Temptations of Mara
Gandhar School, 1st Century CE
While Prince Siddharth sat and meditated, he faced many temptations. As Arjun said in the Bhagwat Gita, the mind is the most difficult to control. One is tempted by one's repressed desires, by baser instincts. The inner fears manifest themselves. Temptations are common to all religion. In Christianity, both Jesus and St. Anthony were tempted. In Hinduism Vishwamitra was tempted by an Apsara.
Here we see the demon Mara tempting Prince Siddharth as he sits in the posture called "touching the earth." In Ajanta there is a beautiful depiction of Mara's voluptuous daughters dancing in front of Prince Siddharth. Here we see a bear standing on the right side. These are the images of a nightmare. We must conquer our minds to be victorious over ourself.
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