Mara

Mara is a figure in Buddhist tradition, traditionally portrayed as a demon who personifies temptation, fear, and desire. In canonical accounts of the Buddha’s enlightenment, Māra attempts to deter Siddhartha Gautama under the Bodhi tree with visions, doubts, and his armies. The narrative presents Mara’s failures as a demonstration of spiritual resolve. Over time, Mara’s role has been interpreted in various ways across Buddhist schools, sometimes as a personal being and other times as an abstract representation of inner obstacles such as craving, aversion, and ignorance.

The name Māra itself is of Sanskrit and Pali origin and is commonly understood to mean “foe” or “obstacle.” In Buddhist contexts, the term has come to symbolize the forces that hinder awakening rather than a single, uniform character. In broader religious and cultural usage, Mara also functions as a proper name in contemporary times and appears in toponyms and folklore in regions where Buddhism and local traditions intersect.

Geographically, the most widely known use of the term outside religious texts is Maasai Mara, a large savanna ecosystem in Kenya named after the Maasai people and linked to the Mara River. The Maasai Mara is renowned for its wildlife, including the annual migration of wildebeest and other ungulates, which draws visitors from around the world.

In summary, Mara denotes a central mythic figure in Buddhism and a range of secular uses, from personal names to landscape toponyms, reflecting its enduring presence in culture and language.