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Beyond Hope and Fear: Machik Labdron’s Four Maras

In the firmament of women in Buddhist history, the Tibetan woman Machik Labdron

(1055-1149) is one of its brightest stars. She joins such notable women as Mahaprajapati,

the Buddha’s stepmother who became the first Buddhist nun; Dhammadinna, one of the

first female arhats; Lakshminkara, Niguma, Sukhasiddhi, and Siddhirajni, some of the

most prominent female practitioners among the Indian mahasiddhas; and Yeshe Tsogyal,

the eighth century Tibetan woman adept.

Machik Labdron’s unique teaching, Chöd, also known as Severance, has profoundly

impacted all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Machik Labdron’s teaching identifies egotism

as the root of all mundane and spiritual problems. In a short text called the Great

Collection of Instructions on Chöd: An Intimate Instruction on the Perfection of Wisdom,

Machik explores the problem of egotism and outlines the method for cutting through it.

We should keep in mind that this tradition is a means for practicing the Mahayana

approach to the perfection of wisdom and is very much connected with Perfection of

Wisdom sutras such as the famed Heart Sutra and Diamond Cutter Sutra. It is also

important to note that although Machik makes no mention in her text of any need to

receive empowerments in order to practice the instructions that are contained there, she

does mention that it is important to have a relationship with a teacher.

The main subject matter of Chöd is an interpretation of the four maras based upon

Machik’s personal experience arising from her practice of the perfection of wisdom.
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However, before examining Machik Labdron’s teaching on the four maras, we should

briefly review the four maras of the Classical Buddhist tradition.

As stated in countless Buddhist scriptures, the goal of Buddhadharma is to overcome

death, both figuratively and literally.

The Sutra of Extensive Play recounts that the Bodhisattva made the following

resolution:

“Until birth and death are eradicated, I shall not enter the town of Kapilavastu. Until I

attain the highest awakening, the deathless, supreme place free of aging and death, I shall

not stand, sit, lay down, or move in the direction of Kapilavastu.”

The word mara itself derives from the Sanskrit root mri, which forms the basis for

many words: killing, death, slaying, evil, enemies, and so on. Thus, in order to overcome

death, one must overcome Mara.

We should understand that mara can be a person and it can also be a principle. Mara as

a person is the god of desire, Kamadeva, presented in many Buddhist scriptures as a

tempter and a trickster who tries incessantly to lure the Buddha and his disciples from

their path— sometimes offering discouraging words, other times attempting to flatter

practitioners into abandoning the path. Mara even tries to trick his way into the Buddha’s

presence by feigning to give rise to bodhicitta, but instead earns a prediction for total

buddhahood
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Mara as a principle is generally discussed in Indian Buddhist scriptures in the context

of a quartet of maras: (1) the mara of the aggregates (skandha mara), (2) the mara of

afflictions (klesha mara), (3) the mara of death (mrityu mara), and (4) the devaputra

mara. The last is also Mara as a person.

The second chapter of the Stages of the Hearers, a section of the vast Stages of Yoga

Practice belonging to the Yogacara school, offers a useful presentation of all four maras:

“The mara of the aggregates is the five addictive aggregates. The mara of the afflictions

is the afflictions experienced in the three realms. The mara of death is the death of this

and that sentient being belonging to this and that class of sentient being. Because the

devaputra mara is external to the maras of the aggregates, afflictions, and death, and

because it also causes obstacles to virtuous efforts and distraction, the devaputa mara is

the son of a god born in the desire realm who became its lord.”

The passage goes on to further describe the relationship of these four maras to death. As

soon as the five addictive aggregates arise, they die. The afflictions cause a future birth,

and after that birth, there is death. At the time of death and transmigration, the life faculty

of sentient beings ceases, which is the nature of death. While the devaputra mara is itself

external to the death process, due to the myriad obstacles this mara causes on the path, it

is an indirect cause of death, preventing the attainment of the deathless state of

awakening.
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In these four maras, egotism, grasping to a self, is implied, but it is never directly

addressed.

Turning to the four maras presented by Machik Labdron, one key difference between

the four maras of Classical Buddhism and the four maras of the Chöd tradition is that

while the former encompass the whole of the samsaric life cycle (birth, aging, illness, and

death), the latter are presented in a sequence connected with view, meditation, conduct,

and result.

Machik begins by setting out four propositions: (1) One’s mind is the foundation of

mara. (2) Any object that appears is the mind. (3) Since there is clinging and attachment

to such objects, one is caught by mara. (4) The mind is corrupted by apprehending itself

as an object.

At the outset, the basic definition of mara in Chöd is the mind grasping to objects,

which are in fact just its own appearance. By clinging to such appearances and taking

them as truly existent, we experience various mental states of attachment and aversion.

Since we do not understand our experiences to arise from our own minds, we trap

ourselves in samsaric existence.

In his commentary on the Great Collection of Instructions, the Third Karmapa,

Rangjung Dorje notes:

“Thinking that the objects of form and so on are truly existent, there is clinging and

attachment; the fact that they are false becomes the mara of obscuration.”
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Next, Machik Labdron expands her definition of mara by defining four categories of

maras: (1) the tangible mara, (2) the intangible mara, (3) the mara of jubilation, and (4)

the mara of egotism. She includes the first three in the māra of egotism, which we shall

see is the fundamental mara she seeks to address. Within each of these categories of

maras, there are many subcategories.

