大乘法苑義林章 6.24

6.24

Next, presenting the essential natures of the māras. As for the essential natures of the two māras: based on the category of the created coarse four truths, the coarse and shallow cognitive objects and affairs of the two vehicles and ordinary beings, the essential nature of the fragmented māra is established. Based on the category of the uncreated subtle four truths, the subtle and wondrous cognitive objects and affairs of the Great Vehicle and ordinary beings, the essential nature of the transformative māra is established. The latter obstructs only bodhisattvas, while the former generally obstructs the two vehicles. The two vehicles seek liberation, and those [fragmented māras] can serve as hindrances to liberation. Bodhisattvas seek bodhi, and the subtle four transformative māras can obstruct it. As for the essential natures of the three māras: all categories of the hindrance of kleśas in seeing and cultivation are called the māra of kleśa. The dharmas of the five aggregates brought about by afflictions are called the māra of the aggregates. Relying on the impermanent dying and perishing of these five aggregates, being about to die and having already died is called the māra of death. We do not take the touch of death, which is solely the form aggregate, because the sense field of touch is narrow. Nor do we take the link of death, because being about to die and in the process of dying are not having already died. Death is the characteristic of cessation, an aggregate of formations not associated with the mind. Dependent on the five aggregates as a designation, it abandons the common species and enters the past. Because it destroys lifespan, it is called a māra. Alternatively, it also includes the link of death, because being about to die and in the process of dying oppress the body and mind and destroy lifespan. Alternatively, it also includes the touch of death, because touching the marmans causes suffering and affliction, thereby harming lifespan. As for the essential natures of the four māras: kleśa and the knowable, whether active, seeds, or their corresponding habit-energies and other dharmas, are called the māra of kleśa. The five aggregates of the two deaths, fragmented and transformative, are called the māra of the aggregates. The cessation characteristic of fragmented perishing—being about to die, in the process of dying, and having died—is called the māra of death; the two states of being in the process of dying and about to die in transformative [saṃsāra] are called the māra of death. If they have already ceased, they are then not the essential nature of the māra. The devaputra-māra and his retinue of the sixth heaven of Paranirmitavaśavartin in the desire realm, as well as those manifested through transformation by bodhisattvas of inconceivable liberation, are called the māra of the sovereign god. As for the essential natures of the eight māras: the one hundred and twenty-eight fundamental kleśas, secondary kleśas, seeds, active states, and habit-energies are called the fragmented māra of kleśa. The classes of coarse five aggregates brought about by these are called the fragmented māra of the aggregates. The end and exhaustion of these five aggregates—having died, being about to die, and in the process of dying—are called the fragmented māra of death. The sixth devaputra and his retinue are called the fragmented heavenly māra, because they are coarse and inferior, because they belong to the class of actual ordinary beings, and because they bring about actual destruction. The active states, seeds, and habit-energies of all hindrances of the knowable are called the transformative māra of kleśa, because bodhisattvas take conceptualization and all hindrances of the knowable as kleśas. The fruits of the five aggregates of transformative saṃsāra and so on are called the transformative māra of the aggregates. In their initial state, these have no terminal abandonment through death; there is only the subtle falling away and perishing moment by moment, oppressing arising and ceasing, which constitutes the māra of death. The manifestations displayed by bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi are called heavenly māras. Vimalakīrti said: 'Those who act as māra kings are mostly bodhisattvas of inconceivable liberation.' The Drum-Sound King Sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha's father was named Candra-uttara, and his mother was named Utpala-varṇā. The māra king was named Aparājita, and Devadatta was named Śānta.' Only a nāga-elephant can fight against a nāga-elephant; when a bodhisattva of the tenth bhūmi is about to become a buddha, how could an ordinary māra king match him as a foe? Therefore, a great bodhisattva must transform into a māra king to do battle with the bodhisattva. Furthermore, regarding the essential natures of the eight māras, the first four belong to the category of fragmented [saṃsāra], and the latter four are subsumed under the conceptualized hindrance of the knowable, being the four inversions of the two vehicles. As for the essential natures of the ten māras: the māra of desire refers to the objects of the five sense fields; their essential nature is what is desired, and they can produce greed and desire; taking their name from the result, they are called desire, and the essential nature of desire is precisely greed for objects of desire. Sorrow and grief refer to the feeling of sorrow and suffering. Hunger and thirst are two desires produced by two kinds of touch. Sleep is precisely the indeterminate factor of torpor. Fear refers to the five fears: first, fear of [loss of] livelihood, arising from conceptualizing a self and attachment to the requisites of life; second, fear of ill repute, arising from expectation when engaging in unbeneficial actions; third, fear of death, arising from the notion of loss and destruction due to having the view of self; fourth, fear of evil destinies, arising from evil karma when not encountering buddhas; fifth, fear of crowds, arising when seeing one's own realization as inferior and that others are superior. The essential nature of the first two fears is mostly greed and desire—craving for wealth and reputation. The third and fifth are mostly attachment to self. The essential nature of the fourth is non-greed accompanied by prajñā; alternatively, its nature is shame, because it resists unwholesome dharmas. The essential nature of doubt is as its name suggests. Poison refers to the three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance. Fame refers to reputation. Gain refers to material property. Exalting oneself and looking down upon others has pride as its essential nature. In accordance with what is appropriate, these only explain the aggregates and afflictions as the army of māra, or state that the heavenly māra takes these as his army.