While the Ratnaketu dhāraṇī was being recited by the thus-gone Śākyamuni, the entire Sahā world became clearly visible, illuminated by a powerful light. The one hundred billion lords of sensual pleasure, each one a māra active in one of the one hundred billion worlds of four continents in this buddha field of Śākyamuni, became alarmed by this display of the Buddha’s power and directed their eyes toward this world of four continents. “Where is this light emanating from?” they wondered. “Surely this must be through the power of Māra, the evil one, who lives in that particular world of four continents. He is stronger, mightier, and more powerful than us.”

As they looked, however, the māras saw Māra, the evil one, overcome with grief and utterly dejected. So the one billion māras went to the world of four continents where Māra, the evil one, lived and asked, “Why is it, O lord of sensual pleasures, that you are just sitting there, miserable and overcome with grief, when your entire world sphere is awash with light?”

Māra, the lord of sensual pleasures, then explained the matter at length to the one hundred billion māras:

“As you know, friends, there is a monk from the Śākya clan, a trickster and rogue of the worst kind. As soon as he was born here, the entire Sahā world became filled with light, shook, and trembled. Whatever intelligent beings there were in this entire world sphere—the lords of brahmās, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, mahoragas, garuḍas, kinnaras, and other intelligent human and nonhuman beings—all went to him to offer worship for the last six years. Sitting alone on his seat, without a companion, he has been creating inauspicious illusions.

“I, for my part, desirous to make a show of my military might, approached him in the company of soldiers numbering three hundred sixty billion and surrounded him with displays of power, valor, magical skill, and transformations of my entire army, but I was unable to stir or disturb even a single hair on his body, let alone dislodge him from his seat or assault him some other way. That villain, however, displayed the magical power that he did and made the earth tremble.

“Defeated along with my military, I was like a cut-down tree, prostrate upon the surface of the earth, while he, sitting there on his seat, produced inauspicious illusions of such a kind that my entire domain was overpowered. Having accomplished the knowledge he sought, he rose from his seat and started instructing beings. Thereupon, all the learned and knowledgeable beings in this world of four continents became astounded, so that I am unable to divine their thoughts or their future destiny within the six realms. I am unable to stir or disturb even a single hair of those who took refuge with him, let alone mislead them about him, or pry them away from him.

“And now my five hundred daughters with their retinues, as well as my twenty thousand sons with their followers, have taken refuge with that villainous monk, Gautama, and sit in front of him in order to listen to the Dharma, while I no longer have the power to persuade them to leave him. For this reason, you, being powerful, full of merits, knowledgeable, and mighty, must help me. We need to stamp the life out of that villainous son of the Śākyas. And whatever beings have taken refuge with him, we must annihilate them too. We will defeat the black faction of that deceitful monk, and bring glory to the white faction of Māra. We will then be able to live happily ever after.”

Now, the māra Jyotiṣprabha looked toward Jambudvīpa where the Thus-Gone One was sitting and teaching the Dharma. When he saw the Blessed One’s body and heard the sound of his Dharma talk, he was awed and the thrill of it caused the hairs on his body to stand on end. He said to Māra, the evil one:

“With his exquisite form, he stands supreme over the entire buddha field. He has long been purified through merit and wisdom. Having applied himself to the path over a long time, he is free from the afflictions. As all his links in the chain of becoming have ceased, he is free from sorrow.

“Do not fall under the sway of anger any more—this is not right! As the most eminent and best in the threefold universe, he is an object of refuge. He in whom burns even a slight feeling of hatred toward him Is deluded indeed and will be deprived of happiness in this world.”

Then another māra, Sannimika by name, addressed Māra, the evil one, thus:

“He possesses great magical power and the excellent marks of merit. Not stuck anywhere, he is free from all destinies. He shows the way leading to the cessation of all suffering And cannot possibly be harmed even by hundreds of māras.”

The evil one replied:

“He brought my followers under his control, And your followers will be brought under his power too. Soon he will empty our entire domain. Where shall we resort to after that?”

