(South and Central Asian mythology)
In Indian mythology Kama and Mara are the two sides of existence: the desire for life and the fear of death—the tasty bait and the keen hook. These two powers rule the world of the unawakened, those beguiled by maya. To escape from this non-enlightenment the Buddha preached his doctrine, which was called yana, a vehicle, a ferry to the other shore, where spiritual ignorance no longer held sway.
Mara, the master magician of illusion, became in Buddhist myth the Evil One. Because the Buddha delivers men from desire, birth, and death, Mara was his special enemy, and thus his tempter as well as those who would follow his law. Threatened by Enlightenment, the powerful demon committed his entire strength to the capture of the Gautama's mind, but below the outstretched branches of the Bo Tree the meditating sage sat unmoved. Assailed by the forces of Mara, the Buddha simply touched the earth with the tips of his fingers, whereupon there was a tremendous roar of approbation and the gods descended to pay their homage. Though defeated and shamed, Mara is said to linger in the world, hoping to seize the souls of the dying.
