1“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons. In that battle the demons won and the gods lost. Defeated, the gods fled north with the demons in pursuit.

Then the gods thought, ‘The demons are still in pursuit. Why don’t we engage them in battle a second time?’ And so a second battle was fought between the gods and the demons. And for a second time the demons won and the gods lost. Defeated, the gods fled north with the demons in pursuit.

2Then the gods thought, ‘The demons are still in pursuit. Why don’t we engage them in battle a third time?’ And so a third battle was fought between the gods and the demons. And for a third time the demons won and the gods lost. Defeated and terrified, the gods fled right into the castle of the gods.

When they had entered their castle, they thought, ‘Now we’re in a secure location and the demons can’t do anything to us.’ The demons also thought, ‘Now the gods are in a secure location and we can’t do anything to them.’

3Once upon a time, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons. In that battle the gods won and the demons lost. Defeated, the demons fled south with the gods in pursuit.

Then the demons thought, ‘The gods are still in pursuit. Why don’t we engage them in battle a second time?’ And so a second battle was fought between the gods and the demons. And for a second time the gods won and the demons lost. Defeated, the demons fled south with the gods in pursuit.

4Then the demons thought, ‘The gods are still in pursuit. Why don’t we engage them in battle a third time?’ And so a third battle was fought between the gods and the demons. And for a third time the gods won and the demons lost. Defeated and terrified, the demons fled right into the citadel of the demons.

When they had entered their citadel, they thought, ‘Now we’re in a secure location and the gods can’t do anything to us.’ And the gods also thought, ‘Now the demons are in a secure location and we can’t do anything to them.’

5In the same way, a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. At such a time the mendicant thinks, ‘Now I’m in a secure location and Māra can’t do anything to me.’ And Māra the Wicked also thinks, ‘Now the mendicant is in a secure location and we can’t do anything to them.’

6When, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption. At such a time the mendicant thinks, ‘Now I’m in a secure location and Māra can’t do anything to me.’ And Māra the Wicked also thinks, ‘Now the mendicant is in a secure location and we can’t do anything to them.’

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7A mendicant, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. At such a time they are called a mendicant who has blinded Māra, put out his eyes without a trace, and gone where the Wicked One cannot see.

8A mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness. … Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. … Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. … Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they entersand remain in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements come to an end. At such a time they are called a mendicant who has blinded Māra, put out his eyes without a trace, and gone where the Wicked One cannot see. And they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

1"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme asurā jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā apayiṁsuyeva uttarenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu asurā.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘abhiyanteva kho asurā. Yannūna mayaṁ dutiyampi asurehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā asurehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurāva jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā apayiṁsuyeva uttarenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu asurā.

2Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘abhiyanteva kho asurā. Yannūna mayaṁ tatiyampi asurehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā asurehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurāva jiniṁsu, devā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, devā bhītā devapuraṁyeva pavisiṁsu.

Devapuragatānañca pana, bhikkhave, devānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni mayaṁ etarahi attanā viharāma akaraṇīyā asurehī’ti. Asurānampi, bhikkhave, etadahosi:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni devā etarahi attanā viharanti akaraṇīyā amhehī’ti.

3Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā apayiṁsuyeva dakkhiṇenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu devā.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘abhiyanteva kho devā. Yannūna mayaṁ dutiyampi devehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurā devehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā apayiṁsuyeva dakkhiṇenābhimukhā, abhiyiṁsu devā.

4Atha kho, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘abhiyanteva kho devā. Yannūna mayaṁ tatiyampi devehi saṅgāmeyyāmā’ti. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, asurā devehi saṅgāmesuṁ. Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājayiṁsu. Parājitā ca, bhikkhave, asurā bhītā asurapuraṁyeva pavisiṁsu.

Asurapuragatānañca pana, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni mayaṁ etarahi attanā viharāma akaraṇīyā devehī’ti. Devānampi, bhikkhave, etadahosi:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni asurā etarahi attanā viharanti akaraṇīyā amhehī’ti.

5Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dānāhaṁ etarahi attanā viharāmi akaraṇīyo mārassā’ti. Mārassāpi, bhikkhave, pāpimato evaṁ hoti:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni bhikkhu etarahi attanā viharati akaraṇīyo mayhan’ti.

6Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā … pe … dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dānāhaṁ etarahi attanā viharāmi akaraṇīyo mārassā’ti. Mārassāpi, bhikkhave, pāpimato evaṁ hoti:  ‘bhīruttānagatena kho dāni bhikkhu etarahi attanā viharati, akaraṇīyo mayhan’ti.

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7Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu antamakāsi māraṁ, apadaṁ vadhitvā māracakkhuṁ adassanaṁ gato pāpimato tiṇṇo loke visattikan’ti.

8Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhu sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘Natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu antamakāsi māraṁ, apadaṁ vadhitvā māracakkhuṁ adassanaṁ gato pāpimato tiṇṇo loke visattikan’"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.