The māra Navarāja said this to Māra, the evil one:

“If you had superior magical power, You would be able to prove your prowess. Your force, however, is spent and all hope is gone. Why, then, do you still compete with him, the Omniscient One?”

The māra Khaḍgasoma said:

“There is no enmity in his mind toward anyone. Purified by meditation, he does not belong anywhere. The sphere he resides in is independent of the three realms. He cannot possibly be assailed by others.”

The evil one replied:

“Whatever beings there are in the desire realm— Attached to sense pleasures and stupefied by arrogance and pride— They are my servants who always follow me. How could it be impossible to kill him if we all joined forces?”

The māra Kṣititoya said:

“Knowing that objects are without essence Like an illusion, a mirage, or a reflected image, he has subdued his craving. Unattached to existence, with a sky-like nature, How could he possibly be obstructed?”

The evil one replied:

“He also depends on things in this threefold universe; He relies on gourmet food and drink and fine clothes, And the three feelings are firmly rooted in his mind. How then could it be impossible to destroy him?”

The māra Tṛṣṇājaha said:

“Any magical powers that exist in our domain, Whether they are of the evil one himself or the mahoragas, Do not even come close to the powers of Siddhartha. How then could it be possible to destroy him?”

The evil one replied:

“I will cut off his food supply, Hurl rocks at him, And abuse him verbally— Will he not be forced out of his living place then?”

The māra Bodhākṣa asked:

“When you launched your assaults upon him, Did he ever angrily show you his disapproval, Or show you a scowling face? Did you directly hear any bad words from him?”

The evil one replied:

“He always endures things patiently, considering them carefully. He has exhausted his passions, and has no hatred or ignorance. His mind is lovingly disposed toward all beings, Though he is always socially engaged.”

The māra Durdharṣa said:

“We can certainly set out to assail those Ensnared by the three fetters, But how could we possibly destroy one Who has eliminated faults and the snares of delusion?”

The evil one replied:

“You, gentlemen, my powerful supporters, Must stay coolheaded, right now! I will transform the entire earth into water— All its quarters with their mountain ranges.

“I will release a terrible rain of hard rocks And heaps of iron filings. I will throw at his body arrows, javelins, Razor blades, and spears, to crush him into dust.

“With these missiles emitting flames on impact I will crush the lion of the Śākyas to dust.”

And so this exchange between the evil one and the other māras continued until ten million stanzas were spoken by the ten million māras, after which all the māras spoke with a single voice:

“So be it! We will go! We will now go to our individual abodes, don our armor, and come along with our military cohorts. Whatever magical powers we have at our disposal, we will display them all. You will then know for yourself, at that time, what valor the monk Gautama will exhibit.”

These tens of millions of māras then departed for their respective homes to don their armor, each māra accompanied by tens of thousands of millions of followers. All of them donned their coats of mail, armed themselves with different types of weapons, and girded themselves with different types of body armor. As night fell, they traveled to Jambudvīpa and arrayed themselves in the sky above Aṅga-Magadha.

Any gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, pretas, piśācas, and kumbhāṇḍas in this world of four continents who harbored ill will toward the Blessed One and who had not attained respect and devotion for him and were also ill-disposed toward the Dharma and the Saṅgha were all mobilized under the command of the evil Māra for the sake of killing the Blessed One. Brandishing various weapons and types of armor, they hovered there in the sky. Māra, too, went to one side of the Himalaya Mountains where there lived, with a retinue of five hundred, the sage Jyotīrasa, a devotee of Maheśvara who was accomplished in the eighteen branches of knowledge and who had attained excellence in the field of magical arts. Having assumed the form of Maheśvara, Māra stood before the sage and said:

“Born into the Gautama clan, the supreme sage has recourse to ordinary knowledge as well as the superknowledges. He lives in Magadha, where he is now doing alms rounds in the city of Rājagṛha. You must engage him in conversation at length, being resolute in the pursuit of various topics. You will thus certainly obtain the mastery of the five superknowledges.”

