Glossary: Dairokuten Maou

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Dairokuten Maou (第六天魔王)

Also known as: Mara, Devil King of the Sixth Heaven

Lit.: "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven". In Buddhist theology, the Dairokuten Maou is the Demon King who is the personification of delusion and evil, but is also a god who lives in Ten Dou, the highest of the Six Realms. From there he is able to manipulate and exploit beings in all the Realms of Desire, which include the lower five of the Six Realms, as well as the first six out of the twenty-eight heavens into which the the Realm of the Gods is divided. His primary purpose is to ensure that no one escapes the cycle of life and death by tricking them into believing that true happiness lies within the Six Realms.

Oda Nobunaga adopts this title for himself.