Malleable Ma?ra the transformations of a Buddhist symbol of evil /

by Nichols, Michael David.

MALLEABLE M?RA: THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF A BUDDHIST SYMBOL OF EVIL by Michael David Nichols Despite its importance to the legend of the Buddha’s enlightenment and numerous Buddhist texts, a longitudinal, diachronic analysis of the symbol of M?ra has never been done. This thesis aims to fill that gap by tracing the Evil One’s development in three spheres. Chapter one deals with M?ra in the Nik?ya texts, in which the deity is portrayed as a malign being diametrically opposed to the Buddha and his teachings. Chapter two discusses how that representation changes to ambivalence in certain Mah?y?na s?tras due to increased emphasis on the philosophical concepts of emptiness and non-duality. Finally, chapter three charts the results of a collision between the two differing representations of M?ra in Southeast Asia. The concludes that the figure of M?ra is malleable and reflects changes in doctrinal and sociological situations. Malleable M?ra: The Transformations of a Buddhist Symbol of Evil A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Comparative Religion by Michael David Nichols Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2004 Adviser _______________________ Prof. Elizabeth Wilson Reader _______________________ Prof. Julie Gifford Reader _______________________ Prof. Lisa Poirier