Having spoken this stanza, Māra, the evil one, disappeared right there and, having gone to his abode, declared the following to his retinue of māras:

“Please hear from me today what an incomparable scheme I have hatched: Those of you who are endowed with magical powers should unreservedly engage the son of the Śākyas in a friendly conversation. If you keep your great pride, particular to māras, in check, he will not see your deception. If you continually say nice words, he will be kind to you as one of his disciples, just like a mother is with her children.

“When his disciples finally go undistractedly to town, As they do every morning, we will promptly captivate them With the sweetest sentiments expressed through song and dance. The bull of the Śākyas will surely lose his composure When he hears about this event.”

Another māra said:

“We shall swiftly produce, outside of this town, many unpleasant sounds— The wild and fierce sounds of lions, tigers, elephants, and camels, like roaring summer thunder. We shall wait with our weapons at the ready, so that he will see the miraculous display with his own eyes. Baffled, he will lose his magical power and flee, losing his bearings and sense of direction.”

Another māra said:

“Standing in great numbers by the four gateways straddling the four main roads with contorted faces, Brandishing various weapons—sharp spears, arrows, barbed missiles, and swords— We shall attack from the sky with loud shrieks, releasing bolts from the clouds. Terrified by the earthquakes, he will soon lose all control and meet his doom.”

And, as far as the extent of the māras’ magical power would allow, they enacted everything in full. The Blessed One, however, turned this entire world sphere—the great trichiliocosm—into diamond. Subsequently no māras were able to make any sounds, and no mountains of fire stood in the four directions. There were no black clouds and no unseasonable winds. No nāga was able to send even a single drop of rain—all this through the power of the Buddha’s blessing.

Around that time, in the morning, four great hearers put on their lower garments and robes and, bearing their alms bowls, entered the great city of Rājagṛha to beg alms. Venerable Śāriputra entered the city through the southern gate to beg alms. There, in the city, fifty māra youths, endowed with supreme youthful beauty, attired to resemble sons of distinguished personages, roamed about dancing and singing. They seized Venerable Śāriputra by both hands and pranced along the street. Dancing and singing, they urged him, “Dance, monk! Sing, monk!”

Śāriputra replied, “Listen, friends, as I sing you a song that you have not heard before.”

All the māra youths, moving onward, then sang the following in unison with Śāriputra:

“Enough of the sense bases; We are deceived by them. Sense bases are killers; I will put an end to them.

“Enough of the aggregates; We are deceived by them. Aggregates are killers; I will put an end to them.

“The mantra is:

bahara bahara bhārabaha marīci­baha satya­baha āmabaha svāhā!”

Elder Śāriputra sang this stanza and recited the words of the mantra while bounding along with the fifty māra youths, who, supremely thrilled and kindly disposed, said:

“We now ask you, our protector, for forgiveness. You are truly a kinsman of beings, a great teacher. We will always bear witness to the fact That the aggregates are fraught with danger, just as you have declared.”

They all bowed their heads to the feet of Śāriputra and sat down in front of him, in the middle of the street, to hear the Dharma.

Around the same time, the great Venerable Maudgalyāyana entered the great city of Rājagṛha through the eastern gate, in order to beg alms. But as before, fifty māra youths sang the following in unison with Maudgalyāyana:

“Enough of the elements; We are deceived by them. The elements are killers; I will put an end to them.

“Enough of sensations; We are deceived by them. Sensations are killers; I will put an end to them.

“Enough of intentions; We are deceived by them. Intentions are killers; I will put an end to them.

“Enough of perception; We are deceived by it. Perception is a killer; I will put an end to it.

“Enough of saṃsāra; We are deceived by it. Saṃsāra is a killer; I will put an end to it.

“The mantra is:

āmava āmava āmava āmava āraja ranajaha śamyatha śamyatha śamyatha gagana­vama svāhā!”

