Māra disturbs a teaching on impermanence (SA-2.23)

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying north of Rājagaha in the Sītavana forest. At that time the Buddha told the monks: “Human life is short, it is bound to end. You should make an effort to follow the path and practice in purity and celibacy. Therefore do not be lazy; practice right conduct. You should train yourselves in the right meaning of the Dhamma and true conduct.”

At that time the Demon King Māra, having heard what was said, thought: “The renunciant Gotama is expounding the principles of the Dhamma for his disciples in the Sītavana forest at Rājagaha. I should go there and disturb them.” Having thought thus, he transformed himself into a young man and went to the Buddha. He paid homage at his feet and stood to one side. Then he spoke a verse:

“Human life is long /
without any cares or worries.
For those always at ease /
there is no path for death.”

The Buddha thought: “Māra the Bad has come to confuse and disturb us.” And he spoke this verse:

“Human life hurries quickly away /
filled with confusion and trouble;
make haste to practice the good /
as if your head were on fire,
and know the Bad One /
has come to disturb.”

Then King Māra, having heard the verse, thought: “The renunciant Gotama knows my intentions.” And he became depressed and dispirited and felt deep regret. He made himself invisible and returned to his heavenly palace.

Translation by Marcus Bingenheimer, 2005–8 (minor revisions 2009). First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23.1 (2006). The translations used here were revised by the translator and published in his Studies in Āgama Literature—with Special Reference to the Shorter Chinese Saṁyuktāgama, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, 2010.

Translated from the Taishō text of the CBETA-Database (Version Feb. 2006). All sutta titles added by the translator.

This series of translations were part of the project “A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing” conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies (中華佛學研究所) and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College (法鼓佛教研修學院), funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (蔣經國國際學術交流基金會). The full project, including parallel Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit texts, is available online here.

Used with kind permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.