The Lord of Illusion, Mara, tried to disturb his meditation with fearful and sensual images but was unsuccessful. By the end of the night, the Buddha's realization into truth was complete, but although he was fully awakened the armies of Mara were still around him. He is the supremely awakened one. Then from her hair she produced a great flood of water which washed away the armies of Mara, who eventually returned carrying flowers and other offerings. I think the story is saying that if our liberation is simply a subjective, mental, interior experience then we are only half-cooked.
Wisdom has to reach out into the world.
Even the Buddha has to make that gesture of humility and ask the earth for her blessing. In order for the armies of Mara to really be dispelled, we have to open our eyes and step out of that blissful interior space. For liberation to be finalized we have to touch the earth. When I first visited Ajahn Cha's monastery in Thailand, I found a group of Westerners like myself, with very similar backgrounds, who were living in the forest doing Buddhist meditation practice. And they all seemed remarkably cheerful.