SN 35.65

Paṭhamasamiddhimārapañhāsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Atha kho āyasmā samiddhi yena bhagavā …pe… bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro vā assa mārapaññatti vā”ti?

Samiddhi’s Question About Māra

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Then Venerable Samiddhi went up to the Buddha … and said to him: “Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘Māra’. How do we define Māra or what is known as Māra?”

“Yattha kho, samiddhi, atthi cakkhu, atthi rūpā, atthi cakkhuviññāṇaṁ, atthi cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Atthi sotaṁ, atthi saddā, atthi sotaviññāṇaṁ, atthi sotaviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Atthi ghānaṁ, atthi gandhā, atthi ghānaviññāṇaṁ, atthi ghānaviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Atthi jivhā, atthi rasā, atthi jivhāviññāṇaṁ, atthi jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Atthi kāyo, atthi phoṭṭhabbā, atthi kāyaviññāṇaṁ, atthi kāyaviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Atthi mano, atthi dhammā, atthi manoviññāṇaṁ, atthi manoviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, atthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā.

“Samiddhi, where there is the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is the ear, sounds, ear consciousness, and things knowable by ear consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is the nose, smells, nose consciousness, and things knowable by nose consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is the tongue, tastes, tongue consciousness, and things knowable by tongue consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is the body, touches, body consciousness, and things knowable by body consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is the mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness, there is Māra or what is known as Māra.

Yattha ca kho, samiddhi, natthi cakkhu, natthi rūpā, natthi cakkhuviññāṇaṁ, natthi cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, natthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Natthi sotaṁ …pe… natthi ghānaṁ …pe… natthi jivhā, natthi rasā, natthi jivhāviññāṇaṁ, natthi jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, natthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā. Natthi kāyo …pe…. Natthi mano, natthi dhammā, natthi manoviññāṇaṁ, natthi manoviññāṇaviññātabbā dhammā, natthi tattha māro vā mārapaññatti vā”ti.

Where there is no eye, no sights, no eye consciousness, and no things knowable by eye consciousness, there is no Māra or what is known as Māra. Where there is no ear … no nose … no tongue … no body … Where there is no mind, no ideas, no mind consciousness, and no things knowable by mind consciousness, there is no Māra or what is known as Māra.”