The Demon King Least Hopes That Sentient Beings Cultivate Meditative Concentration

Māra Pāpīyas least of all wishes sentient beings to cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi), because once someone cultivates to the point of fully attaining preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), making it equal to his own meditative concentration, Māra can no longer control that person; and once someone attains the concentration of the first dhyāna, they escape Māra's control, and he can no longer govern them. Therefore, if anyone obstructs our cultivation of meditative concentration or denies the value of samādhi, we must be on guard. In this world, the afflictions of the five desires blaze fiercely; without meditative concentration, there is no way to subdue afflictions, and the future retributive consequences are fearsome.