Demons

Throughout spiritual traditions, demons have been portrayed as external beings that tempt, threaten, or obstruct the seeker. In Buddhist practice, however, demons (Māras) are often recognised as psychological forces — personifications of the obstacles arising within the mind itself.

The Buddha spoke of Māra as the embodiment of delusion, craving, and fear — the internal adversary that seeks to prevent awakening. Māra appears as desire, as doubt, as pride, as fear of death, and even as subtle spiritual pride. These “demons” are not separate from us; they are projections of the mind’s own habitual tendencies, arising when practice challenges the ego’s grip.

Understanding demons in this way reframes the path: liberation is not a battle against external forces, but a gentle, courageous meeting with one’s own shadows. Each demon that arises offers an opportunity — not for suppression, but for understanding. By turning toward these uncomfortable energies with mindfulness and compassion, their power dissolves.

In some traditions, particularly within Vajrayāna Buddhism, demons are even viewed as potential allies. When their energy is recognised as empty, non-dual, and free of inherent threat, the very forces that once bound the practitioner become fuel for realisation. The demon transforms from enemy to teacher.

Ultimately, the path to liberation requires not the destruction of demons, but their integration — seeing through their illusions, recognising their emptiness, and allowing the natural clarity of mind to shine through unimpeded.

“The demons you fear are shadows cast by your own grasping.”
— Tibetan saying