1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Now at that time Venerable Godhika was staying on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock. Then Venerable Godhika, meditating diligent, keen, and resolute, experienced temporary freedom of heart. But then he fell away from that temporary freedom of heart. For a second … third … fourth … fifth … sixth time Godhika experienced temporary freedom of heart. But for a sixth time he fell away from it. For a seventh time Godhika, meditating diligent, keen, and resolute, experienced temporary freedom of heart.

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2Then he thought: “I’ve fallen away from this temporary freedom of heart no less than six times. Why don’t I slit my wrists?”

And then Māra the Wicked, knowing what Godhika was thinking, went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

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3“O great hero, O greatly wise!
Shining with power and glory.
You’ve gone beyond all threats and perils,
I bow to your feet, O seer!

4Great hero, master of death,
your disciple longs for death,
he’s planning for it.
Stop him, O light-bringer!

5For how, Blessed One, can a disciple of yours,
one who loves your teaching,
a trainee who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire,
take his own life, O renowned one?”

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6Now at that time Venerable Godhika had already slit his wrists.

Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

7“This is how the wise act,
for they don’t long for life.
Having plucked out craving, root and all,
Godhika is extinguished.”

8Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Come, mendicants, let’s go to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili where Godhika, who came from a good family, slit his wrists.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

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9Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili. The Buddha saw Godhika off in the distance lying on his cot, having cast off the aggregates.

Now at that time a cloud of black smoke was moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between.

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10Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,

“Mendicants, do you see that cloud of black smoke moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s Māra the Wicked searching for Godhika’s consciousness, wondering: ‘Where is Godhika’s consciousness established?’ But since his consciousness is not established, Godhika is extinguished.”

Then Māra, carrying his harp of yellow wood apple, went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

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11“Above, below, and all around,
in the four quarters and in-between,
I’ve been searching without success:
where has that Godhika got to?”

12“He was a wise and steadfast sage,
a meditator who loved to practice absorption.
By day and by night he applied himself,
without concern for his life.

13He defeated the army of death,
and won’t return for any future life.
Having plucked out craving root and all
Godhika is extinguished.”

14Stricken with sorrow,
his harp dropping from his armpit,
that spirit, downcast,
vanished right there.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā godhiko isigilipasse vihārati kāḷasilāyaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi. Atha kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi. Dutiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi. Dutiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi. Tatiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi. Tatiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā … pe … parihāyi. Catutthampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto … pe … vimuttiṁ phusi. Catutthampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā … pe … parihāyi. Pañcamampi kho āyasmā godhiko … pe … cetovimuttiṁ phusi. Pañcamampi kho āyasmā … pe … vimuttiyā parihāyi. Chaṭṭhampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi. Chaṭṭhampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi. Sattamampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihāranto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.

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2Atha kho āyasmato godhikassa etadahosi: "yāva chaṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihīno. Yannūnāhaṁ satthaṁ āhareyyan"ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā āyasmato godhikassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi: 

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3"Mahāvīra mahāpañña,
iddhiyā yasasā jala;
Sabbaverabhayātīta,
pāde vandāmi cakkhumā.

4Sāvako te mahāvīra,
maraṇaṁ maraṇābhibhū;
Ākaṅkhati cetayati,
taṁ nisedha jutindhara.

5Kathañhi bhagavā tuyhaṁ,
Sāvako sāsane rato;
Appattamānaso sekkho,
Kālaṁ kayirā janesutā"ti.

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6Tena kho pana samayena āyasmatā godhikena satthaṁ āharitaṁ hoti.

Atha kho bhagavā "māro ayaṁ pāpimā" iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

7"Evañhi dhīrā kubbanti,
nāvakaṅkhanti jīvitaṁ;
Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,
godhiko parinibbuto"ti.

8Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "āyāma, bhikkhave, yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkamissāma yattha godhikena kulaputtena satthaṁ āharitan"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

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9Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ godhikaṁ dūratova mañcake vivattakkhandhaṁ semānaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati pacchimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uttaraṁ disaṁ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uddhaṁ, gacchati adho, gacchati anudisaṁ.

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10Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati pacchimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uttaraṁ disaṁ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uddhaṁ, gacchati adho, gacchati anudisan"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"Eso kho, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā godhikassa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ samanvesati: ‘kattha godhikassa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitan’ti? Appatiṭṭhitena ca, bhikkhave, viññāṇena godhiko kulaputto parinibbuto"ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā beluvapaṇḍuvīṇaṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

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11"Uddhaṁ adho ca tiriyaṁ,
disā anudisā svahaṁ;
Anvesaṁ nādhigacchāmi,
godhiko so kuhiṁ gato"ti.

12"Yo dhīro dhitisampanno,
jhāyī jhanarato sadā;
Ahorattaṁ anuyuñjaṁ,
jīvitaṁ anikāmayaṁ.

13Jetvāna maccuno senaṁ,
anāgantvā punabbhavaṁ;
Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,
godhiko parinibbuto"ti.

14Tassa sokaparetassa,
vīṇā kacchā abhassatha;
Tato so dummano yakkho,
tatthevantaradhāyathāti.