Unveiling Desire, Lust, and Aversion in Buddhism: The Buddhist Representation of Mara’s Daughters
In the Buddhist tradition, Mara is often depicted as a symbol of death, illusion, and the mental afflictions that bind beings to suffering. Mara as a display of delusion is the obstacles between enlightenment, especially the wants and the attachment that keep us trapped in the cycle of samsara (the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). The main mental afflictions that prevent beings from achieving awakening are his three daughters, whose lives form the core of the Mara story. These daughters are Tanha (Desire), Raga (Lust), and Arati (Aversion) who are the personify the primary mental afflictions that keep us entangled in suffering, each one representing a different way we are pulled away from clarity and peace.
The concept of Tanha is a sign of desire, which constantly makes us want to get more whether it’s material wealth, recognition, or experiences. Raga is lust and attachment to sensual pleasures whereas Arati is the aversion, which makes us resist or hate things which do not satisfy our wishes.These three daughters are the temptations combined together to impede our way to enlightenment, as done by Mara. With the knowledge of the functions of such afflictions, we can then start perceiving them in our own lives and how to go about them in an insightful and intelligent manner.
Mara and the Three Daughters: A Metaphor for Internal Obstacles
Mara, the spirit of evil of the Buddhists, the enemy of the good laws, appears to have been the personification of an abstract conception of the Buddhist religion. The illusory self is the false sense of individuality and attachment that perpetuates our suffering. When one attains enlightenment, one transcends the illusory self and, by extension, transcends death itself. The three daughters of Mara are sent as temptations, attempting to keep the Buddha and, by extension, all beings, from breaking free from these illusory attachments.
One whose mind is not protected, who has false beliefs and is idle, comes under the control of Mara. Instead, he represents the forces within us that perpetuate ignorance and suffering. We, as practitioners, shall choose to remain bound to our attachments. Mara's role is simply to allow these attachments to continue, tempting us with the allure of the material world. However, it is through mindfulness and wisdom that we can free ourselves from Mara’s grasp.
Before the Buddha attained enlightenment, Mara sent his three daughters to tempt and distract the Buddha from his final goal. The daughters, Tanha (Desire), Raga (Lust), and Arati (Aversion), represent the three primary poisons that keep individuals trapped in the cycle of suffering. These are not just external forces, but internal afflictions that arise in our own minds. The three daughters of Mara tried to tempt the Buddha in various ways but all were in vain.
The Story of the Three Daughters of Mara
Once, while meditating under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha recounted a story to a brahmin named Magandiya. Magandiya, who lived in the kingdom of Kurus, had a daughter of great beauty, and a large number of suitors would seek her hand in marriage. However, Magandiya dismissed them all, and considered them unworthy of his daughter. One day, as the Buddha was passing by Magandiya, who was impressed by the grand form of Buddha, resolved that this man was the ideal man to marry his daughter. He asked the Buddha to come and stay as he got his daughter.
By the time Magandiya came with his daughter and his wife, the Buddha had already moved to a different location, leaving only a footprint behind. The brahmin’s wife recognized the significance of the footprint, said, "This is no ordinary footprint; it belongs to one who is free from lust." Despite her insight, the brahmin continued his search until he found the Buddha, whom he offered his daughter. The Buddha, instead of rejecting the offer outright, invited the brahmin to hear his story.
The Buddha then shared the tale of his past life. He spoke of the Great Renunciation, when he had left behind wealth, power, and the life of a prince to seek enlightenment. Mara, the embodiment of illusion and delusion, had tried to sway him during his journey, but the Buddha had steadfastly pursued his goal of omniscience. Mara’s pursuit lasted for years, but the Buddha’s determination remained unwavering. Eventually, after years of ascetic practice, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
Mara, frustrated by his failure to thwart the Buddha, sent his three daughters, Tanha (desire), Raga (lust), and Arati (aversion) to tempt him. During seven days while the Buddha was experiencing the bliss of deliverance under the banyan tree, the three daughters of Mara came and tried in vain to lure the Lord to worldly pleasure.
They approached the Buddha, offering their services as slaves. The daughters transformed themselves into beautiful women, trying to seduce the Buddha with their charms. However, the Buddha, with deep wisdom and clarity, simply ignored them. He had long freed himself from the bonds of lust, craving, and attachment.
The Buddha calmly said to them, “These actions are meant for those still trapped by their desires. I have transcended such passions. Why do you try to tempt me?” He then continued, “I saw your beauty in the past, when you were as radiant as gold, but I was never moved by your allure. And now, even your appearance is like a body full of impurities, painted beautifully on the outside.”
In this story, the Buddha teaches that the real liberation lies in surpassing the three daughters of Mara that are desire, lust and aversion and that mindfulness and wisdom are the keys to free us of the mental afflictions that bind us to suffering.
(Photo From Jendhamuni)
Tanha: Desire and the Craving for More
Tanha, the first daughter of Mara, symbolizes desire and craving. She is the embodiment of attachment to the material world and its fleeting pleasures. In the context of Buddhist teachings, Tanha refers to the constant craving for wealth, status, possessions, and sensory gratification. This craving keeps us trapped in a never-ending cycle of desire.
