Part 2 - Māra’s Visit to deter the Bodhisatta by feigning Goodwill

Even at the time when the Bodhisatta was going forth, Māra discouraged him saying: “O Prince Siddhattha, on the seventh day from today, the Wheel-Treasure will arrive. Do not go forth.” But the Bodhisatta replied with tremendous boldness: “O Māra, I knew that the Wheel-Treasure would come to me. I do not, however, wish to enjoy the bliss of a Universal Monarch. You go away! Do not stay here! I will endeavour to attain Buddhahood, thereby letting the ten thousand world-systems resound throughout.” Since then Mara had shadowed the Bodhisatta for six years looking for an opportunity to dispose of him, with the thought: “If thoughts of sensuality (kāma-vitakka), or thoughts of ill-will (vyāpāda-vitakka), or thoughts of violence (vihiṃsā-vitakka), arise in his mental continuum, I will kill him right on the spot.” Since then, for six long years, Māra could not find any of these wrong thoughts in the Bodhisatta.

When six years had elapsed, it occurred to Māra thus: “Prince Siddhattha is of great energy. His dukkaracariyā also is so strenuous. He may become a Buddha at one time or another. What if I approach him and give him some words of advice, thereby causing him to stop his practice.” Then he approached the Bodhisatta and told him of his intentions.

(After His Enlightenment, the Buddha gave bhikkhus a sermon under the title of Padhāna Sutta, explaining how Māra had come and persuaded Him by reigning goodwill, and how He had boldly retorted him. The dialogue between Māra and the Bodhisatta will now be reproduced.)

Having approached the Bodhisatta who had been repeatedly developing the appanākajhāna in Uruvelā forest near Nerañjarā with the sole aspiration after Nibbāna, Māra said:

“O my friend Prince Siddhattha, the whole of your body is so emaciated with the loss of flesh and blood. Your beauty and complexion have much deteriorated. Your death is coming very close. The chance of your remaining alive is very faint, only one against one thousand for death. O Prince Siddhattha, please take care of yourself so that you may live long. Longevity is excellent and commendable. If you live long, you can perform many acts of merit. You can develop your merit by observing the precepts or by performing sacrificial rites. What is the use of living thus in the forest and practising austerity so miserably and feebly without knowing whether you will be dead or remain alive. (No benefit will accrue to you.) In order to achieve your goal, Nibbāna, the old traditional path is very difficult to follow. It is also toilsome and hard. It is indeed not feasible to get on and tread along such a road.”

In this way, Māra said with a semblance of compassion, as though he had goodwill for the Bodhisatta and as though he had pity on him. (An ordinary person might have found Māra’s words persuasive.)

On being spoken to with a semblance of compassion by Māra, the Bodhisatta said boldly to Māra as follows:

“You, Māra, you who bind up those unmindful sentient beings, such as devas, humans and Brahmās, so that they may not be liberated from saṃsāra! You have come into my presence for your own benefit and with an ulterior motive to create harm and disturbances to others.” (By these words the Bodhisatta repelled Māra’s visit of false goodwill.)

“I do not have an iota of desire for the kind of merit that leads to the cycle of suffering (vaṭṭagāmi). You should have spoken thus only to those who are yearning for vaṭṭagāmi merit.” (With these words the Bodhisatta rejected Māra’s speech that “If you live long, you can perform many acts of merit.”)

“You, Māra, there are those who have no confidence (saddhā) at all in Nibbāna; there are those who have confidence but are of feeble energy (viriya); then there are those who have both confidence and energy but are not endowed with wisdom (paññā), you should discuss only with them and give encouragement to them to live long. As for me, I have absolute confidence that, if I strive enough, I shall realize, even in this life, Nibbāna, where my body ceases to exist. I have flaming energy that is capable of burning and mining into ash the grassy rubbish of defilements. I have incomparable wisdom which is like an explosive of Sakka and which can crush the rocky mountain of dark ignorance (avijjā) into pieces. I also have both mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samādhi). The mindfulness that will enable me to become a Buddha who does not at all forget what has been done and spoken of over the ages gone by and the concentration which, standing firm against the forceful wind of vicissitude, is like an engraved stone pillar that does not sway in a storm. Fully endowed with these five qualities that enable one to reach the other shore of Nibbāna, I am working hard even at the risk of my life. With a person like me, why do you want to discuss long life and why do you flatteringly encourage me to live on? In reality, it is not commendable to stay alive just for a single day in the human world for one who exerts with firm diligence and strong perseverance, who possesses insight through Appanā Samādhi and who discerns thoroughly the rise and fall of the physical and mental aggregates?” (With these words, the Bodhisatta posed counter threat to Māra who had threatened, saying: “O Prince Siddhattha, your death is coming very close, the chance of your remaining alive is very faint, only one against one thousand for death.”)