The great Maudgalyāyana sang these stanzas and recited the words of the mantra to the sons of Māra while bounding along with them. Subsequently, the fifty māra youths, supremely thrilled and kindly disposed, said:

“O son of the lord of sages, endowed with magical power and protected by the noble path! You are the lamp of Dharma who shows how to pacify the evils of saṃsāra. We have now renounced evil and developed respect and devotion. Today we take refuge in the Buddha, the supreme Dharma, and the Saṅgha.”

The fifty māra youths bowed their heads to the feet of Venerable Maudgalyāyana and sat down in front of him, in the middle of the street, to hear the Dharma.

Around the same time, Venerable Pūrṇa, the son of Maitrāyaṇī, entered the city through the northern gate to beg alms. As before, fifty māra youths sang in unison with him:

“Enough of sensory contact; We are deceived by it. Sensory contact is a killer; I will put an end to it.

“Enough of the controlling forces; We are deceived by them. Controlling forces are killers; I will put an end to them.

“Enough of saṃsāra; We are deceived by it. Saṃsāra is a killer; I will put an end to it.

“Enough of all becoming; We are deceived by it. Becoming is a killer; I will put an end to it.

“Enough of delight in sense pleasure; We are deceived by it. Delight in sense pleasure is a slaughterhouse; I will put an end to it.

“Life passes quickly, my friends; Fast flows the water. A naive person doesn’t know this— Such a fool gets infatuated with form.

“Likewise, as before, he gets infatuated with sound, He gets infatuated with odor, He gets infatuated with taste, And he gets infatuated with touch.

“Life passes quickly, my friends; Fast flows the water. A naive person doesn’t see this— Such a fool gets infatuated with phenomena.

“Likewise, as before, he gets infatuated with the aggregates, He gets infatuated with the psycho-physical elements, He gets infatuated with sensual enjoyments, He gets infatuated with comforts, He gets infatuated with caste, And he gets infatuated with sex.

“Life passes quickly, my friends; Fast flows the water. A naive person doesn’t know this— Such a fool gets infatuated with everything.

“The mantra is:

khargava khargava khargava mujñini āvarta vivarta khavarta bramārtha jyotivarta svāhā!”

Venerable Pūrṇa sang these stanzas and recited the words of the mantra to the sons of Māra while bounding along with them. Subsequently, the fifty māra youths, supremely thrilled and kindly disposed, said:

“You have shown us the path of calming the mind. The elements are illusory like a mirage or a reflected image. This world of beings is produced by concepts. We go for refuge to the Three Jewels, who are ready to answer our prayers.”

All fifty of the māra youths bowed their heads to the feet of Venerable Pūrṇa and sat down in front of him, in the middle of the street, to hear the Dharma.

Around the same time, Venerable Subhūti entered the great city of Rājagṛha through the western gate to beg alms. There, at the gate to the city, fifty māra youths, endowed with supreme youthful beauty, attired to resemble sons of distinguished personages, gallivanted about, dancing and singing. They seized Venerable Subhūti by both hands and, prancing along the street, urged him, “Dance, monk! Sing, monk!”

Subhūti replied, “Listen, friends, as I sing you a song that you have not heard before.”

Then all of them fell silent. Moving along with them, Venerable Subhūti sang the following:

“All things are impermanent; they are like illusions or bubbles on water. All conditioned things are impermanent and by nature unstable. Just as a mirage disappears as soon as it is seen, so, too, is there no permanence in them. An intelligent person knows that all phenomena are easily destroyed.

“All sensory contact brings suffering, as sensation has no essence. All naive people get stuck right there, afflicted by painful phenomena. There is no friend who would liberate one from all suffering Like the faith that leads to awakening and the practice of meditation.

“All phenomena have one trait in common—they are good once conceptions are abandoned. All conduct has no self and is insubstantial. There is no living entity, vital principle, person, or agent. You should reject the deceptions of Māra and incline your mind toward awakening.

