Maradhitu Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. At Uruvela.

Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion, the three daughters of Màra, approached him and said this stanza:


 * "Dear father, why do you sit displeased,
 * because of which man do you grieve?
 * With the snare of passion, will bind and bring him to you,
 * like an elephant in the forest."

2. "It's not easy to bring the Perfect, Well Gone One, with passion
 * He has gone beyond the domains of Death, therefore I grieve much."

3. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion, the three daughters of Màra, approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words and sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

4. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred young women.

5. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred young women, approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words, he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

6. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred young women who have not given birth.

7. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred young women, who had not given birth and approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

8. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred young women who have given birth.

Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred young women, who had given birth and approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

9. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred young women who have given birth twice

Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred young women, who had not given birth twice and approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

10. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred middle aged women.

Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred middle aged women, and approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

11. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, the intentions of man rise and fall, what if each one of us, create the forms of one hundred aged women.

Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra, each one of them, created the forms of one hundred aged women and approached the Blessed One and said:


 * "Recluse, we will attend to you, at your feet." The Blessed One did not care for those words he sat as though released with the destruction of endearments.

12. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra went to a side and discussed, what our father say is true.


 * "It's not easy to bring the Perfect, Well Gone One, with passion.
 * He has gone beyond the domains of Death, therefore we grieve much."

13. If we had attacked a recluse or Brahmin free of greed in this manner, his heart would have split and he would have vomited warm blood, or else he would have gone off his mind, or his mind would have been deranged. It would be like a green reed that had withered, dried and died. In the same manner the recluse or Brahmin would wither, dry and become pale.

14. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion the three daughters of Màra approached the Blessed One and stood on a side.

15. Then Craving the daughter of Màra said these stanzas to the Blessed One:


 * ""Is it overcome with grief that you concentrate in forests?
 * Or is it the decrease of the mind and wishing for it?
 * Or have you done any offence in the village?
 * Why don't people see what you're doing?
 * It's witness you have no prosperity"

16. "I have come to the essence, my mind is appeased,
 * I am victorious over beloved, agreeable, matter.
 * I have realized pleasantness and concentrate alone,
 * Therefore I do not make friends with people
 * It's witness, I have no prosperity."

17. Then Disinterest the daughter of Màra said a stanza to the Blessed One:


 * "Abiding in what does the bhikkhu, spend much of his time?
 * That he crossed the five tides and also the sixth
 * Thinking of what does the sensual perception grow?
 * That the externals are not the gainers of it?"

18. "With appeased body and well released mind,
 * Without intentions, mindful of singleness,
 * Knowing how to concentrate without thoughts
 * Does not become angry, does not recall and is not hard.
 * The bhikkhu spends much of his time abiding thus
 * And crosses the five tides and also the sixth
 * Not concentrating thus, the sensual perception grows
 * And the externals are not the gainers of it."

19. Then Passion the daughter of Màra said a stanza of appeasement in the presence of the Blessed One:


 * "Without destroying craving crowds, come together and behave,
 * Many teachers too, will behave in this manner.
 * Many go homeless in this manner,
 * You crossed over the domains of Death."

20. "Indeed, Thus Gone Ones, with the right Teaching, lead out great heroes,
 * When led by the Teaching how could they be misled through envy?

21. Then Craving, Disinterest and Passion, the three daughters of Màra approached Màra the evil one.

22. Màra, the evil one saw Craving, Disinterest and Passion, the daughters of the evil one, coming in the distance and said this stanza:


 * "Foolish ones, you crush the rock with lotus stalks.
 * Dig the rock with nails, destroy iron, with teeth.
 * Like carrying a mountain on the head,
 * Do you wish to fathom the abyss?
 * Like destruction, to soil the heart, you pierced Gotama.

23. Craving, Disinterest and Passion came blazing, to push away the Teacher. He pushed them away like the wind pushing away the measure.