spiritual progress is called Mara. We may think of Mara as a living being if we wish, as long as we understand what he really stands for. No doubt you have often heard the story of how Mara came down from the Paranimmitavasavatti realm to confront the Buddha-to-be. This was the real Mara the Tempter. He came down from the highest heaven, the Paranimmitavasavatti realm, which is a heaven of sensual enjoyments of the highest order, a paradise abounding in everything the heart could desire, where someone is always standing by to gratify one's every wish. This is Mara the Tempter, but not the one with the ugly, ferocious countenance and reddened mouth, who is supposed to go around catching creatures to suck their blood. That is Mara as ignorant people picture him. It is the Mara of the everyday language of ignorant people who don't know how to recognize Mara when they see him. In Dhamma language, the word "Mara" means at worst the heaven known as Paranimmitavasavatti, the highest realm of sensuality. In general it means any mental state opposed to the good and wholesome, opposed to spiritual progress. This is Mara in Dhamma language. http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/Bo...f_Language.htm
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