Buddha was born a royal prince in 624 BC in Lumbini. He had everything a man could ever want. He was pampered and lived a life of complete luxury and indulgence. But then, Buddha realized a vital truth. He realized that all those luxuries and indulgences were holding him back. He knew that there was more to life. And so he set out on a journey of discovery.
Buddha detached himself from everything. He no longer sought material possessions. He sought complete peace of mind.
One day the Buddha sat by the Bodhi tree. He said he would not move until he found complete peace of mind. He wanted to feel complete freedom in life, just like you and I. He wanted freedom from a very specific thing: Mara (demon).
In Buddhism, Mara is the demon / devil.
While Buddha was meditating by the Bodhi tree, Mara entered Buddha’s mind. Mara showed the Buddha images of beautiful women, material possessions, indulgences, power, temptations.
Just like you and I are tempted by sex, wealth, power… so was Buddha. But Buddha knew a valuable secret. He knew that those temptations were stopping him from achieving enlightenment.
And so the Buddha sat and refused to move until he had conquered Mara.
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What Mara Teaches Us
The Lesson
In Buddhism, Mara is the personification of the things that stop us from being free.
The story of Buddha and Mara teaches us to free the mind.
Buddha saw Mara’s temptations, he saw the thoughts you and I see. And at first, he tried to fight them. He wrestled with Mara. He fought to push Mara back. But every time Buddha pushed Mara back, Mara became stronger.
Buddha needed a different strategy.
buddha and mara (1)Buddha couldn’t beat Mara by fighting him. He needed a different strategy. He needed to let go. And so he allowed the Mara demon into his mind, and he simply observed Mara.
He didn’t fight those temptations. He just allowed them to exist. He was simply mindful of them.
It’s one of the main lessons of Buddhism: Mara (demons / attachments) can be conquered with mindfulness.
Buddha learned that when you see your thoughts and temptations (when you see Mara) and you focus on Mara with pure consciousness—not fighting those temptations, just mindfully observing them—those temptations, those demons lose power over you.
Pure consciousness was the weapon with which Buddha defeated Mara.
And it remains the same today.
Let Go
If you want to be free in life, you have to let go of all the things you’re clinging on to. You have just to accept things the way they are.
When you observe your temptations, your desires, your anger, and other mental states with pure consciousness, you gain power over them.
That is the basics of Mindfulness Meditation.
When we let things be, we stop temptations, demons, Mara, from controlling us.
My Experience Following Buddha’s Wisdom
A couple of years ago, I was at a real low point and afraid for my health.
You could say my Mara demon had its grip on me. My mind was full of fear.
I took myself out into the pouring rain half-naked and stood for hours in the rain, focusing my mind on the present moment.
At first, the fears came strong, and I experienced severe anxiety and fear, but then I simply observed the fear mindfully.
After several hours I was able to focus on my fear with pure consciousness. I wasn’t fighting my fear or ignoring it. I wasn’t running from it. I was focusing on the reality of fear.
And then it happened.
I saw my fears in the pure light of day, and they evaporated like the puddles at my feet under the pure heat of the rising sun. And that was when I started to live without fear.
When you focus the mind on the actual reality of your existence, you find complete freedom.
Focusing on the moment frees your mind from attachments, from fears, from desires, from anxieties, and Mara.
Attachments
Attachments are things the mind clings to.
For instance, you might cling on to a relationship even though it’s over. You might cling on to a career you know just isn’t going to work out.
When you cling on to those “attachments”, you’re trying to force your view on the world, rather than just letting things be.
Attachments are like a disease that consumes the mind.
When you’re afraid for your health, for instance, those fears wrap around your mind and change the way you see the world, almost like tinted glasses over your eyes.
But when you step back and observe your mind with pure consciousness, you free your mind from negative states.
Strip yourself of attachments, and you will find complete freedom in life.
Whether you want to feel free in your relationship, or you want to feel free from depression, or you want to feel free from stress, anxiety, tension…. Whatever it is you want to be free from, you will find freedom when you remove attachments, like a ship freed of its anchor.
Mindfulness
Present moment mindfulness is scientifically proven to boost happiness levels, eradicate stress, and yes, create feelings of complete freedom in life.
University of Oregon researchers even discovered that integrative body-mind training can result in brain changes that may be protective against mental illness.
And all you need to do is focus the mind on the present moment.
The present moment.
It’s like a gift that you can open at any time. A gift that will immediately make you peaceful, happy and free. All you have to do is focus your mind on the present moment and see reality precisely as it is. Because when you are mindful of the present moment, you release attachments, and this will help to liberate you.
Step back from your attachments. Focus the mind on now. That’s the key to complete freedom in life.
Learn more about Buddhism with these free online Buddhism courses.
Paul Harrison BSc is a qualified meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in teaching meditation and mindfulness both to individuals and to corporations and is the author of four books on meditation. He has been featured in Psychology Today, Breathe Magazine, Healthline, Psych Central and Lion’s Roar.
Paul studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
Paul’s biggest inspirations include Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat Zinn, and Jack Kornfield.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison