SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 4 Connected Discourses With Māra – Mārasaṁyutta > SN 4.21 Several

Linked Discourses 4.21 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 4.21

3. Māra – 3. Tatiyavagga

SN 4.21 Several – Sambahulasutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans near Silāvatī.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati silāvatiyaṁ.

Now at that time several bhikkhū were meditating not far from the Buddha, diligent, keen, and resolute.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato avidūre appamattā ātāpino pahitattā viharanti.

Then Māra the Wicked manifested in the form of a brahmin with a large matted dreadlock, wearing an antelope hide. He was old, bent double, wheezing, and held a staff made of cluster fig tree wood. He went up to those bhikkhū and said,

Atha kho māro pāpimā brāhmaṇavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā mahantena jaṭaṇḍuvena ajinakkhipanivattho jiṇṇo gopānasivaṅko ghurughurupassāsī udumbaradaṇḍaṁ gahetvā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū etadavoca:

“You’ve gone forth while young, reverends. You’re black-haired, blessed with youth, in the prime of life, and you’ve never flirted with sensual pleasures.

“daharā bhavanto pabbajitā susū kāḷakesā bhadrena yobbanena samannāgatā paṭhamena vayasā anikkīḷitāvino kāmesu.

Enjoy human sensual pleasures.

Bhuñjantu bhavanto mānusake kāme.

Don’t give up what is visible in the present to chase after what takes effect over time.”

Mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvitthā”ti.

“Brahmin, that’s not what we’re doing.

“Na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāma.

We’re giving up what takes effect over time to chase after what is visible in the present.

Kālikañca kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāma.

For the Buddha says that sensual pleasures take effect over time; they give much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.

Kālikā hi, brāhmaṇa, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.

But this teaching is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

When they had spoken, Māra the Wicked shook his head, waggled his tongue, raised his eyebrows until his brow puckered in three furrows, and departed leaning on his staff.

Evaṁ vutte, māro pāpimā sīsaṁ okampetvā jivhaṁ nillāletvā tivisākhaṁ nalāṭe nalāṭikaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā daṇḍamolubbha pakkāmi.

Then those bhikkhū went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said,

Atha kho te bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“idha mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavato avidūre appamattā ātāpino pahitattā viharāma.

Atha kho, bhante, aññataro brāhmaṇo mahantena jaṭaṇḍuvena ajinakkhipanivattho jiṇṇo gopānasivaṅko ghurughurupassāsī udumbaradaṇḍaṁ gahetvā yena mayaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā amhe etadavoca:

‘daharā bhavanto pabbajitā susū kāḷakesā bhadrena yobbanena samannāgatā paṭhamena vayasā anikkīḷitāvino kāmesu.

Bhuñjantu bhavanto mānusake kāme.

Mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvitthā’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, mayaṁ, bhante, taṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocumha:

‘na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāma.

Kālikañca kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāma.

Kālikā hi, brāhmaṇa, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.

Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhante, so brāhmaṇo sīsaṁ okampetvā jivhaṁ nillāletvā tivisākhaṁ nalāṭe nalāṭikaṁ vuṭṭhāpetvā daṇḍamolubbha pakkanto”ti.

“Bhikkhū, that was no brahmin.

“Neso, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇo.

That was Māra the Wicked who came to pull the wool over your eyes!”

Māro eso pāpimā tumhākaṁ vicakkhukammāya āgato”ti.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha recited this verse:

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

“When a person has seen where suffering comes from

“Yo dukkhamaddakkhi yatonidānaṁ,

how could they incline towards sensual pleasures?

Kāmesu so jantu kathaṁ nameyya;

Realizing that attachment is a snare in the world,

Upadhiṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,

a person would train to remove it.”

Tasseva jantu vinayāya sikkhe”ti.