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Saṁyutta Nikāya 4.24 Linked Discourses 4.24
3. Tatiyavagga 3. Māra
Sattavassānubandhasutta Seven Years of Pursuit Seven Years of Pursuit
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard. Thus have I heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe. At one time the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. According to the commentarial reckoning, this was in the fifth week after Awakening.On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Uruvelā on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of the Goatherd’s Banyan Tree.
Tena kho pana samayena māro pāpimā sattavassāni bhagavantaṁ anubandho hoti otārāpekkho otāraṁ alabhamāno. Now at that time Māra the Wicked had been pursuing the Buddha for seven years hoping to find a vulnerability without success. This series of verses is a cleverly structured argument where Māra tries one method after another, always seeking to find something in the Buddha’s words or deeds that make him vulnerable. | Siddhattha had practiced for six years and had now only just realized Awakening, so either the number seven has been rounded up, or else Māra began his work before Siddhattha left home.Now on that occasion Māra the Evil One had been following the Blessed One for seven years, seeking to gain access to him but without success.
Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse: Then Māra the Evil One approached the Blessed One and addressed him in verse:
“Sokāvatiṇṇo nu vanamhi jhāyasi, “Are you swamped by sorrow that you meditate in the forest? Māra begins the contest of wits by insinuating that something must have gone wrong for the Buddha to end up where he is, trying to play on feelings of self-doubt.“Is it because you are sunk in sorrow That you meditate in the woods?
Vittaṁ nu jīno uda patthayāno; Have you lost a fortune, or do you long for one? Because you’ve lost wealth or pine for it,
Āguṁ nu gāmasmimakāsi kiñci, Or perhaps you’ve committed some crime in the village? Or committed some crime in the village?
Kasmā janena na karosi sakkhiṁ; Why don’t you get too close to people? Why don’t you make friends with people?
Sakkhī na sampajjati kenaci te”ti. And why does no one get close to you?” Why don’t you form any intimate ties?”
“Sokassa mūlaṁ palikhāya sabbaṁ, “I’ve dug out the root of sorrow completely. The Buddha rejoins with a series of bold and incontrovertible claims, shutting down the idea that he is self-loathing.“Having dug up entirely the root of sorrow,
Anāgu jhāyāmi asocamāno; I practice absorption free of guilt or sorrow. Guiltless, I meditate free from sorrow.
Chetvāna sabbaṁ bhavalobhajappaṁ, I’ve cut off all greed and muttered prayer for future lives. Having cut off all greedy urge for existence,
Anāsavo jhāyāmi pamattabandhū”ti. Undefiled, I practice absorption, O kinsman of the negligent!” I meditate taintless, O kinsman of the negligent!”
“Yaṁ vadanti mama yidanti, “The things they call ‘mine’, Māra changes tack. Having failed to insinuate self-doubt, now he tries to use the Buddha’s very confidence against him. Surely he must be conceited to make such claims.“That of which they say ‘It’s mine, ’
ye vadanti mamanti ca; and those who say ‘it’s mine’: And those who speak in terms of ‘mine’—
Ettha ce te mano atthi, if your mind remains there, If your mind exists among these,
na me samaṇa mokkhasī”ti. you won’t escape me, ascetic!” You won’t escape me, ascetic. ”
“Yaṁ vadanti na taṁ mayhaṁ, “The things they speak of aren’t mine; The Buddha rejects the charge of conceit, as he has merely spoken of the truth, not of what he is attached to.“That which they speak of is not mine,
ye vadanti na te ahaṁ; I’m not someone who speaks like that. I’m not one of those who speak [of mine].
Evaṁ pāpima jānāhi, So know this, Wicked One: The Buddha goes on the attack, asserting the limits of Māra’s knowledge.You should know thus, O Evil One:
na me maggampi dakkhasī”ti. you won’t even see the path I take.” Even my path you will not see. ”
“Sace maggaṁ anubuddhaṁ, “If you’ve discovered the path Māra accepts, for rhetorical purposes, the Buddha’s claim that he has found a path Māra cannot see. Better, he argues, for the Buddha to walk it alone and not teach anyone.“If you have discovered the path,
khemaṁ amatagāminaṁ; that’s safe, and leads to freedom from death, The secure way leading to the Deathless,
Apehi gaccha tvameveko, go and walk that path alone—Be off and walk that path alone;
kimaññamanusāsasī”ti. why teach it to anyone else?” What’s the point of instructing others?”