“You, Māra, this wind in my body, caused by the tempo of my exertion in practising appanāka-jhāna would be capable of drying up the water in the River Gaṅgā, Yamuna, etc. Why would it not be capable of drying up the little blood that is in me, whose mind has been directed to Nibbāna? Indeed, it is strong enough to dry it up. When the blood in my body, about four ambaṇas in capacity, has dried up on account of the oppressing wind which is generated by my exertion in practising meditation with a view to attain Nibbāna. The bile which is of two kinds, composed (baddha) and non-composed (abaddha); the phlegm, also about four ambaṇas, that covers whatever is eaten and swallowed so that no foul smell would come out; the urine and nutritive elements, also about four ambaṇas, will certainly dry up too. If the blood, the bile, the phlegm, the urine and nutritive elements dry up, the flesh will certainly be depleted. When the blood, the bile, the phlegm, the urine and the flesh are all gone in this way, my mind becomes even clearer. (Such exhaustion will not make me retreat. Only because you do not know that my mind is so keen, you spoke words of ‘love for life’ (jīvita-nikanti) such as: ‘O Prince Siddhattha, the whole body of yours is so emaciated with the loss of flesh and blood.’ and so on.) Not only is my mind clear but my mindfulness, which is like the treasurer of a Universal Monarch, my wisdom which is like the vajirā diamond weapon of thunderbolt and my concentration which is like Mount Meru, are unshaken, become even more developed and steadfast.

“Although the blood and the flesh in me have been all exhausted, my mind remains cheerful and even becomes clearer and and has reached the excellent stage of the incomparable feeling which has been tremendously experienced by those noble Bodhisattas, Superb Men (Mahāpurisa) and Banners of Male Folk. Though my whole body has dried up to the point of almost emitting flames and though I am thereby thoroughly exhausted, my mind is not at all inclined towards sensual objects, such as my royal city with its palaces, Yasodharā, Rāhula, forty thousand palace ladies and attendants and so on. You, Māra, observe and investigate for yourself the purity and uprightness of the incomparable heart of mine, of a man who has fulfilled the Perfections.” (With these words the Bodhisatta demonstrated the firmness of his spirit.)

Māra’s Ten Armies

(1) “You Māra, there are objects of sensuality (vatthu-kāma), animate or inanimate, and defilements of sensuality (kilesa-kāma) which is craving for these sensual objects; both these forms of sensuality cause those householders to become deluded so that they do not know the Truth. Therefore, these two, vatthu-kāma and kilesa-kāma, constitute your First Army.” There are householders who die still as worldlings (puthujjanas) amidst their own worldly belongings (gihibhoga) because they cannot forsake them, though they know the rarity of the rise of a Buddha (Buddh'uppāda dullabha) and the rarity of the life of a recluse (pabbajitabhāva dullabha). As for recluses, the requisites, such as robes, bowls, monasteries, parks, beds, couches, bed sheets and coverlets, which may be craved and enjoyed by them, are all materials of sensuality. And there are recluses who die still as worldlings amidst the monastic materials of sensuality in the form of the four necessaries, namely, dwelling place, clothing, meal and medicine donated by lay people. They die in that manner because they cannot give them up, though they have learnt, at the time of their ordination, about using the foot of a tree as a dwelling place; using robes made of rags from a dust heap as clothing; using alms-food as meal; and using putrid urine of a cow as medicine. These householders and recluses meet their hideous death on encountering Māra’s First Army of sensuality (kāma). (From Ledi Sayadaw’s nissaya translation of the Padhāna Sutta.)

(2) “Although they have taken up an ascetic life after resolutely abandoning gihibhoga, some tend to be disturbed and corrupted by such factors as aversion (arati) and dissatisfaction (ukkaṇṭhita) which are not taking delight in being a recluse, not taking delight in learning and practice, not taking delight in the seclusion of forest dwellings, and not taking delight in Concentration Meditation (Samatha) and Insight Meditation (Vipassanā). Therefore arati and ukkaṇṭhita constitute the Second Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Second Army.)

(3) “Although some recluses have overcome that Second Army, while observing dhutaṅga practices of austerity and because of the very strict rules of dhutaṅga, which compel them to eat only what is available such as food of all kinds mixed together, some cannot eat to their hearts' content (lit. they cannot eat voraciously in the manner of ‘a thirsty bull quenching his thirst when led to water’) and are therefore not satisfied and become hungry again, suffering like a crazy earthworm which writhes at the touch of salt. As thirst and hunger (khuppipāsā) sets in they lost interest in asceticism and are obsessed with the burning desire to take food. This khuppipāsā constitutes the Third Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Third Army.)

(4) “When they are oppressed by hunger and thirst, some of them become physically and mentally weak and are at their wit’s end. They become disheartened, indolent and unhappy. As weariness (tandī) sets in, they do not wish to carry on asceticism they are engaged in. This tandī constitutes the Fourth Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Fourth Army.)

