Buddhist practice ultimately aims at subduing one's own inner demons.
Tips
mistakes
Easy to confuse with 降服. Same pronunciation, opposite direction: 降服 = the subject SURRENDERS; 降伏 = the subject SUBDUES someone else. The 降 reading is the same in both.
culture
Buddhist vocabulary uses 降伏 for the act of subduing demons, defilements, or the unruly mind itself. Recurring image in 《西游记》 (Journey to the West) and the 《金刚经》 (Diamond Sutra).
