Division I –– Sagātha Book 4 –– Māra Saṃyutta Chapter 2 –– Dutiya (rajja) Vagga

Sutta Pitaka
Samyutta Nikāya
Division I –– Sagātha
Book 4 –– Māra Saṃyutta
Chapter 2 –– Dutiya (Rajja) Vagga

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

 

4. 2. 1.

(11) Pāsāno –– Rocks

1. At one time the Blessed One was living among the Gijjha peaks.

2. At that time the Blessed One was seated in open space, in the dark and drops of rain were also falling,

3. Māra the evil one, intending to frighten the Blessed One, approached and split huge rocks not far away from the Blessed One

4. The Blessed One knowing it was Māra the evil one said this stanza to him:

“Even if the complete Gijjha peak is moved
Enlightened Ones rightfully released do not change.”

5. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 2.

(12) Sīho –– A Lion

1. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi. At that time the Blessed One was preaching a huge gathering.

2. Then it occurred to Māra the evil one. “The recluse Gotama is preaching a large gathering, what if I approach the recluse Gotama and disturb the gathering.”

3. Then Māra the evil one approached the Blessed One and said a stanza to the Blessed One:

“Why do you roar like a confident lion?
Is there an opponent, whom you want to defeat?

4. “Indeed, great heroes roar confidently in gatherings.
Thus Gone Ones have attained power, having overcome the sinful bend.”

5. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 3.

(13) Sakalikaṃ –– A Splinter

1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the deer park in the middle valley of Rajagaha.

2. At that time the Blessed One’s foot was cut with a splinter and the Blessed One was mindfully enduring sharp, acute, unwelcome, bodily feelings without annoyance.

3. Then Māra the evil one, approached the Blessed One and said a stanza to the Blessed One:

“Are you sleeping lazily or intoxicated with poetic ideas?
Don’t you have much work to do?
Why are you alone on seat and bed?
Why are you engaged in sleep, lazily?”

4. “Am not sleeping lazily, nor am I intoxicated for poetry,
Knowing the useful, I have given up grieving,
So I am secluded on seat and bed
I sleep compassionate for all living things
Even those who have the arrow in their hearts,
Sleep, while feelings arise each moment,
Why should I, not sleep with the arrow pulled out?
I do not care for wakefulness, nor do I fear to sleep.
Ones like me do not practice austerities day and night.
I do not see any slackness any where in the world.
Therefore, I sleep compassionate for all living things.”

5. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 4.

(14) Patirūpaṃ –– Somebody Like You

1. At one time the Blessed One was living in the Brahmin village Ekanaliya in the country of Kosala. At that time the Blessed One was preaching a huge gathering of lay disciples.

2. Then it occurred to Māra the evil one. ‘The recluse Gotama is preaching a large gathering of lay disciples, what if I approach the recluse Gotama and disturb him?”

3. Then Māra the evil one approached the Blessed One and said a stanza to the Blessed One:

“It is not suitable, that somebody like you, should instruct others,
The accomplished ones do not perform in circumstances of like and dislike.”

4. “Out of compassion the rightfully Enlightened One advises others,
The Thus Gone Ones are completely released from likes and dislikes.”

Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 5.

(15) Mānasaṃ –– Mentally

1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.

2. Then Māra the evil one approached the Blessed One said this stanza in the presence of the Blessed One:

“Man behaving in open space, whatever mental rambling you do,
By that you will be waylaid. Recluse! You will not be released by me”

3. “Enticing forms, sounds, tastes, smells and touches
I have no more interest for these. Go away! You are the ender.”

4. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 6.

(16) Pattaṃ –– Bowls

1. The Blessed One was living in Sāvatthi. At the time the Blessed One was instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on clinging to the five masses. The bhikkhus too were listening attentively to grasp the essential.

2. Then it occurred to Māra the evil one, “The recluse Gotama is instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on clinging to the five masses. The bhikkhus too are listening attentively to grasp the essential. What if I approach the recluse Gotama to disturb their attention?”

3. At that time many bhikkhus had left their bowls away from them.

4. Then Māra the evil one, creating the form of a buffalo approached the bowls.

5. Then a certain bhikkhu said to another bhikkhu. “Bhikkhu, a buffalo is approaching, it might destroy the bowls.”

6. Hearing those words the Blessed One said: “Bhikkhu, it is not a buffalo, it is Māra the evil one, come to distract your attention.”

7. The Blessed One knowing it’s Māra the evil one said this stanza to him:

“Whatever, matter, feelings, perceptions, consciousness or dependently arisen thing,
That is not I. That’s not mine. Detach yourself from them.
That detachment is for appeasement, to go beyond all bonds.
Searching everywhere, even the array of Māra would not find you.”

8. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 7.

(17) Āyatana –– Mental Faculties

1. At one time the Blessed One was living in the gabled hall in the Great Forest in Vesali.

2. At the time the Blessed One was instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on the six doors of mental contact. The bhikkhus too were listening attentively to grasp the essential.

3. Then it occurred to Māra the evil one, “The recluse Gotama is instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on the six doors of mental contact. The bhikkhus too are listening attentively to grasp the essential. What if I approach the recluse Gotama to disturb the gathering?”

4. Then Māra the evil one, approached the Blessed One, and not far away from the Blessed One made a sound, which said the earth was falling to pieces.