“Amaccudheyyaṁ pucchanti, “Those crossing to the far shore The Buddha rejects this final parry, asserting that he will teach anyone who asks.Ask what lies beyond Death’s realm.
ye janā pāragāmino; ask what’s beyond the domain of Death. “Those people going to the far shore
Tesāhaṁ puṭṭho akkhāmi, When I’m asked, I explain to them When asked, I explain to them
yaṁ saccaṁ taṁ nirūpadhin”ti. the truth without attachments.” The truth without acquisitions. ”
“Seyyathāpi, bhante, gāmassa vā nigamassa vā avidūre pokkharaṇī. “Sir, suppose there was a lotus pond not far from a town or village, The same simile appears at MN 35:23.4.“Suppose, venerable sir, not far from a village or a town there was a lotus pond
Tatrassa kakkaṭako. and a crab lived there. in which a crab was living.
Atha kho, bhante, sambahulā kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā tamhā gāmā vā nigamā vā nikkhamitvā yena sā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkameyyuṁ; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ kakkaṭakaṁ udakā uddharitvā thale patiṭṭhapeyyuṁ. Then several boys or girls would leave the town or village and go to the pond, where they’d pull out the crab and put it on solid ground. Then a group of boys and girls would leave the village or town and go to the pond. They would pull the crab out from the water and set it down on high ground.
Yaṁ yadeva hi so, bhante, kakkaṭako aḷaṁ abhininnāmeyya taṁ tadeva te kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā kaṭṭhena vā kathalāya vā sañchindeyyuṁ sambhañjeyyuṁ sampalibhañjeyyuṁ. Whenever that crab extended a claw, those boys or girls would snap, crack, and break it off with a stick or a stone. The crab “extends” a claw as a meditator after absorption “extends” the mind to insight (MN 4:27.1). See too the simile at SN 35.240.Then, whenever that crab would extend one of its claws, those boys and girls would cut it off, break it, and smash it to bits with sticks and stones.
Evañhi so, bhante, kakkaṭako sabbehi aḷehi sañchinnehi sambhaggehi sampalibhaggehi abhabbo taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ otarituṁ. And when that crab’s claws had all been snapped, cracked, and broken off it wouldn’t be able to return down into that lotus pond. Thus, when all its claws have been cut off, broken, and smashed to bits, that crab would be unable to return to that pond.
Evameva kho, bhante, yāni kānici visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni, sabbāni tāni bhagavatā sañchinnāni sambhaggāni sampalibhaggāni. In the same way, sir, the Buddha has snapped, cracked, and broken off all my twists, ducks, and dodges. So too, venerable sir, all those distortions, manoeuvres, and contortions of mine have been cut off, broken, and smashed to bits by the Blessed One.
Abhabbo dānāhaṁ, bhante, puna bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamituṁ yadidaṁ otārāpekkho”ti. Now I’m not able to approach the Buddha again in hopes of finding a vulnerability.” Now, venerable sir, I am unable to approach the Blessed One again seeking to gain access to him. ”
Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato santike imā nibbejanīyā gāthāyo abhāsi: Then Māra the Wicked recited these verses of disappointment in the Buddha’s presence: Then Māra the Evil One, in the presence of the Blessed One, recited these verses of disappointment:
“Medavaṇṇañca pāsāṇaṁ, “A crow once circled a stone “A stone that looked like a lump of fat
vāyaso anupariyagā; that looked like a lump of fat. that a crow walked around:
Apettha muduṁ vindema, ‘Perhaps I’ll find something tender,’ it thought, ‘Let’s find something tender here,
api assādanā siyā. ‘perhaps there’s something tasty.’ ‘Perhaps there’s something nice and tasty. ’
Aladdhā tattha assādaṁ, But finding nothing tasty, ’But because he found nothing tasty there,
vāyasetto apakkame; the crow left that place. The crow departed from that spot.
Kākova selamāsajja, Like the crow that pecked the stone, Just like the crow that attacked the stone,
nibbijjāpema gotamā”ti. I leave Gotama disappointed.” We leave Gotama disappointed. ”