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Linked Discourses 23.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 23.1

1. About Māra – 1. Paṭhamamāravagga

SN 23.1 About Māra – Mārasutta

 

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Then Venerable Rādha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

Atha kho āyasmā rādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘Māra’.

“‘Māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati.

How is Māra defined?”

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro”ti?

“When there is form, Rādha, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

“Rūpe kho, rādha, sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati.

So you should see form as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the misery, the miserable.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, rūpaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.

Those who see it like this see rightly.

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti te sammā passanti.

When there is feeling …

Vedanāya sati …

perception …

saññāya sati …

saṅkhāra …

saṅkhāresu sati …

consciousness, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

viññāṇe sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati.

So you should see consciousness as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the misery, the miserable.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, viññāṇaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.

Those who see it like this see rightly.”

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti, te sammā passantī”ti.

“But sir, what’s the purpose of seeing rightly?”

“Sammādassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“Disillusionment is the purpose of seeing rightly.”

“Sammādassanaṁ kho, rādha, nibbidatthaṁ”.

“But what’s the purpose of disillusionment?”

“Nibbidā pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“Dispassion is the purpose of disillusionment.”

“Nibbidā kho, rādha, virāgatthā”.

“But what’s the purpose of dispassion?”

“Virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo”ti?

“Freedom is the purpose of dispassion.”

“Virāgo kho, rādha, vimuttattho”.

“But what’s the purpose of freedom?”

“Vimutti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“Extinguishment is the purpose of freedom.”

“Vimutti kho, rādha, nibbānatthā”.

“But sir, what is the purpose of extinguishment?”

“Nibbānaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“Your question goes too far, Rādha. You couldn’t figure out the limit of questions.

“Accayāsi, rādha, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ.

For extinguishment is the culmination, destination, and end of the spiritual life.”

Nibbānogadhañhi, rādha, brahmacariyaṁ vussati, nibbānaparāyanaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.