The Buddha had lived many lives before he incarnated as Siddhartha Gautama in the life that he later became the Buddha. He made innumerable good karma and merits in those lives through his good deeds, thoughts, dharma, and practices.
On the day of his enlightenment, he was sitting, meditating under the Bodhi Tree. Mara (Demon), the devil of illusion, came to tempt and dismay him from becoming enlightened. All the gods were terrified. They ran away and left the young man facing Mara’s challenges alone. Mara first brought his three lusty daughters: Tanha (Thirst), Arati (Aversion), and Raga (Attachment). They tempted the Buddha with their dances, seductions, and stripping in front of him but failed to entice him.
Mara continued to strike the Buddha with wild animals, warriors, and weapons. The Buddha then stretched his right arm out, and while his fingers touched the earth, he summoned Phra Mae Thorani to be his witness simultaneously.
The mother earth deity unveiled herself from the ground and sat on her knees, affirming his alignment. She twisted her lengthy hair, creating torrents of water collected from the water libation ceremony, which engaged in dedicating merits that the Buddha had made in his numerous lifetimes to all creatures by pouring water from a water vessel to the earth. The flood swept Mara, his daughters, and his army away. The Buddha was freed to attain the state of nirvana, reach enlightenment, transcend karma, and escape the cycle of reincarnation.
