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alone and secluded, this thought arose in my mind: ‘Indeed, I am fortunate, indeed, I have gained much, whose Teacher is the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One. Indeed, I am fortunate, indeed, I have gained much, who has gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline. Indeed, I am fortunate, indeed, I have gained much, whose fellow practitioners are virtuous and of good conduct.’ Then, Bhante, not far from me, there was a great, fearful, terrifying sound, and it seemed as if the earth were splitting.” “That, Samiddhi, is not the earth splitting. That is Māra, the Evil One, who has come to confuse you. Go, Samiddhi, and dwell right there, diligent, ardent, resolute.” “Yes, Bhante,” the Venerable Samiddhi replied to the Blessed One, and rising from his seat, he bowed to the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and departed. A second time, the Venerable Samiddhi dwelt right there, diligent, ardent, resolute. A second time, as the Venerable Samiddhi was alone and secluded… …a second time, Māra, the Evil One, knowing the thought in the Venerable Samiddhi’s mind… …and it seemed as if the earth were splitting. Then the Venerable Samiddhi addressed Māra, the Evil One, with a verse: “By faith I have gone forth, from home to homelessness; My mindfulness and wisdom are awakened, and my mind is well-composed; Do as you wish with forms, you will not disturb me.” Then Māra, the Evil One, thinking, “The bhikkhu Samiddhi knows me,” was unhappy, dejected, and… Thus it disappeared. 3. The Discourse on Godhika 159. Thus have I heard – at one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place. Now at that time, the venerable Godhika was dwelling on Isigili's side, on the Black Rock. Then the venerable Godhika, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, touched a temporary liberation of mind. Then the venerable Godhika fell away from that temporary liberation of mind. A second time, the venerable Godhika, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, touched a temporary liberation of mind. A second time, the venerable Godhika fell away from that temporary liberation of mind. A third time, the venerable Godhika, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, touched a temporary liberation of mind. A third time, the venerable Godhika fell away from that... A fourth time, the venerable Godhika, heedful... touched liberation. A fourth time, the venerable Godhika fell away from that... A fifth time, the venerable Godhika... touched a liberation of mind. A fifth time, the venerable... fell away from liberation. A sixth time, the venerable Godhika, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, touched a temporary liberation of mind. A sixth time, the venerable Godhika fell away from that temporary liberation of mind. A seventh time, the venerable Godhika, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, touched a temporary liberation of mind. Then it occurred to the venerable Godhika: "Six times I have fallen away from temporary liberation of mind. What if I were to take up the knife?" Then Māra the Evil One, knowing with his mind the thought-process in the mind of the venerable Godhika, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he addressed the Blessed One with verses: "Great hero, greatly wise, Shining with power and fame; Beyond all enmity and fear, I bow at the feet of the Seer. "Your disciple, great hero, Overcoming death by death; Desires, intends (it), Prevent him, O Light-bearer. "K Now indeed, O Blessed One, your disciple, delighting in the teaching; a trainee whose mind is not yet attained, might make time among people. Now at that time, by Venerable Godhika a weapon had been taken up. Then indeed the Blessed One, knowing "This is Māra, the Evil One," addressed Māra, the Evil One, with a verse – Thus indeed the wise do, they do not long for life; having uprooted craving with its root, Godhika has attained final Nibbāna. Then indeed the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus – "Come, bhikkhus, to Isigili's side, to Black Rock, we shall approach there where the noble son Godhika took up the weapon." "Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus indeed replied to the Blessed One. Then indeed the Blessed One, together with many bhikkhus, approached Isigili's side, Black Rock. The Blessed One indeed saw Venerable Godhika from afar, lying on a couch with his shoulder turned over. Now at that time, a smoky, shadowy form was going to the eastern direction, was going to the western direction, was going to the northern direction, was going to the southern direction, was going upwards, was going downwards, was going to the intermediate directions. Then indeed the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus – "Do you see, bhikkhus, that smoky, shadowy form going to the eastern direction, going to the western direction, going to the northern direction, going to