The Devil and Devotion

This week I'll be using the Sacred India Tarot, a deck and book set created by Rohit Arya with Jane Adams and published by Yogi Impressions. Along with it, I'll be using Theresa Hutch's Land Sky Oracle: A Journey Through Patanjali's 8 Limbs of Yoga, now published by U.S. Games. Today's draws are the Devil and Devotion:

One should battle Mara with the sword of insight.

~Dhammapada

India does not really have a Devil, but it does have Mara - the personification of the ego-bound part of us that craves pleasure and becomes frustrated when it isn't in our grasp. Our inner Mara is sly, using nicely wrapped packaging that hides the poison inside. It may be a gift of rage cloaked by justification, over-indulgence concealed as self-care, or arrogance and sanctimoniousness disguised as scholarship or spirituality. We can't eliminate Mara, but we can learn to see through his tricks. Hanuman represents devotion due to his spiritual love for Rama as recounted in the Ramayana. A steadfast companion, he helped Rama retrieve his kidnapped wife from a demon king. Hanuman asks if the deeds we do for others are simply out of kindness or if we are seeking attention and accolades. True devotion would reflect the words of the Bhagavad Gita: do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results.