4.4. Mara’s Snare (1) (SN4.4)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Baraṇasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus!”

“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“Bhikkhus, by careful attention, by careful right striving, I have arrived at unsurpassed liberation, I have realized unsurpassed liberation. You too, bhikkhus, by careful attention, by careful right striving, must arrive at unsurpassed liberation, must realize unsurpassed liberation.”

Then Mara the Evil One approached the Blessed One and addressed him in verse:

“You are bound by Mara’s snare
Both celestial and human;
You are bound by Mara’s bondage:
You won’t escape me, ascetic!”

The Blessed One:

“I am freed from Mara’s snare
Both celestial and human;
I am freed from Mara’s bondage:
You’re defeated, End-maker!”

Then Mara the Evil One … disappeared right there.

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)

This excerpt from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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