sutta » sn » sn23 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 23.1

Mārasutta

About Māra

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho āyasmā rādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Rādha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“‘Māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati.
“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘Māra’.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro”ti?
How is Māra defined?”

“Rūpe kho, rādha, sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati.
“When there is form, Rādha, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, rūpaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.
So you should see form as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the misery, the miserable.

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti te sammā passanti.
Those who see it like this see rightly.

Vedanāya sati …
When there is feeling …

saññāya sati …
perception …

saṅkhāresu sati …
choices …

viññāṇe sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati.
consciousness, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, viññāṇaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.
So you should see consciousness as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the misery, the miserable.

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti, te sammā passantī”ti.
Those who see it like this see rightly.”

“Sammādassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?
“But sir, what’s the purpose of seeing rightly?”

“Sammādassanaṁ kho, rādha, nibbidatthaṁ”.
“Disillusionment is the purpose of seeing rightly.”

“Nibbidā pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?
“But what’s the purpose of disillusionment?”

“Nibbidā kho, rādha, virāgatthā”.
“Dispassion is the purpose of disillusionment.”

“Virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo”ti?
“But what’s the purpose of dispassion?”

“Virāgo kho, rādha, vimuttattho”.
“Freedom is the purpose of dispassion.”

“Vimutti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?
“But what’s the purpose of freedom?”

“Vimutti kho, rādha, nibbānatthā”.
“Extinguishment is the purpose of freedom.”

“Nibbānaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?
“But sir, what is the purpose of extinguishment?”

“Accayāsi, rādha, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ.
“Your question goes too far, Rādha. You couldn’t figure out the limit of questions.

Nibbānogadhañhi, rādha, brahmacariyaṁ vussati, nibbānaparāyanaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.
For extinguishment is the culmination, destination, and end of the spiritual life.”

Paṭhamaṁ.