Known as Mara (Satan) in religious traditions, the devilish mind impacts in 12 common ways. Sharing of experiences, wise attention and daily practices contribute to the dissolution of the power of Mara in the mind.
12 Common Kinds of Mara in the Mind
- Compulsive thinking.
- Putting ourselves down or inflating self-importance
- Complaining and nagging.
- Doubting our motives for kind action.
- Feeling we are not good enough
- Addictive behaviour
- Fearful of taking beneficial risks or taking irresponsible risks.
- Imagining wealth, fame and family confirm a worthwhile life.
- Feelings of helplessness and despair.
- Fear around ageing, sickness and death.
- Lust for control and power
- Self-harm
The structure of the human mind is deep and layered and unfathomably complex. It’s formed by what has happened over hundreds of millions of years and also last weekend.
It’s affected by our genetic heritage, the environment in which we were conceived and developed (our mother’s womb), the emotional environment into which we were born and spent our childhood, the physical environment in which we grew up (chemicals), and subsequent events in our life.
It’s created moment to moment within our brain, but is much more than our brain. It’s built on the physical structures and mental patterns of animals that came before us, but is unlike the mind of any animal.
Our mind’s capacity for self awareness has been referred to as nature’s only witness to itself. It is mostly a mystery, and yes, sometimes seems to be the home of demons as well as angels. Sometimes integrating the demons can help us grow.