“Consciousness operates within the sense faculties like lightning in the sky. All sensory contact, sensation, and mental activity are devoid of self. Everything, when examined appropriately, is insubstantial. Naive people, stupefied, function like automatons.

“ If the aggregates are comprehended to the core, no agent can be found. Ultimately, everything is peaceful, empty, and free from extremes. This is called the sphere of nondelusion and constitutes the path to awakening. To attain awakening, you must follow the guide and protector.”

“The mantra is:

sumunde vimunde munda jahi sili sili sili avasili tathātva­sili bhūta­koṭi­sili svāhā!”

Venerable Subhūti sang these stanzas and recited the words of the mantra to the sons of Māra while bounding along with them. Subsequently, the fifty māra youths, supremely thrilled and kindly disposed, said:

“Not having heard these teachings before, we were under the influence of bad friends. Whatever bad actions we have thus committed through delusion and ignorance, We now confess before you, O son of the victorious ones! We make a solemn vow to attain buddhahood for the benefit of the world.”

All fifty of the māra youths bowed their heads to the feet of Venerable Subhūti and sat down in front of him, in the middle of the street, to hear the Dharma. At the same time, through the power of the Buddha, the street appeared stretched to a radius of one hundred leagues. In the middle were seated Elder Śāriputra, the great Maudgalyāyana, Pūrṇa, and Subhūti, facing north, west, south, and east respectively and positioned at a distance of half a league from one another. In the center of the area between these great four hearers a lotus appeared—fifty cubits in diameter, with a golden stalk, petals of blue beryl, stamens of śrīgarbha, and a pericarp of pearl.

From this lotus, which appeared to tower above the street to three times the height of a man, great light streamed forth, visible as far as the gods’ realm of the Four Great Kings, to whom the lotus appeared to be fifty “celestial leagues” tall. In the realm of the Thirty-Three Gods, it appeared to be one hundred leagues tall. It could be seen as far as the Akaniṣṭha realm, where it appeared to be half a league tall. From the petals of this lotus emanated various stanzas with words rich in meaning. All beings on this earth heard the following stanzas:

“A unique, faultless man has arisen in this buddha field. By him alone Māra and his forces—soldiers and mounts—were defeated.

“Through the unique courage of the Buddha, the wheel of the Dharma was turned. He alone has come, without a doubt, in order to benefit the world.

“In this world, the two most disciplined men, proficient in moral precepts, are Upatiṣya and Kaulita. They are knowledgeable and proficient in many treatises, and their purpose is the Dharma and liberation. The great learned sage, skilled in the affairs that benefit the entire world, teaches the sacred Dharma. This best of teachers, revered by the whole world, is coming today.

“This teacher who demonstrates the knowledge of the three times, king of all monks, promoter of the three types of instructions, Protector of human and divine beings, knower of the infinite significance of the Dharma, Expert in what helps and benefits the world, great lamp of wisdom, Speaker of truth who is free from the three stains, will teach everything today.

“He exerted himself for the sake of all people, and his mind never growing weary, Thus liberating all beings, afflicted as they are by suffering. To those whose eyes are veiled by ignorance He gives, accordingly, the eye of the sacred Dharma.

“As his entire congregation has gathered together here, This leonine speaker who reveals the absolute truth, Supremely beautiful, endowed with the ten strengths, Knower of what is and is not supreme, will arrive here before long.

“Seeing that beings are immersed in a great ocean of suffering, He will come to beat the drum of the Dharma. His six senses are completely under control, And his six knowledges follow from the six superknowledges.

“This leonine preacher, endowed with the six seeds, Will come here to give the six supreme, essential teachings. He defeats those who live in the city of the six sense faculties And is the lord of guides recalling the six supreme goals.”

The following stanzas, also emanating from the lotus, could be heard as far as the realms of the six classes of the gods of desire.

“You now indulge in every possible pleasure With careless minds, obscured by craving and self-aggrandizement. You are always beguiled and intoxicated by the drink of pleasure. Because of your heedlessness, you do not worship the Well-Gone One.

