Thanks Lal,
I once made a theme on Mara, but in Dutch. I am going to share some information. Maybe it is useful.
It is said Mara is, just like a Buddha, always a male (MN115).
There is always only 1 Mara in samsara (Milindapanha)
Mara is called “the foremost of rulers, blazing with power and glory”. “The foremost of those who exercise authority is Mara the Evil One”. (AN4.15).
Pfff…
In Christian thought God might be seen as the foremost ruler but in the kosmology of the Buddha, apparantly, Mara is seen as the foremost of rulers and those who execise authority. I belief there are Christians sects who also belief a kind of Devil is the ruler of the world and God has withdrawn from his creation.
Mara can also take possession of beings and let them talk in a certain way or do certain things. I can provide sutta references if someone wants them.
Mara also seems to have a certain kind of household or assembly (AN8.69, DN16§3.21 en MN12§29). Texts also speak of mara’s with a small ‘m’. I sometimes wonder (maybe you know this Lal) if these paranimmita-vasavatti deva’s are his household? I have not seen this mentioned in the sutta’s.
In general Mara activities are focussed on keeping being trapped in samsara, his domain, where he is the foremost ruler.
–“Whatever forms exist here or beyond, And those of luminous beauty in the sky, All these, indeed, you praise, Namuci, Like bait thrown out for catching fish.” (the Buddha in SN2.30)
I think one can say that someone aiming at higher rebirth (without seeing the need to reach sotapanna stage) is still under Mara’s influence. Also the celestial bond is Mara’s snare (SN1.50).
Especially sense-pleasures are Mara’s bait and way of catching beings in his net. Moreover, everywhere where there is “me” and “mine” there follows Mara (SN4.24). Mara is often the symbol or metaphor of the deluded or defiled mind. In that way, i belief, only an arahant is not anymore under the authority of Mara, but even a sotapanna still is. As long as avijja and tanha have not totally ceased we are under his spell.
Where there is attachment to the khandha’s we are bounded by Mara (SN22.63).
-“Bhikkhu, in conceiving one is bound by Mara; by not conceiving
one is freed from the Evil One.” (SN22.64).
In search for enjoyment in the khandha’s one becomes bounded by Mara (SN22.65)
With wrong view one is under the yoke of Mara (AN4.49).
-“Having cut off all underlying tendencies that follow one drifting in Mara’s domain,those who attain the destruction of the taints,
though in the world, have gone beyond“. AN8.29)
So i think samsara is Mara’s domain and in samsara he seems to be the ultimate ruler who does not like when beings are trying to free themselves from his authority. He might frighten those who try, seduce them, etc.
Nibbana is not Mara’s domain. Mara can be conquered with wisdom and practicing the noble eightfold path.
This is a very short impression of an exploratory investigation of Mara in the sutta-pitaka i once made.
Siebe