1At Sāvatthī.

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

2“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘Māra’. How is Māra defined?”

“When there is form, Rādha, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered. So you should see form as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the abscess, the dart, the misery, the miserable. Those who see it like this see rightly.

When there is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered. So you should see consciousness as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the abscess, the dart, the misery, the miserable. Those who see it like this see rightly.”

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

“Disillusionment is the purpose of seeing rightly.”

“But what’s the purpose of disillusionment?”

“Dispassion is the purpose of disillusionment.”

“But what’s the purpose of dispassion?”

“Freedom is the purpose of dispassion.”

“But what’s the purpose of freedom?”

“Extinguishment is the purpose of freedom.”

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

“Your question goes too far, Rādha. You couldn’t figure out the limit of questions. For extinguishment is the culmination, destination, and end of the spiritual life.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

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

2"‘Māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro"ti?

"Rūpe kho, rādha, sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati. Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, rūpaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa. Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti te sammā passanti.

Vedanāya sati … saññāya sati … saṅkhāresu sati … viññāṇe sati māro vā assa māretā vā yo vā pana mīyati. Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, viññāṇaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa. Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti, te sammā passantī"ti.

3"Sammādassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan"ti?

"Sammādassanaṁ kho, rādha, nibbidatthaṁ".

"Nibbidā pana, bhante, kimatthiyā"ti?

"Nibbidā kho, rādha, virāgatthā".

"Virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo"ti?

"Virāgo kho, rādha, vimuttattho".

"Vimutti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā"ti?

"Vimutti kho, rādha, nibbānatthā".

"Nibbānaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan"ti?

"Accayāsi, rādha, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ. Nibbānogadhañhi, rādha, brahmacariyaṁ vussati, nibbānaparāyanaṁ nibbānapariyosānan"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.