The tangible mara is defined as the bondage that results from grasping to samsara

through attachment and aversion to the phenomena which appear to the six sense organs.

In order to counteract this grasping, Machik directs the practitioner to meditate in the

following way:

“Form is empty of an essence of form. Meditate on emptiness without attachment to

form.”

Machik immediately introduces us to meditation on emptiness, free from the dualism of

eternalism and annihilationism. Eternalism is grasping to things as permanent.

Annihilationism is grasping to things as totally nonexistent with a mental construction of

emptiness.

As a result of such nondual meditation on emptiness, the appearances we perceive seem

to appear on their own, natureless and evanescent, springing seemingly out of nowhere.

By meditating on nondual emptiness without attachment to any appearances or even the

mind itself, the mind itself is self-liberated, meaning it is completely free from grasping.
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This self-liberated mind is transformed into undifferentiated great ignorance, a

reference to the pristine consciousness of the dharmadhatu, which is called great to

indicate that this ignorance is not ordinary ignorance, but the mind that realizes nondual

emptiness in which no characteristics are perceived, rendering knowledge impossible.

Here, Machik notes that the mind itself is actually the intangible mara, but because it

operates through the sense organs, in this context, it is referred to as the tangible mara.

The intangible mara is defined as the positive and negative impressions of mental

objects discriminated by one’s concepts.

The intangible mara arises from nonrealization of the mind essence, the mind’s core of

empty luminosity. We divide our sense impressions into positive and negative phenomena

without realizing that the source of such discrimination arises from our lack of realization

of the mind essence. Our attachment and aversion is described through the metaphor of

gods and spirits, which does not refer to external entities or beings. We grasp what we

perceive to be positive as a “god” and we grasp what we perceive to be negative as a

“spirit,” not realizing that these discriminations arise from the mind itself. These

discriminations are the essence of hope and fear.

We confront this mara by realizing that these positive and negative experiences have a

common source. To illustrate this, Machik Labdron uses the metaphor of the ocean. Just

as waves rise from the still ocean, memories and thoughts arise freely from the luminous

state of the dharmadhatu’s great expanse,.

Here, Machik offers very clear guidance about how one should meditate. Free from

preferences, one rests simply in the mind essence, allowing memories and thoughts to
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come and go, self-liberated into the dhātu just as they are, without any need to modify

them. She states:

“Selfish preferences for that which arises spontaneously from the dhatu are irrational.

The self-originated mind lacks preferences.”

The mara of jubilation, defined as the deluded thinking of the mind, concerns spiritual

materialism. It is the most detailed of the four, divided up into four common maras and

two supreme maras.

The common maras include: (1) The mara of jubilation is the conceit that arises

because one is unharmed by the spirits of eerie places. (2) The mara of distraction is the

distractions of merit and wealth from the manifestation of the signs of powerful blessings.

(3) The mara of exhilaration is the exhilaration from profit, fame, conflict with enemies,

and association with friends. (4) The mara of jubilation is the joy and happiness that

arises concerning the boons granted by pleasing mundane gods and spirits, and from

gathering offspring, spouses, friends, and followers. One feels jubilation because one

regards all of these as signs that validate oneself as a Dharma practitioner.

Machik observes that a mind which realizes that objects and mind are nondual does not

grasp these qualities as signs of validation or as credentials. Instead, the mind experiences

all of these like a dream. She advises:

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“Just as the face of a pretty women is naturally beautiful, one will be spontaneously

adorned by qualities. That is no reason for conceit to arise, but if it arises, one has been

contaminated by the grasping of the deluded mind. The absence of grasping, the supreme

conduct of our tradition, should be concealed in the hearts of the intelligent.”

The supreme mara of jubilation has two subcategories: the mara of the path and the

mara of the result.

The mara of the path is the exuberance that one’s view is free of proliferation, that

one’s meditation is uniform, that one’s conduct is nonconceptual, and that one has

experiences on the path. However, since one is subtly objectifying view, meditation,

conduct, and experience, these are deviations from the path and are considered the

activity of mara.

Machik does not offer detailed instructions on this or that view or this or that

meditation. Instead, she explains that “view” and “meditation” are merely symbolic.

There is nothing one must do with the mind. There is no idea of a view to construct.

Everything that arises without impediment is left as it is in the state of nondual emptiness.

She declares emphatically, “Absence of a view is the supreme severance.”

With regard to meditation, Machik observes that since everything is one’s self-

originated mind, there is nothing upon which a meditator can meditate. There are no

objects apart from the mind— even the mind is not to be taken as an object. Instead, all

that we experience are sensations that arise on their own and are to be left just as they are

— crystal clear, lucid, and vivid. Machik describes these sensations as crystal clear
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because they do not change, lucid because they are realized with certainty, and vivid

because they are liberated just as they are, like leaving water in water. She describes this

concentration (dhyana) of nonmeditation as the supreme meditation.