(5) “With no progress in their spiritual work and becoming lazy and despondent, they begin to get bored and fall into a state of dejection. From that day, as sloth and torpor (thīna-middha) sets in, they take to sleeping in their monasteries, rolling from one side to the other, and lying with face downwards. This thīna-middha constitutes the Fifth Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Fifth Army.)

(6) “Excessive sleep through laziness causes stalemate in their meditation and dullness of their minds. Overwhelmed by craving, they become weak and confused over this or that trifle. As fear (bhīru) sets in, they are shaken with fright and, with trembling hearts, they mistake a tree-stump for an elephant, a tiger for an ogre. This bhīru is the Sixth Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Sixth Army.)

(7) “Although they pursue meditation after overcoming fear and regaining courage through practice, the Path to the jhāna and the course of magga have sunk deep. As doubt (vicikicchā) sets in, they are not certain whether they are positively on the Path or not, both in practice and theory. This vicikicchā is the Seventh Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Seventh Army.)

(8) “After getting themselves rid of vicikicchā, some keep on putting efforts uninterruptedly day and night. As unusual signs from meditation appear to them, they think highly of themselves. As arrogance and haughtiness (makkha-thambha) sets in, they do not accord others their rightful place; they destroy their good reputation; they give no respects to their elders; they display overbearingness to them. This makkhathambha constitutes the Eighth Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetic meet death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Eighth Army.)

(9) “When they go on meditating, having eradicated makkha-thambha, they see more unusual signs and become proud of their advancement. Various forms of craving and conceit (taṇhā-māna) are likely to appear as follows: they are pleased and elated to have abundance of gifts; they are pleased and elated to witness the spread of their fame to all four quarters; they are pleased and elated to receive some marvellous gains that nobody else has ever come across;and they are pleased and elated with their fame and followers, wrongfully acquired from their preaching of false doctrines and unjust boastfulness, shown through evil desire and craving to increase their gains. The aggregates of these factors of taṇhā-māna constitute the Ninth Army of yours, Māra. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Māra’s Ninth Army.)

(10) “Some recluses coming under the above ninth category practise self-praise and honour which is att'ukkaṃsana;they indulge in despising and condemning others which is paravambhanā. These two, att'ukkaṃsana and paravambhanā, constitute the Tenth Army of yours, Māra.

“You Māra, you who prevent, by force, the liberation of devas, humans and Brahmās from the rounds of suffering and you whose forces are enormous! These ten factors, such as kāma, arati, etc., form your comrades-in-arm. You, Māra, whose heart is not white but totally black and whose craving is gigantic! They are also your guns, cannons, and explosives that kill every recluse or hermit in their way. Those poor worldlings, who possess no strong faith, will, energy and wisdom and who lack courage, are not capable of repelling your attack and escaping from it. Only those extremely adventurous heroes, whose faith, will, energy and wisdom are great, do not reckon you even as a blade of grass; they can fight and put up resistance and escape. This escape after fighting and resisting can bring about the bliss of the Path, Fruition and Nibbāna away from the dangers of the swords, spears and (other) weapons that belong to the troops of the Ten Armies of yours, wicked Māra.

“You Māra, I would like you to know me as follows: ‘This Prince Siddhattha, as befitting a noble man, a true hero, on arrival on the scene of a battlefield, never takes a single step backward; he is indeed a feathered commander who wears the flowers of courage on his head, the flowers of muñja grass taken to be a good omen and the truly heroic, victorious flag and banner. (It used to be customary for a valiant warrior, who knows no retreat, to fasten some muñja grass on his head, on his banner (flag) or on his weapon to indicate that he is a brave man who would never withdraw. Such a military officer was called a 'feathered commander' in olden days.) If I have to withdraw from battle and to be defeated by you and remain alive in this world, it will be shameful, ruinous, disreputable and disgusting. Therefore regard me as one who firmly believe thus: ‘It is far better to die on the battlefield than to concede defeat to your force.’ ”

“Because in this world certain ascetics and brahmins, who went to the battle front of kilesa putting on the yellow robe and equipping themselves fully with the requisites as their martial harness but who are without strength, are overpowered by your tenfold great Army. Thus they are like those who, without the light of such virtues as morality, etc., happen to have entered into darkness. As they are oppressed by your tenfold Army, Māra, they can by no means know the road of the jewelled Wheel of Dhamma, namely, the seven factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅga) which is the excellent Path taken by Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas and other Noble Ones to attain Nibbāna. (Therefore I would like you to take me as one who would fight and vanquish your tenfold Army and raise the flag of victory.)”

On hearing the valiant words thus spoken by the Bodhisatta, Māra departed from that place being unable to utter a word in reply.