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Then the Blessed One, having entered the brahmin village of Pañcasālā for alms with a clean bowl, returned with a clean bowl. Then Māra, the Evil One, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he said to the Blessed One: "Did you obtain alms, ascetic?" "Did you, Evil One, act so that I would not obtain alms?" "Then, Venerable Sir, let the Blessed One enter the brahmin village of Pañcasālā for alms a second time. I will act so that the Blessed One will obtain alms." "Māra has produced demerit, by assailing the Tathāgata. What do you think, Evil One, will not my evil ripen? "Most happily indeed we live, we who have nothing at all. We shall feed on joy, like the Ābhassara gods." Then Māra, the Evil One, thinking: "The Blessed One knows me, the Sugata knows me," sorrowful and dejected, vanished right there. 9. The Discourse on the Farmer 155. Occasion at Sāvatthī. At that time the Blessed One was instructing, urging, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk connected with Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus, paying attention, applying their minds, concentrating with all their heart, listening with eager ears, were hearing the Dhamma. Then it occurred to Māra, the Evil One: "This ascetic Gotama is instructing the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk connected with Nibbāna... (as before)... What if I were to approach the ascetic Gotama to confuse him..." evil deeds.” Then Māra, the Evil One, having created the form of a farmer, carrying a large plow on his shoulder, holding a long goad-stick, with disheveled hair, dressed in a hempen cloth, with feet smeared with mud, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he said to the Blessed One: “Did you see the oxen, ascetic?” “But what, Evil One, are your oxen to you?” “Mine, ascetic, is the eye, mine are forms, mine is the eye-contact consciousness base. Where, ascetic, will you go to escape me? Mine, ascetic, is the ear, mine are sounds… Mine, ascetic, is the nose, mine are odors; mine, ascetic, is the tongue, mine are tastes; mine, ascetic, is the body, mine are tangibles; mine, ascetic, is the mind, mine are mental phenomena, mine is the mind-contact consciousness base. Where, ascetic, will you go to escape me?” “Yours, Evil One, is the eye, yours are forms, yours is the eye-contact consciousness base. But where, Evil One, there is no eye, there are no forms, there is no eye-contact consciousness base, there, Evil One, you have no access. Yours, Evil One, is the ear, yours are sounds, yours is the ear-contact consciousness base. But where, Evil One, there is no ear, there are no sounds, there is no ear-contact consciousness base, there, Evil One, you have no access. Yours, Evil One, is the nose, yours are odors, yours is the nose-contact consciousness base. But where, Evil One, there is no nose, there are no odors, there is no nose-contact consciousness base, there, Evil One, you have no access. Yours, Evil One, is the tongue, yours are tastes, yours is the tongue-contact consciousness base… Yours, Evil One, is the body, yours are tangibles, yours is the body-contact consciousness base… Yours, Evil One, is the mind, yours are mental phenomena, yours is the mind-contact consciousness base. But where, Evil One, there is no mind, there are no mental phenomena, there is no mind-contact consciousness base, there, Evil One, you have no access.” “That which you say They think 'this is mine', and they say 'this is mine'. If your mind is here, you will not escape me, ascetic. What they say is not mine, those who say it, I am not them. Know this, Evil One, you will not even see my path. Then Māra, the Evil One, disappeared right there. 10. Discourse on Kingship 156. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kosalans, in a forest hut in the Himalayan region. Then, as the Blessed One was in seclusion, a thought arose in his mind: "Is it possible to rule a kingdom without killing, without causing to kill, without conquering, without causing to conquer, without grieving, without causing to grieve, righteously?" Then Māra, the Evil One, knowing with his mind the thought in the Blessed One's mind, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he said to the Blessed One: "May the Blessed One rule a kingdom, venerable sir! May the Sugata rule a kingdom without killing, without causing to kill, without conquering, without causing to conquer, without grieving, without causing to grieve, righteously!" "What do you see in me, Evil One, that you speak to me thus: 'May the Blessed One rule a kingdom, venerable sir! May the Sugata rule a kingdom without killing, without causing to kill, without conquering, without causing to conquer, without grieving, without causing to grieve, righteously'?" "Venerable sir, the Blessed One has developed, cultivated, made a vehicle of, made a basis of, established, practiced, and