Heavenly beings and deities

Mara (Skt. ‘murderer’, ‘destroyer’) is a Buddhist deity and the personification of death. He represents all the passions, cravings, and attachments that obstruct the path to knowledge. He made several attempts to prevent Siddhartha Gautama’s own awakening – by sending an army of demons to kill him, for instance, or by having his three daughters (Discontent, Delight, and Desire) try to seduce him. Many artworks depict Mara’s efforts to tempt the Buddha.