SN4: 4. Mārasaṁyutta: With Māra
II. Rule — SN4.20: Ruling
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans, in a wilderness hut on the slopes of the Himalayas.
Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind: “I wonder if it’s possible to rule legitimately, without killing or having someone kill for you; without conquering or having someone conquer for you; without sorrowing or causing sorrow?”
2And then Māra the Wicked, knowing what the Buddha was thinking, went up to him and said: “Rule, Blessed One! Rule, Holy One! Rule legitimately, without killing or having someone kill for you; without conquering or having someone conquer for you; without sorrowing or causing sorrow!”
“But what do you see, Wicked One, that you say this to me?”
“The Blessed One, sir, has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic power, made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them. If he wished, the Blessed One need only determine that the Himalaya, king of mountains, was gold, and it would turn into gold.”
3“Take a golden mountain,
made entirely of gold, and double it —
it’s still not enough for one!
Knowing this, live a moral life.
4When a person has seen where suffering comes from
how could they incline towards sensual pleasures?
Realizing that attachment is a tie in the world,
a person would train to remove it.”
5Then Māra the Wicked, thinking: “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu vihārati himavantapadese araññakuṭikāyaṁ.
Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: "sakkā nu kho rajjaṁ kāretuṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā"ti?
2Atha kho māro pāpimā bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "kāretu, bhante, bhagavā rajjaṁ, kāretu, sugato, rajjaṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā"ti.
"Kiṁ pana me tvaṁ, pāpima, passasi yaṁ maṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘kāretu, bhante, bhagavā rajjaṁ, kāretu sugato, rajjaṁ ahanaṁ aghātayaṁ ajinaṁ ajāpayaṁ asocaṁ asocāpayaṁ dhammenā’"ti? "Bhagavatā kho, bhante, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā. Ākaṅkhamāno ca, bhante, bhagavā himavantaṁ pabbatarājaṁ suvaṇṇaṁ tveva adhimucceyya suvaṇṇañca panassā"ti.
3"Pabbatassa suvaṇṇassa,
jātarūpassa kevalo;
Dvittāva nālamekassa,
iti vidvā samañcare.
4Yo dukkhamaddakkhi yatonidānaṁ,
Kāmesu so jantu kathaṁ nameyya;
Upadhiṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,
Tasseva jantu vinayāya sikkhe"ti.
5Atha kho māro pāpimā "jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato"ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Dutiyo vaggo.
6Pāsāṇo sīho sakalikaṁ,
Patirūpañca mānasaṁ;
Pattaṁ āyatanaṁ piṇḍaṁ,
Kassakaṁ rajjena te dasāti.