Having understood that view and meditation are merely symbolic, one’s conduct or

behavior becomes self-liberated and spontaneous because one is free of grasping. Here,

Machik observes that since there is nothing to remedy with an antidote, even if one were

to resort to antidotes, one’s self-liberation cannot be hindered within self-originated

pristine consciousness (rang byung ye shes). Pointing out the uniqueness of this

instruction, she advises that the practitioner who relies on the blessings of realized people

will obtain realization. She again emphasizes, “No conduct is said to be the supreme

conduct.”

Finally, with respect to the mara of the path, Machik addresses the desire for the

attainment of experiences. At one point or another in our practice of Dharma, we all get

caught up in seeking validation through having experiences and signs of accomplishment

in our practice. This itself becomes a deviation from the path. Machik states, “The

supreme path of freedom is having experience without attachment to objects.”

Similarly, the mara of the result is understood to be the desire to attain the three kayas

of the nine yanas. According to Machik, the desire for buddhahood itself is a mara. She

explains that the nature of one’s body, speech, and mind is the three kāyas, therefore,

seeking for a buddhahood elsewhere is a deviation. She identifies hope for buddhahood

and fear of samsara as stumbling blocks for practitioners, a sentiment echoed by

countless Buddhist masters. She advises us to rest naturally without seeking or making
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effort to accomplish buddhahood, declaring, “Without expectations, confident in

severance, that person is free from the extremes of hope and fear. Having severed the

rope of grasping, where is there certain buddhahood?”

Machik then explains why the three maras delineated above are included within the

mara of egotism, and how they can be confronted. The Tibetan term translated here as

egotism is nyemjey (snyems byed), defined as a deluded vision that arises from grasping

to a self.

Machik observes that the tangible mara is included within the mara of egotism due to

its involvement in external entities— not realizing that external entities are merely

appearances of the mind itself. Once one realizes that the ego is the root of attachment

and aversion concerning external things, by cutting through egotism, one is freed from

grasping things. In this way one recognizes that the tangible mara has no basis— there is

no basis for a self other than false imputation. When the baselessness of egotism is

realized, there is nothing left to hold onto. Egotism itself becomes liberated into the

dharmadhātu.

The intangible mara is also included in egotism. This encompasses the five poisons,

fear of harm by invisible spirits, hope for assistance from insubstantial gods, and all hope

and fear regarding anything we perceive.

By cutting through egotism, the five poisons are self-liberated as the five pristine

consciousnesses. Machik says:

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“Amazing! The maras are pacified by cutting through egotism. Buddhahood is

actualized by realizing it has no basis. Further, when resting naturally at ease, likewise,

everything is at rest.”

With respect to the mara of jubilation, it is included in egotism because it involves

attachment to qualities that arise from attachment to mundane and supreme

accomplishments. Consequently, one must not search for a nirvana that is separate from

samsara. One also must not attempt to meditate on nonconceptuality. Nonconceptuality

means having no attachment to concepts— it does not meaning trying to find a state of

mental blankness devoid of memories and thoughts.

Machik summarizes all of this saying:

“Since those are all egotism, I say, cut through the ego!”

The reader may wonder how all of these instructions are to be integrated. As we have

seen, the main point of the Chöd tradition is to first identify the ego and then cut through

it. There are ample examples in the above presentation that a reader can follow step by

step. Practicing Chöd liturgies in eerie places is considered among the most effective

method because fear very quickly exposes our self-grasping and egotism. The Third

Karmapa notes that before we wander off into the wilderness looking to confront our

egotism in eerie places we imagine to be inhabited by spirits and ghosts, beginners should

consider that their own mind with its dualistic concepts a sufficiently terrifying place.
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Prior to confronting our egotism by stimulating it with fearful experiences, but after we

ascertain that ego has no basis, we can follow Machik’s instructions:

“Do not follow conceptual sensations, which naturally vanish like lightning in the sky.

Let the concepts that arise rest in an unmoving state, which is like the depths of the

ocean. Like waves, conditional appearances and thoughts are naturally at rest in the

dharmadhatu.”

From Machik’s perspective, since there are no objects that can be found, knowing

objects itself forms the basis of the existential problem of delusion. In the state of

equipoise described above, one can apply her advice:

“As soon as one understands knowing is delusion, there is no longer grasping to

deluded phenomena.”

Machik explains liberation in the following way:

“It certainly states in the discourses of the victor that unknowing is the supreme path. If

unknowing is realized, there is no need to block the movements of the mind. Those are

liberated right where they are, like an optical illusion.”

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In conclusion, Machik Labdron tackles egotism through examining our outer and inner

experiences of deluded thinking: all the ways in which such deluded thinking can arise

from unobserved egotism; how deluded thinking infects our Dharma practice; and how

deluded thinking turns our practice and the experiences that arise from our practice into

credentials used for self-validation. When we let go of grasping through identifying and

cutting through egotism, going beyond hope and fear, we discover that there is no path

and nothing to accomplish in the great perfection of wisdom, the supreme mother who

gives birth to all the Buddhas. E ma ho!

Malcolm Smith, Zangthal Editions.

©2019 Malcolm Smith. All rights reserved.