I work for sentient beings in the costume of Brahma and Indra,
And sometimes even as Mara.
But worldly people cannot realize this.
I also appear as a woman or as an animal.
I show attachment, even though I am not attached.
I show fear, even though I have no fear.
I show ignorance, even though I don’t have ignorance.
I show craziness, even though I am not crazy.
I show blindness, even though I am not blind.
In various forms, I subdue sentient beings.
— The Buddha
(Sutra of the Meeting of Father and Son)
