ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to (1) study the account of Māra or five evildoers in Theravada Buddhism, (2) analyze five evildoers in the views of Theravada Buddhism, and (3) analyze the influences of five evildoers as they affected the Dhamma practice. This study was  a documentary research.

The results of this study found that

The word ‘Māra’ was derived from Pali root ‘Mr’ which meant in Buddhism that was anything killing persons from good virtue, ones who got rid of or obstructed the individuals not to maintain or reach their good success. To analyze the root ‘mr’, it referred to ones who kill Kusala-dhamma or good things named ‘Māra’ or an evildoer. In this context, ‘Māra’ could be translated as killing doers that referred to some gods or deities who had sinful hearts with micchaditthi or false views who too interfered in making merit. In other words, ‘Māra’, in case of Dhamma saying, was determined as an ill effect that destroyed good virtue and created a person to be bad. This referred to ‘kilesa-kama’ or subjective sexuality that existed in one’s mind or mental concomitant (Cetasika). It would make us sad. Moreover, passion(love), tanha (craving), raga (lust) and arati (frenzy) would be clung in one’s mind.

          It revealed, from this study, that there were five kinds of ‘Māra’ in Buddhism, namely; Kilesa-māra (the Māra of defilements) that made us be sorrow consisting of lobhā or greed, dosa or hatred, and moha or delusion, and (2) khandha-māra: the Māra ofaggregates, this referred to five aggregates, i.e.; rūpakhandha or corporeality, vedhana-khandha or sensation, saññakhandha or perception, sankhara-khandah or mental formations, and viññana-khandha or consciousness. They were non-existing, being dukkha or suffering and anattata or soullessness, (3) Abhisankhara-māra: the Māra of Karma-formations was detrmined as cetana or volition to be concocted in the triple round. (4) Devaputta-māra or the Māra as deity referred to divine beings who hindered ones from doing good led by Phaya Sawatti named by the Lord Buddha as the Māra with sin who also was also the head tribe of being carelessness, and (5) Maccu-māra : the Māra as death that caused or cut the opportunity for all persons to do good. It could be, from the data analyzing, concluded that only Devaputta-māra was outside ourselves, but the rest were inside ourselves.

          In addition, from this research it also showed that Māra was an obstacle for good virtue or that who killed people from goodness or from successful destination, things that ruined goodness or as the principal who eliminated or obstructed the individuals not to achieve good success. These Māras or evildoers were 1. Kilesa- māra meant kilea or defilements. Kilesa was the destroyer because it eliminated and hindered the doing good and it also made creatures meet demolition both at the present and the future. 2. Khandha-māra was the Māra of the aggregates or give groups of existence. Pañca-khandha was the Māra of the Destroyer because it was in the state of concoction with conflict inside ourselves, non-existence. Besides, it was a task to be run, unstable and be ruined because of senility and disease. All in all, this Māra severed the individual’s opportunity to do his duty as well as doing good extremely as he wished. He finally missed that chance. 3. Abhisankhāra-māra was the Māra of Karma-formations. This Māra was the destroyer because it was combined with karma-formations. It made creatures to be born and aged etc. and it also obstructed them not to escape from the triple round. 4.  Devaputta-māra was the Māra as deity. He was named because he was the greatest and highest deity in Kāmāvacara-bhūmi or Sensuous Plane. Because of his being Nimitta on sign of obstruction, so he was named as Māra. He also blocked the individuals to free from his power by persuading them to be pleased with sensual objects. The persons, therefore, could not make a sacrifice to do good, and 5. Maccu-māra was the Māra as death. The death was the Destroyer because he cut  the chance of people to be progressive in all good virtue.

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