Obstruction to Understanding Reality is Mara

Mara (demon activity) is anything that obstructs our understanding of reality.
Understanding this will depend on how much we value reality 🙂

There are two aspects to mara activity – outer and inner. The outer is activated by the inner; when we are selfish, we attract selfishness. There are three negative emotions that keep us bound in selfishness: desire, aversion and ignorance. Ignorance is ignorance of reality – our true nature – selflessness – non-identification – non-duality. Merely being.

Interestingly, the two energies that control us in the outer world are fear and addiction, and these two are aversion and desire! They only become active when we consent to be activated by them. The news is full of mara activity controlling our base instincts of desire, aversion and ignorance. Remember: like attracts like. Although we always have a choice in this, we are constantly seeking out that which supports our chosen belief system, and this enhances our karmic load.

Mara is anything that obstructs our understanding of reality.

The antidote to mara activity is any thing that dissolves the obstruction to understanding reality. That is Dharma. Dharma explains the nature of the three demonic emotions: desire, aversion and ignorance. These three hold us in prison, but they are also the keys to unlocking the prison doors. That knowledge reveals wisdom. The Buddha in the Mud!

Mara is anything that obstructs our understanding of reality.

Q.“But! But! This means I can’t do anything!”
A. All it takes to recognise the obstruction to understanding reality.

The moment we recognise is the moment of liberation.

A lie gains its power from the element of truth it contains.
The very nature of a poison is where its antidote lies – knowledge and wisdom.
As mara cannot understand this,
that is our protection.
Wisdom dissolves mara.

Here is how it works

The three wisdoms (our true nature) are emptiness, awareness and compassion.
In Sanskrit these are called Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya.
Their demonic manifestations are desire, aversion and ignorance.

When there is an “I-identification” …
Emptiness becomes desire:
Our being is empty – pure sacred space.
Desire fills that sacred space with concepts.

Awareness becomes aversion:
Our being is Awareness – the knowing quality.
Aversion arises when these concepts are claimed and judgements begins.

Compassion becomes ignorance:
Our being is Compassion – confident joy.
Ignorance arises when empty awareness forgets its true nature, and that of others.

We are in balance and compassionate when emptiness and awareness are in unity

Emptiness = Ultimate truth.
Awareness = Relative truth.
Compassion = the unity of Ultimate and Relative truths.

We are out of balance when:
There is just emptiness and, forgetting awareness, we become spaced out = Nihilism.

There is just awareness, and, forgetting emptiness, we mistake everything (and our self identity) as being real = Eternalism
There is therefore no chance of real love.

The important point is that if we are aware of our true qualities, then when the negative aspects arise, they immediately remind us of these true qualities. That is wisdom!

Mara is anything that obstructs our understanding of reality.
All it takes is recognition and we are in reality.
Our practice is to sustain continuity.
Blaming or finding fault with others is mara activity!
To counteract this is a big step.