SN 4.1

Tapokammasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “mutto vatamhi tāya dukkarakārikāya. Sādhu mutto vatamhi tāya anatthasaṁhitāya dukkarakārikāya. Sādhu vatamhi mutto bodhiṁ samajjhagan”ti.

Mortification

So I have heard. At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the root of the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “I am truly freed from that grueling work! Thank goodness I’m freed from that pointless grueling work. Thank goodness I’m freed and have attained awakening.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

And then Māra the Wicked, knowing the Buddha’s train of thought, went up to him and addressed him in verse:

“Tapokammā apakkamma, yena sujjhanti māṇavā; Asuddho maññasi suddho, suddhimaggā aparaddho”ti.

“You’ve left the practice of mortification by which sons of men purify themselves. You’re impure, but think yourself pure; you’ve strayed from the path of purity.”

Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

“Anatthasaṁhitaṁ ñatvā, yaṁ kiñci amaraṁ tapaṁ; Sabbaṁ natthāvahaṁ hoti, phiyārittaṁva dhammani.

“I realized that it’s pointless; all that endless mortification is as futile as oars and rudder on dry land.

Sīlaṁ samādhi paññañca, Maggaṁ bodhāya bhāvayaṁ; Pattosmi paramaṁ suddhiṁ, Nihato tvamasi antakā”ti.

Ethics, immersion, and wisdom: by developing this path to awakening I attained ultimate purity. You’re beaten, terminator!”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti, dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.