“Sensual enjoyments are ephemeral like reflections of the moon in water. The noose of saṃsāra, binding all beings, is extremely strong. Those not freed from it, distracted by pleasures, Will never reach nirvāṇa.

“Always distracted, you do not practice mental tranquility And do not see what you did in the past as virtuous or unvirtuous. You will be seized with the fear of aging, disease, and death, And someday will have to descend to the lower realms.

“You should practice generosity, self-control, restraint, and nondistraction And guard your previously accumulated merit. You should give up impure sensual desires, which are endless, And instead approach the Well-Gone One for refuge.

“You should go to him and listen to his teaching, Which is eloquent, rich in meaning, And the cause of knowledge, liberation, and peace. There is great value in listening to him who possesses the sacred Dharma.

The following stanzas, also emanating from the lotus, could be heard as far as the sixteen desire god realms.

“You should cultivate the Dharma assiduously And delight in one-pointed contemplation, eliminating the afflictions. Undistracted in mind and longing for liberation, You will find an intelligence that relinquishes hatred.

“ You should cultivate the supreme acceptance, The elucidation of the signs of the thirteen aspects. Only through acceptance will you swiftly Obtain ultimate liberation, free from disease and old age.

“For those who put their faith in a multitude of forms and ideas And see things as lasting, stable, and truly existent, There will be no severance of the stream of rebirths. They are destined for the lower realms.

“But those who have ascertained the three realms to be selfless, Insubstantial, non-independent, and inactive And who cultivate the acceptance of phenomena concurring with reality Will all be liberated from the course of their rebirths.

“There will be no death, aging, sickness, Unhappy rebirth, or meeting with anything unpleasant For those who meditate on all the phenomena in this world As being equal to the sky, free from arising and destruction.

“This path is infinitely pure and is sublime. Those whose minds are not caught up in the senses Will defeat the four types of māras, Just as did the lion of the Śākyas.

“This supreme path is taught For those who cultivate the single principle That relinquishes sheer absence and all signs, And for those who train in behavior in order to abandon duality.

“Those who meditate on all phenomena in this world as empty, Being without agent and without action, Will directly experience the awakening of the sky-like nature, Unequaled and devoid of expectation.”

While these expressions of the Dharma, pregnant with meaning, were issuing forth from the lotus, the human and nonhuman beings present in this world sphere gathered together in the middle of the street and took their seats around the lotus. They included many beings up to the countless Akaniṣṭha gods, who descended from their realm in infinite numbers and took their seats around the lotus to hear the Dharma.

The same stanzas were overheard by Māra, the evil one. Looking around, he saw, in the middle of the street in the great city of Rājagṛha, the lotus from which these stanzas were issuing and, seated around the lotus to hear the Dharma, infinite hundreds of thousands of millions of people. He then looked up and saw the same lotus in every abode of the gods throughout the six realms of desire. Those lotuses too were surrounded by infinite numbers of hundreds of thousands of millions of gods, seated in order to hear the Dharma.

Consequently, Māra, the evil one, became even more frustrated, upset, and dejected. Covered in goosebumps and sweat, shivering, he flew up into the sky and, in a loud voice, angrily addressed the other māras:

“Listen to my out-of-character speech attentively! I have no control over my dominion anymore, and no power in this world. The power of this sage and his immaculate qualities Spread throughout this world, confirming beings in their allegiance to him.

“And furthermore, a lotus has sprung up to delight humans and gods. All the good people have come to it, well disciplined And eager to savor the fine teachings of the Well-Gone One. Full of extraordinary qualities, they follow the path of calming the mind.

“The magical illusion unleashed by this monk fools this entire threefold universe. The multitudes of humans and gods, fully attentive, stand around the lotus. Quickly cast down a rain of rocks along with terrifying cries! He will perish today, if attacked by the fierce soldiers of Māra.”

