So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Now at that time Māra the Wicked had been pursuing the Buddha for seven years hoping to find a vulnerability without success. Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
“Are you swamped by sorrow <j>that you meditate in the forest? Have you lost a fortune, or do you long for one? Or perhaps you’ve committed <j>some crime in the village? Why don’t you get too close to people?
PL
“Sokāvatiṇṇo nu vanamhi jhāyasi, Vittaṁ nu jīno uda patthayāno; Āguṁ nu gāmasmimakāsi kiñci, Kasmā janena na karosi sakkhiṁ;
EN
And why does no one get close to you?” “I’ve dug out the root of sorrow completely. I practice absorption free of guilt or sorrow. I’ve cut off all greed and muttered prayer for future lives.
Undefiled, I practice absorption, <j>O kinsman of the negligent!” “The things they call ‘mine’, and those who say ‘it’s mine’: if your mind remains there,
PL
Anāsavo jhāyāmi pamattabandhū”ti. “Yaṁ vadanti mama yidanti, ye vadanti mamanti ca; Ettha ce te mano atthi,
EN
you won’t escape me, ascetic!” “The things they speak of aren’t mine; I’m not someone who speaks like that. So know this, Wicked One:
PL
na me samaṇa mokkhasī”ti. “Yaṁ vadanti na taṁ mayhaṁ, ye vadanti na te ahaṁ; Evaṁ pāpima jānāhi,
EN
you won’t even see the path I take.” “If you’ve discovered the path that’s safe, and leads to freedom from death, go and walk that path alone—
PL
na me maggampi dakkhasī”ti. “Sace maggaṁ anubuddhaṁ, khemaṁ amatagāminaṁ; Apehi gaccha tvameveko,
EN
why teach it to anyone else?” “Those crossing to the far shore ask what’s beyond the domain of Death. When I’m asked, I explain to them
PL
kimaññamanusāsasī”ti. “Amaccudheyyaṁ pucchanti, ye janā pāragāmino; Tesāhaṁ puṭṭho akkhāmi,
EN
the truth without attachments.” “Sir, suppose there was a lotus pond not far from a town or village, and a crab lived there. Then several boys or girls would leave the town or village and go to the pond, where they’d pull out the crab and put it on solid ground.
Whenever that crab extended a claw, those boys or girls would snap, crack, and break it off with a stick or a stone. And when that crab’s claws had all been snapped, cracked, and broken off it wouldn’t be able to return down into that lotus pond.
PL
Yaṁ yadeva hi so, bhante, kakkaṭako aḷaṁ abhininnāmeyya taṁ tadeva te kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā kaṭṭhena vā kathalāya vā sañchindeyyuṁ sambhañjeyyuṁ sampalibhañjeyyuṁ. Evañhi so, bhante, kakkaṭako sabbehi aḷehi sañchinnehi sambhaggehi sampalibhaggehi abhabbo taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ otarituṁ.
EN
In the same way, sir, the Buddha has snapped, cracked, and broken off all my twists, ducks, and dodges. Now I’m not able to approach the Buddha again in hopes of finding a vulnerability.” Then Māra the Wicked recited these verses of disappointment in the Buddha’s presence:
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Now at that time Māra the Wicked had been pursuing the Buddha for seven years hoping to find a vulnerability without success. Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
“Are you swamped by sorrow <j>that you meditate in the forest? Have you lost a fortune, or do you long for one? Or perhaps you’ve committed <j>some crime in the village? Why don’t you get too close to people?
PL
“Sokāvatiṇṇo nu vanamhi jhāyasi, Vittaṁ nu jīno uda patthayāno; Āguṁ nu gāmasmimakāsi kiñci, Kasmā janena na karosi sakkhiṁ;
EN
And why does no one get close to you?” “I’ve dug out the root of sorrow completely. I practice absorption free of guilt or sorrow. I’ve cut off all greed and muttered prayer for future lives.
Undefiled, I practice absorption, <j>O kinsman of the negligent!” “The things they call ‘mine’, and those who say ‘it’s mine’: if your mind remains there,
PL
Anāsavo jhāyāmi pamattabandhū”ti. “Yaṁ vadanti mama yidanti, ye vadanti mamanti ca; Ettha ce te mano atthi,
EN
you won’t escape me, ascetic!” “The things they speak of aren’t mine; I’m not someone who speaks like that. So know this, Wicked One:
PL
na me samaṇa mokkhasī”ti. “Yaṁ vadanti na taṁ mayhaṁ, ye vadanti na te ahaṁ; Evaṁ pāpima jānāhi,
EN
you won’t even see the path I take.” “If you’ve discovered the path that’s safe, and leads to freedom from death, go and walk that path alone—
PL
na me maggampi dakkhasī”ti. “Sace maggaṁ anubuddhaṁ, khemaṁ amatagāminaṁ; Apehi gaccha tvameveko,
EN
why teach it to anyone else?” “Those crossing to the far shore ask what’s beyond the domain of Death. When I’m asked, I explain to them
PL
kimaññamanusāsasī”ti. “Amaccudheyyaṁ pucchanti, ye janā pāragāmino; Tesāhaṁ puṭṭho akkhāmi,
EN
the truth without attachments.” “Sir, suppose there was a lotus pond not far from a town or village, and a crab lived there. Then several boys or girls would leave the town or village and go to the pond, where they’d pull out the crab and put it on solid ground.
Whenever that crab extended a claw, those boys or girls would snap, crack, and break it off with a stick or a stone. And when that crab’s claws had all been snapped, cracked, and broken off it wouldn’t be able to return down into that lotus pond.
PL
Yaṁ yadeva hi so, bhante, kakkaṭako aḷaṁ abhininnāmeyya taṁ tadeva te kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā kaṭṭhena vā kathalāya vā sañchindeyyuṁ sambhañjeyyuṁ sampalibhañjeyyuṁ. Evañhi so, bhante, kakkaṭako sabbehi aḷehi sañchinnehi sambhaggehi sampalibhaggehi abhabbo taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ otarituṁ.
EN
In the same way, sir, the Buddha has snapped, cracked, and broken off all my twists, ducks, and dodges. Now I’m not able to approach the Buddha again in hopes of finding a vulnerability.” Then Māra the Wicked recited these verses of disappointment in the Buddha’s presence:
Sutraya