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traditions and legends that surround the life of the Buddha contain in allegorical form, the precise nature and form of the spiritual journey. The early stories and teachings of the Buddha were not written down until several centuries after his death. They were not seen as the “authorized version”.
Prince Siddartha was born around 560BC in a small kingdom just below the Himalayan foothills. His father was a king of the Sakya clan. His mother, Queen Maya was said to be so radiant and alluring that even the gods envied her. She was called Mayadevi “Goddess of Illusion” because her body was so beautiful as to be unbelievable.
As well as being an embodiment of death, Mara symbolizes all the obstacles that prevent one from attaining enlightenment.
Mara and his daughters are familiar to anyone who practises meditation; the revelation of dark repressed fears, barely remembered fragments of memory, doubts, erotic fantasy and foremost, the desire to get back to familiar ground.