Another māra said to the evil one:

“Listen to this beneficial advice from us. Do you really understand what your duty is If, even though you’ve seen the ruin of your army, you still don’t want to make peace? It is we who are in error, considering that the splendorous body of the Well-Gone One is a receptacle of good fortune, And that apart from the Buddha—a guide in truth—there is no other refuge in this world so exalted.”

Then another māra, lamenting loudly, his words full of utmost indignation, said this to Māra, the evil one:

“You have lost your way and are on a lowly course! Don’t you know that we have no such strength or might? Have you no shame and no compunction, That you are competing against the Guide?

“While our force has been ruined, All the world’s inhabitants, through the power of the Buddha, Have been drawn near the lotus, Their pure bodies nourished by hearing the Dharma.

“We, on the other hand, have become repulsive; Our bodies stink and our strength and valor are gone. We should take refuge with the lord of sages, So that we don’t perish immediately.”

Other māras said with folded hands:

“You, O evil one, have given up right conduct and delight in evil acts, But the Buddha is the protector skilled in bringing benefit to beings, the best among the good. We should promptly go to the city of Rājagṛha, putting on a pleasant and peaceful appearance. Let us go for the refuge that is revered by the threefold universe—a universal medicine for all beings!”

There was a māra there in the sky called Ghoṣavati. He proposed in a loud voice:

“All of you together, please listen to my words in a spirit of devotion and friendliness. Let us renounce our wrong views, bow down to him, and likewise pay homage with speech and mind. Having renounced anger, may we be thrilled by the teachings of the Sage, with feelings of devotion and faith welling up in us. Let us go to the Buddha in person to seek the refuge so difficult to obtain; let us worship him today with devotion.”

At this moment all the māras descended from the sky and constructed gates to the city of Rājagṛha from the seven gems. Some, taking on the appearance of universal monarchs, stood in front of the Blessed One, making every effort to worship him. Some took on the appearance of Brahmā, some of Vaśavartin, some of Maheśvara, some of Nārāyaṇa, some of a Tuṣita god, some of Yāma, some of Śakra, and some of a god from the realm of the Thirty-Three. Some took on the form of Kumāra, Vaiśravaṇa, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, or Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and some, the form of the mundane Four Great Kings. Some took on the appearance of Sūrya, Candra, or Tāraka; some, the appearance of an asura, garuḍa, kinnara, or mahoraga; and some, the appearance of jewel mountains, golden ornaments, various gems, or jeweled trees. Some took on the appearance of a kṣatriya; some, the appearance of members of religions other than Buddhism; some, the appearance of the precious wheel, the precious jewel, the elephant Airāvaṇa, Bālāha the king of steeds, or the precious consort; and some, the appearance of a respected merchant or a royal minister. Magically transformed into these forms, they stood in front of the Blessed One in order to worship him.

Some of them, who were blue with a blue complexion, magically adorned their bodies with white ornaments. In order to worship the Blessed One they floated in the sky at the height of a palm tree, holding red parasols, banners, flags, and strings of pearls. Some were dazzling white with a white complexion and adorned with bright red ornaments; they floated in the sky holding yellow parasols, banners, flags, and strings of pearls. Some were bright red with a red complexion and adorned with ornaments of a golden color. They floated aloft, holding blue parasols, banners, and flags. Some were red with a red complexion and rained down white pearls. Some were white with a white complexion and rained down red pearls. Some, magically appearing as celestial ṛṣis, rained flowers from the sky in great profusion. Some, appearing as the Blessed One’s hearers, rained divine fragrances of various kinds from the sky. Some, appearing as gandharvas, strummed various divine instruments. Some, appearing as celestial nymphs, sprinkled the ground with perfumed water from vessels made of various gems. Some, of obsidian-black complexion, burned incense of various fragrances. Some, appearing as gods, danced and sang. Some, of varying complexion, praised the Blessed One with their folded hands directed toward him. Some māras, and even their retinues, turned to face the direction where the Blessed One resided and, holding various jewels, offered them to him in worship. Some, having placed themselves by the upper windows of houses and buildings along the street or upon gateways, tall buildings, houses at crossroads of three or four roads, gates, trees, or palaces, were sitting there for the purpose of worshiping the Blessed One.

