Hi ynot,
Oke. I meant it metaphorically. If a kilesa, such as mana influences someones mind and he/she thinks, speaks and acts conceited, then mind is, metaphorically under Mara’s sway. I did not mean that Mara as devaputta at that moment takes controll.
But sometimes the text speak of Mara as a real living being which can take controll of other living being. In the sutta’s i have encountered that Mara takes possession of:
– Ananda (in DN16, SN51.10, AN8.70) But i doubt if in this context Mara-devaputta is meant or Ananda was under the influence of kilesa-Mara
-Mara takes the householders of a town called Pancasala in possession in such a manner that they do collectively not give alms to the Buddha (SN4.18)
-Mara takes possession of someone in the company of Brahma’s (MN49)
-Mara takes possession of a deva called Vetambari (SN2.30)
Mara can also come in disguise. He can manifest as an ox (SN4.16), as a farmer (SN4.19), as a Brahmin with knotted hair, old (SN4.21). So he can transform in different forms, apparently.
In the sutta’s Mara often acts as a tempter. The bhikkhuni Cala does not approve of birth anymore. Mara approaches her and says that one can enjoy sensual pleasures (SN5.6). As one example. Sometimes Mara stimulates people to aim for high deva realms (SN5.7).
In short, his aim is that being do not escape samsara, his domain, where he is the ultimate ruler. I think he also does not want that people teach the escape-route. He stimulated the Budddha to go into Parinibbana after his awakening.