In modern times, Tanha manifests in the desire for mental stimulation and material satisfaction. We often find ourselves fixated on obtaining more wealth, better status, or material goods. Tanha ensures that we are never satisfied, always yearning for something beyond what we currently have. This craving distracts us from the deeper purpose of life: spiritual liberation. We see this desire play out in our constant need for mental stimulation, whether through television, social media, or video games. These distractions are designed to keep our minds occupied, preventing us from focusing on inner peace and spiritual growth.
The Buddha recognized the destructive nature of Tanha and emphasized that true freedom comes not from acquiring more but from letting go. In meditation, we practice mindfulness to observe how desires arise and to understand their impermanence. By realizing that all desires are transient, we can overcome Tanha and achieve greater inner freedom.
Raga: Lust and Sensory Attachment
The second daughter, Raga, represents lust and sensory attachment. While Tanha refers to general craving, Raga focuses more specifically on sensual pleasure and attachment to the physical body. This can include sexual attraction, but it also refers to any form of attachment to the pleasures of the senses: taste, sight, touch, sound, and smell.
Raga’s influence is particularly strong in a world filled with sensory distractions. The more we indulge in sensory pleasures, the more our minds become attached to them. In Buddhist teachings, attachment to sensuality is a powerful hindrance to spiritual growth. The Buddha teaches that attachment to sensual pleasures keeps us bound to the cycle of birth and death, as we continue seeking satisfaction in temporary and fleeting experiences.
However, Raga is not purely negative. Lust or sensual desire itself is not inherently evil; it is our attachment to it that causes suffering. The Buddha’s teachings encourage us to cultivate a healthy detachment from these desires, not to suppress them but to recognize them for what they are: impermanent and insufficient for true happiness.
Through mindful observation, we can become aware of when Raga arises in our minds and learn to transform these feelings into insight. The Buddha’s teachings on right view and right intention help us to engage with the world in a way that is free from the bondage of lustful attachment.
Arati: Aversion and the Habit of Rejection
Arati, the third daughter of Mara, symbolizes aversion and discontent. While Tanha and Raga are about craving and attachment, Arati represents the opposite side of the emotional spectrum: hatred, anger, and dislike.
It is often said that we spend more time in the grip of Arati than in the grip of Tanha or Raga. How much time do we spend thinking about the things we dislike? Whether it's personal frustrations, political turmoil, or a frustrating encounter with a colleague, Arati keeps our minds filled with negativity. We become consumed with disdain and aversion toward things we cannot control, and this prevents us from experiencing true peace.
Arati is devious because it is often self-justified. We might think we are justified in our anger or hatred towards a situation or person, but this indulgence in suffering only perpetuates the cycle of negative emotions. The Buddha taught that one of the biggest obstacles to enlightenment is the indulgence in suffering that is, choosing to dwell in aversion instead of releasing it.
That Daughters Among Us: The Key to Overcoming Mara’s Daughters
Mindfulness is the opposite of temptations and distractions brought about by the three daughters of Mara. Mindfulness enables us to notice our thoughts, emotions and desires and not to be attached to them and have them dictate to us. Buddha stressed awareness as the greatest weapon to be used in defeating the defilements of Tanha, Raga and Arati.
It is one of the most well-known teachings of Buddha on mindfulness that happened when the Venerable Ananda questioned the Buddha on what a monk should do in case someone challenges him with a beautiful woman. The words of the Buddha were simple: "Do not look at her". When Ananda pressed, “What if the monk cannot avoid looking?” the Buddha replied, “Do not talk to her.” But when Ananda further questioned, the Buddha finally said, “Then do it with mindfulness”.
What the Buddha intended was clear: though a situation might be created that causes our defilements, we are supposed to take it mindfully. We ought to be mindful of our thoughts and feelings and we ought to realize that they are not permanent to us, and we should not allow them to dictate to us. The teaching here by the Buddha demonstrates us that mindfulness is not to suppress our emotions but to know them and turn them into wisdom.
Conclusion: Transcending Mara’s Daughters Through Wisdom and Mindfulness
The three daughters of Mara; Tanha, Raga, and Arati are the three poisons of desire, lust and aversion, that hold us in this illusion of the self. These psychological ailments, though natural can be overcome by observing mindfulness and wisdom. The more we realize their role in our life, the more we can get to know how to escape their grip and get nearer to enlightenment.
The doctrines of Buddha are a path that would be used to conquer these challenges. Through mindfulness and monitoring our thoughts and feelings and employing our wisdom to overcome the defilements of the daughters of Mara, we can slowly overcome the illusion of self and can be moving toward the freedom that is on awakening.
As we practice mindfulness in our daily life, the daughters of Mara will cease to have power in us and we will start to feel the profound peace and wisdom that we find upon waking up to the actuality. We have the opportunity of slowly breaking the hold of Mara and getting nearer to the wisdom of the Buddha through self-discovery and transformation.
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