SN 4.16

Pattasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ upādāya bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

The Alms Bowls

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the five grasping aggregates. And those mendicants were paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening.

Atha kho mārassa pāpimato etadahosi: “ayaṁ kho samaṇo gotamo pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ upādāya bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti. Yannūnāhaṁ yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ vicakkhukammāyā”ti.

Then Māra thought, “This ascetic Gotama is educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the five grasping aggregates. And the mendicants are paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening. Why don’t I go and pull the wool over their eyes?”

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā pattā abbhokāse nikkhittā honti. Atha kho māro pāpimā balībaddavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā yena te pattā tenupasaṅkami. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “bhikkhu bhikkhu, eso balībaddo patte bhindeyyā”ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “na so, bhikkhu, balībaddo. Māro eso pāpimā tumhākaṁ vicakkhukammāya āgato”ti. Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

At that time several alms bowls were placed in the open air. Then Māra the Wicked manifested in the form of an ox and approached those bowls. One of the mendicants said to another, “Mendicant, mendicant, that ox will break the bowls.” When this was said, the Buddha said to that mendicant, “Mendicant, that’s no ox. That’s Māra the Wicked come to pull the wool over your eyes!” Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

“Rūpaṁ vedayitaṁ saññā, viññāṇaṁ yañca saṅkhataṁ; Nesohamasmi netaṁ me, evaṁ tattha virajjati.

“Form, what is felt, and perception, consciousness, and what is chosen: ‘I am not this’ and ‘this is not mine’; that’s how they become free of desire for them.

Evaṁ virattaṁ khemattaṁ, sabbasaṁyojanātigaṁ; Anvesaṁ sabbaṭṭhānesu, mārasenāpi nājjhagā”ti.

When you’re detached, secure, all fetters transcended, though Māra and his army chase everywhere they never find you.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā …pe… tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra … vanished right there.