the southern direction, going upwards, going downwards, going to the intermediate directions?" "Yes, venerable sir." "That, bhikkhus, is Māra, the Evil One, searching for the consciousness of the noble son Godhika – 'Where is the consciousness of the noble son Godhika established?' And with unestablished consciousness, bhikkhus, the noble son Godhika has attained final Nibbāna." Then indeed Māra, the Evil One, taking his lute made of beluva wood, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he addressed the Blessed One with a verse – Upwards a down and across, the directions and sub-directions; Searching, I do not find, where has Godhika gone? He who was wise, full of resolve, a meditator, always delighting in meditation; Practicing day and night, not desiring life. Having conquered the army of Death, not returning to renewed existence; Having uprooted craving with its root, Godhika is fully unbound. His lute, held in his arm, fell apart, for he was overcome with sorrow; Then that sorrowful yakkha vanished right there. 4. The Seven Years Following Sutta 160. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Uruvelā, on the bank of the Nerañjarā River, at the Ajapāla Banyan Tree. Now at that time Māra, the Evil One, had been following the Blessed One for seven years, looking for an opportunity, but finding none. Then Māra, the Evil One, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he addressed the Blessed One with a verse: Are you meditating in the forest, overcome with sorrow? Have you lost wealth, or are you desiring it? Have you committed some offense in the village? Why do you not make friends with people? You have no friends with anyone. Having dug up the root of all sorrow, I meditate without offense, without sorrow; Having cut off all craving for existence, I meditate without defilements, O kinsman of the heedless. What they say is "mine," and those who say "I am"; If your mind is still there, you will not escape me, ascetic. What they say is not mine, those who say "I am" are not I; Thus, Evil One, know this: you will not even see my path. If you have understood the path, the safe, deathless-leading path; Go away, you alone, why do you instruct others? Those people who are bound for the far shore ask about the deathless realm; When asked, I tell them that which is true, without substratum. Just as, venerable sir, a pond not far from a village or town. There would be a crab. Then, venerable sir, some boys or girls, having left that village or town, would approach that pond; having approached, they would pull that crab out of the water and place it on dry land. Whatever limb that crab, venerable sir, would extend, that very limb those boys or girls would cut off, break, and smash with a stick or a potsherd. Thus, venerable sir, that crab, with all its limbs cut off, broken, and smashed, would be unable to enter that pond. In the same way, venerable sir, whatever distractions, entanglements, and agitations there were, all of them have been cut off, broken, and smashed by the Blessed One. Now, venerable sir, I am unable to approach the Blessed One again, in the sense of seeking an opening.” Then Māra the Evil One spoke these verses of disappointment in the presence of the Blessed One: “A crow circled a stone the color of fat; ‘Perhaps we’ll find something soft here, perhaps there will be a taste.’ “Not finding a taste there, that crow flew away; ‘Like a crow hitting a rock, we are disappointed with Gotama.’” 5. The Daughters of Māra Sutta 161. Then Māra the Evil One, having spoken these verses of disappointment in the presence of the Blessed One, departed from that place and sat down cross-legged on the ground not far from the Blessed One, silent, dejected, with slumped shoulders, downcast face, pondering, speechless, scratching the ground with a stick. Then Taṇhā, Arati, and Ragā, the daughters of Māra, approached Māra the Evil One; having approached, they addressed Māra the Evil One with a verse: “Why are you so sad, father? For what man do you grieve? We will bind him with the snare of passion, like a wild elephant; We will bring him, he will be subject to you.” “The Arahant, the Fortunate One in the world, not by passion well-led; He has overcome Mara’s realm, therefore I grieve greatly.” Then Craving, Discontent, and Lust, Mara’s daughters, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they said to the Blessed One: “We will attend to your feet, ascetic.” But the Blessed One paid no attention, as he was liberated in the unsurpassed destruction of all attachments. Then Craving, Discontent, and Lust, Mara’s daughters, withdrew to one side and thought thus: “Diverse indeed are the desires of men. What if we were to create one hundred, one hundred forms of young maidens?” Then Craving, Discontent, and Lust, Mara’s daughters, created one hundred, one hundred forms of young maidens and approached the Blessed One; having approached, they said to the Blessed One: “We will attend to your feet, ascetic.