When Māra, the evil one, saw all those māras with their retinues going for refuge in the monk Gautama, he became even more rattled, frightened, and confused. Wailing aloud, he said:

“I have no friends anymore And have today been deprived of all my glory. Separated now from my dominion, I will make my final effort.

“I will cut down at its root the lotus where all the beings went. After cutting it, they will all be flummoxed— this will be my last stand.”

Having thus made up his mind, Māra, the evil one, descended from the sky, fast as wind, to the street where the lotus was, and, having crept up to its stalk, tried to uproot it but could not even touch it. He tried to cut the petals but could not even see them. He also tried to smash the pericarp with his fist but could not even grasp it. Just as lightning, or a shadow, can be seen but not grasped, in the same way he could see the lotus but not grasp it.

When he thus saw the lotus without being able to touch it or seize it, he tried to let loose a most horrific deafening cry in order to frighten the entire congregation, but this too he was unable to do. He tried further, with great vehemence and force, to strike the great earth with both his hands to make it shake, but was unable, in this case too, to touch it or to seize it. Just as someone wanting to hit the sky cannot reach it, in the same way Māra, the evil one, saw the earth but could not touch it or seize it.

He then thought, “If I could only punch the beings assembled here, or distract their minds.” But while he could see these beings, he was unable to touch or seize even one of them. Then Māra, the evil one, wept bitterly. Through the power of the Buddha, his entire body shook like a tree. With a tear-streaked face he looked in the four directions and lamented:

“This miraculous feat, performed by this monk today, will attract the entire world to him. Because of my earlier delusion, I suddenly became dispossessed, And I am now separated from my dominion, my merit, and my strength. My life is finished. Banished, I will promptly go to my abode, while I am still alive.”

But even though he tried to go home, he could not. Frightened still more, he could only weep. He thought, “I am deprived of my magical power completely. Woe is me! May I not fall under the control of the monk Gautama! And may I now disappear, so that I do not die in front of him, my enemy. As no being should see me die in his buddha field, may I die as soon as I am out of the Sahā world buddha field.”

But still, he was unable to disappear from sight or flee in any direction, cardinal or intermediate. Instead, he perceived himself, still at the same location, tied around the neck with a fivefold noose, and became even more upset and frightened. Howling in a raucous voice, he lamented, “Woe is me! I will never again see my dear sons or kinsmen.”

Then the māra by the name Ghoṣavati, seated in the manner of a universal monarch, asked Māra, the evil one:

“Sir, why are you today, in your anguish, loudly lamenting and crying? Discarding fear, you should promptly go to the exalted sage, the best in the entire world, for refuge. He is the protector, refuge, and defender of the world, who removes the three sufferings. Surely, if you devote yourself to him, you will obtain peace and happiness.”

Māra, the evil one, then thought, “If I approach the monk Gautama, with pleasing words, to take refuge, I would then be freed from these fetters.”

Bowing with folded hands toward the Blessed One, he said, “Homage to you, the most eminent person and the ultimate deliverer from birth, aging, disease, and death! I herewith go to the Blessed Buddha to take refuge.”

Then he continued:

“Release me from this unbearable, terrifying noose, O sage and protector! Today and henceforth, I take refuge with the Well-Gone One, the greatest and most important being. Having committed grave offenses against you when I was angry and blinded by my ignorance, I confess all of them before you, taking you as my witness.”

When Māra, the evil one, thus took refuge in the Blessed Buddha, saying pleasant words, he had the sense that he was released. But when he had the thought to escape from the assembly, he had the sense that his neck was once again bound by a fivefold noose. When he was again unable to go anywhere and thought, once again, of seeking refuge and protection from the Blessed One, he had the sense that he was released. Staying right in that spot, he had the sense of being bound and released seven times over.