Āḷavikāsutta — Reader

With Āḷavikā

Āḷavikāsutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī.

Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Āḷavikā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from seclusion, went up to her and addressed her in verse: “There’s no escape in the world, so what will seclusion do for you? Enjoy erotic delights;

Atha kho māro pāpimā āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo yena āḷavikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āḷavikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: “Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke, kiṁ vivekena kāhasi; Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo,

don’t regret it later.” Then the nun Āḷavikā thought, “Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?” Then she thought,

māhu pacchānutāpinī”ti. Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: “ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti? Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:

“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from seclusion!” Then Āḷavikā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse: “There is an escape in the world, and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom.

“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti. Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi: “Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke, paññāya me suphussitaṁ;

O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent, you don’t know that state. Sensual pleasures are like swords and spears; the aggregates are their chopping block.

Pamattabandhu pāpima, na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ. Sattisūlūpamā kāmā, khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā;

What you call erotic delight is now no delight for me.” Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Āḷavikā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.

Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi, arati mayha sā ahū”ti. Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.