Demon

• Demon — bdud, Skt. mara, this term is used to designate either a malevolent spirit or, symbolically, a negative force or obstacle on the path. The four demons (bdud bzhi) are of the latter kind. The demon of the aggregates refers to the five skandhas (body, feeling, perception, conditioning factors and consciousness), as described in buddhist teachings, which form the basis of suffering in samsara. The demon of the emotions refers to the conflicting emotions, which provoke suffering. The demon of death refers not only to death itself but also to the momentary transience of all phenomena, the nature of which is suffering. The demon child of gods refers to mental wandering and the attachment to phenomena apprehended as truly existent. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6