Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (65)

Taking delight in the eye faculty is the realm of Māra

The self-nature of the eye is apart from all dharmas and does not cling to any dharma; it has neither a male mark nor a female mark, so we need not raise a mind of delight or craving toward the eye faculty. The eye faculty itself has no such marks—no male mark and no female mark. If one takes delight in the eye faculty, that is the realm of Māra; attaching to sense objects means being possessed by Māra. Developing feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness toward anything is the realm of Māra; with such feelings, one remains forever under Māra's control. The Māra king is called Pāpīyas; he dwells in the highest, sixth heaven of the desire realm. Because of his great merit, he controls the entire six heavens of the desire realm, including the human world. If a sentient being has no craving for the dharmas of the desire realm, he escapes from the palm of Māra's hand, and then the Māra king will try every means to make him give rise once more to a mind of craving for the desire realm. As long as one has a mind of craving, one cannot escape from the desire realm; one is a disciple of the Māra king, a son of Māra.