thoroughly mastered the four bases of psychic power. And, venerable sir, if the Blessed One wished, he could transform the king of mountains, Himavanta, into pure gold, and it would be gold." A mountain of gold, pure gold; Even two such are not enough for one person. Knowing this, one should wander. He who has seen suffering, and its origin, How could such a being incline to sensual pleasures? Knowing that attachment is a bond in the world, That being should train for its removal. Then Māra, the Evil One, thinking, "The Blessed One knows me, the Sugata knows me," sorrowful and dejected, disappeared right there. Second the best. Its summary – Stone, lion, splinter, and likeness, mind; Bowl, sense-base, lump, farmer, with a rope, these are ten. 3. The Third Chapter 1. The Discourse on Many Monks 157. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans, in Silāvatī. Now at that time many monks were dwelling not far from the Blessed One, diligent, ardent, resolute. Then Māra, the Evil One, having created the appearance of a brahmin, with a large matted hair-knot, clad in a deer-skin, old, bent like a roof-ridge, breathing heavily, holding a fig-wood staff, approached those monks; having approached, he said to those monks – “Young sirs, you are renunciants, very young, with black hair, endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, not having enjoyed pleasures. Enjoy, sirs, human pleasures. Do not abandon the visible to pursue the temporal.” “No, brahmin, we do not abandon the visible to pursue the temporal. Rather, brahmin, we abandon the temporal to pursue the visible. For, brahmin, temporal pleasures have been declared by the Blessed One to be full of much suffering, much tribulation, with more danger therein. This Dhamma is visible, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be known individually by the wise.” When this was said, Māra, the Evil One, shook his head, stuck out his tongue, raised his three-pronged forehead-mark on his forehead, and leaning on his staff, departed. Then those monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said to the Blessed One – “Here, venerable sir, we were dwelling not far from the Blessed One, diligent, ardent, resolute. Then, venerable sir, a certain brahmin, with a large matted hair-knot, clad in a deer-skin, old, bent like a roof-ridge, breathing heavily, holding a fig-wood staff, approached us; having approached, He approached us and said this: 'Young sirs, you are renunciants, very young, with black hair, endowed with excellent youth, in the prime of life, not having indulged in sensual pleasures. May you sirs enjoy human sensual pleasures. Do not abandon the visible and pursue the temporal.' When this was said, we, venerable sir, said this to that brāhmaṇa: 'Indeed, brāhmaṇa, we do not abandon the visible and pursue the temporal. Rather, brāhmaṇa, we abandon the temporal and pursue the visible. For, brāhmaṇa, sensual pleasures have been declared by the Blessed One to be full of much suffering, full of much despair, with even more peril therein. This Dhamma, visible here and now, is timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be experienced individually by the wise.' When this was said, venerable sir, that brāhmaṇa shook his head, stuck out his tongue, raised his three-pronged brow-furrow on his forehead, leaned on his staff, and departed." "This, monks, is not a brāhmaṇa. This is Māra the Evil One, who has come to blind you." Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion, uttered this verse: "He who has seen suffering, and its origin, how could that being incline towards sensual pleasures? Knowing attachment to be a bond in the world, that being should train for its removal." 2. The Discourse on Samiddhi 158. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans in Silāvatī. Now at that time, Venerable Samiddhi was dwelling not far from the Blessed One, diligent, ardent, and resolute. Then, to Venerable Samiddhi, while he was alone and secluded, this thought arose in his mind: "Indeed, I am fortunate! Indeed, I have gained well! In that my Teacher is an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One. Indeed, I am fortunate! Indeed, I have gained well! In that I have gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline. Indeed, I am fortunate! Indeed, I have gained well! In that my fellow practitioners are virtuous, of noble conduct." Then Māra the Evil One, knowing with his mind the mental thought of Venerable Samiddhi, approached Venerable Samiddhi. and came; and not far from the Venerable Samiddhi made a great, fearful, terrifying sound, and it seemed as if the earth were splitting. Then the Venerable Samiddhi approached the Blessed One; having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Samiddhi said to the Blessed One: “Here, Bhante, not far from the Blessed One, I dwell diligent, ardent, resolute. As I was dwelling thus, Bhante,