5. Then a certain bhikkhu said to another bhikkhu. “Bhikkhu, it seems as though the earth is falling to pieces.”

6. Hearing those words the Blessed One said: “Bhikkhu, it is not the sound of the earth falling to pieces; it is Māra the evil one, come to distract your attention.”

7. The Blessed One knowing it’s Māra the evil one said this stanza to him:

“Forms, sounds, tastes, scents, touches and ideas,
Are the fearful worldly matter, on which the world is swooned
The disciple of the Enlightened One, should overcome all these mindfully,
And going beyond the domains of Death, shine like the sun.”

8. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 8.

(18) Piṇḍaṃ –– Morsel Food

1. At one time the Blessed One was living in the Brahmin village Pañcasala.

2. At that time the boys of the Pañcasala village had prepared food for guests.

3. The Blessed One, putting on robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes entered the village Pañcasala for the alms round.

4. At that time the Brahmin householders of Pañcasala were taken possession by Māra the evil one, so that the recluse Gotama, may not gain morsel food.

5. So as the Blessed One entered the village Pañcasala with an empty bowl, just so he returned with an empty bowl.

6. Then Māra the evil one approached the Blessed One and said, “So then, the recluse did not get morsel food.”

7. “Evil One, you did it in such a way, so that morsel food would not be gained.”

8. “Then venerable sir, the Blessed One, should go a second time to the village pañcasala for alms, I will do it, so that you gain morsel food.”

“Māra, you beget demerit, offending the Thus Gone One,
Evil One do you think, results would not come to me!
We are happy, that we have not received anything,
We partake of happiness like the radiant gods.”

9. Then Māra the evil one knew, the Blessed One has recognized me, became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 9.

(19) Kassakaṃ –– A Farmer

1. The origin is Sāvatthi. At the time the Blessed One was instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on extinction. The bhikkhus too were listening attentively to grasp the essential.

2. Then it occurred to Māra the evil one, “The recluse Gotama is instructing, inciting, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a talk, on extinction. The bhikkhus too are listening attentively to grasp the essential. What if I approach the recluse Gotama and disturb the gathering?”

3. Then Māra the evil one, approached the Blessed One, creating the form of a farmer and said to the Blessed One:

4. “Recluse, did you see some buffaloes?”

5. “Evil One, what’s the use of buffaloes to you?”

6. “Recluse, it’s my refuge. The eye is mine, forms are mine and eye-consciousness through eye contact is mine. How could I be released?

“Recluse, it’s my refuge. The ear is mine, sounds are mine and ear-consciousness through ear contact is mine. How could I be released?

“Recluse, it’s my refuge. The nose is mine, scents are mine and nose-consciousness through nose contact, is mine. How could I be released?

“Recluse, it’s my refuge. The tongue is mine, tastes are mine and tongue consciousness through tongue contact, is mine. How could I be released?

“Recluse, it’s my refuge. The body is mine, touch is mine and body consciousness through body contact is mine. How could I be released?

“Recluse, it’s my refuge. The mind is mine, ideas are mine and mind consciousness through mind contact is mine. How could I be released?”

7. “Evil One, when to your, eye, forms and eye-consciousness through eye contact are not present, then to you the eye is not, forms are not and eye-consciousness through eye contact do not behave.

8. “Evil One, when to your, ear, sounds and ear-consciousness through ear contact are not present, then to you the ear is not, sounds are not and ear-consciousness through ear contact do not behave

9. “Evil One, when to your, nose, scents and nose-consciousness through nose contact are not present, to you the nose is not, scents are not and nose-consciousness through nose contact do not behave.

10. “Evil One, when to your, tongue, tastes and tongue-consciousness through tongue contact are not present, then to you the tongue is not, tastes are not and tongue-consciousness through tongue contact does not behave.

11. Evil One, when to your, body, touches and body-consciousness through body contact are not present, to you the body is not, touches are not and body-consciousness through body contact does not behave

12. “Evil One, when to your, mind, ideas and mind-consciousness through an idea are not present, to you the mind is not, ideas are not and mind-consciousness through mind contact do not behave.”

13. “When words say, this is mine, or if they say it’s me,
There, the mind is established. Recluse, you are not released.”

14. “If it is said, it is not mine, or is said it is not me,
Evil One, know this! You will not see my path.

15. Then Māra the evil one knew, ‘The Blessed One has recognized me,’ became displeased and vanished from there.

 

4. 2. 10.

(20) Rajjaṃ –– Rulership

1. Once the Blessed One was living in a forest hut, in the Himalayas, in the country of Kosala.

2. When the Blessed One was in his seclusion this thought and thought process occurred to him: “Is it possible to rule righteously without, killing, destruction, depriving, conquering, grief and without giving grief ?”

3. Then Māra the evil one, knowing the thought process in the Blessed One’s mind, approached the Blessed One and said: “Venerable sir, Blessed One, rule righteously without, killing, destruction, depriving, conquering, grief and without giving grief.”

4. “Evil One, knowing what do you say, rule righteously venerable sir, Blessed One, without, killing, destruction, depriving, conquering, grief and without giving grief?”

5. “Venerable sir, the Blessed One has developed, made much, mastered, thoroughly practiced, experienced, scrutinized, and undertaken the four ways of making determinations. If desired, he could settle in the Great Himalaya mountains in gold, as a golden rock

“To a golden mountain, complete with gold and silver,
Two or three are too much, knowing it’s only one, should be calm.
If someone sees unpleasantness and its origin,
He would not turn to sensuality again.
Knowing endearments, as the bond in the world
That man will train, to discipline it.”