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it was spoken by the nun Āḷavikā. “There is no escape in the world, what will you do with solitude? Enjoy sensual pleasures, do not be regretful afterwards—” “There is an escape in the world, well-touched by my wisdom; O Evil One, friend of the heedless, you do not know that state. Sensual pleasures are like spears and stakes, a cutting down of the aggregates; What you call sensual delight, that was an aversion for me.” The Somā Sutta Question: And the Somā Sutta, friends, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, by whom, and how was it spoken? Answer: In Sāvatthī itself, venerable sir, in the Dark Forest, concerning Māra, the Evil One, it was spoken by the nun Somā. Māra, venerable sir, the Evil One, wishing to produce fear, terror, and horripilation in the nun Somā, wishing to dislodge her from concentration, addressed the nun Somā with a verse: “That state which is to be attained by sages, a state difficult to achieve; That cannot be attained by a woman with two-finger wisdom.” On that occasion, venerable sir... In that context— ‘‘What can womanhood do, when the mind is well-composed; when knowledge is present, seeing the Dhamma rightly? If one should think, "I am a woman" or "I am a man"; or "I am something else," Māra is fit to speak to that one.’’ Thus, indeed, venerable sir, by the nun Somā, the noble disciple, it was spoken. That which is to be attained by sages, a state hard to achieve; that cannot be attained by a woman with two-finger wisdom. What can womanhood do, when the mind is well-composed; when knowledge is present, seeing the Dhamma rightly? If one should think, "I am a woman" or "I am a man"; or "I am something else," Māra is fit to speak to that one. Kisāgotamī Sutta Question – Friend, concerning the Kisāgotamī Sutta, where, about whom, in what context, by whom, and how was it spoken? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, in the Dark Wood, concerning Māra the Evil One, it was spoken by the elder nun Kisāgotamī. Māra the Evil One, venerable sir, desiring to produce fear, terror, and hair-raising in the nun Kisāgotamī, desiring to dislodge her from concentration, addressed the nun Kisāgotamī with a verse— ‘‘Are you, like one whose child has died, alone, with a weeping face; alone in the midst of the forest, seeking a man?’’ In that context, venerable sir— I am one whose child has truly died, O man, with a single tooth. I do not grieve, I do not weep, I do not fear you, friend. Everywhere delight is destroyed, the mass of darkness is shattered. Having conquered the army of Death, I dwell without defilements. Thus, indeed, venerable sir, by the nun Kisāgotamī it was spoken. Are you, like one whose child has died, alone, with a weeping face; alone in the midst of the forest, seeking a man? I am one whose child has truly died, O man, with this single tooth. I do not grieve, I do not weep, I do not fear you, friend. Everywhere delight is destroyed, the mass of darkness is shattered. Having conquered the army of Death, I dwell without defilements. Uppalavaṇṇā Sutta Question – Friend, concerning that... Where, concerning whom, in what context, by whom, and how was the Uppalavaṇṇā Sutta spoken, which was chanted by the great elder reciters of old? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, in the Dark Forest, concerning Māra the Evil One, it was spoken by the bhikkhunī Uppalavaṇṇā. Māra the Evil One, venerable sir, wishing to arouse fear, terror, and goosebumps in the bhikkhunī Uppalavaṇṇā, wishing to dislodge her from concentration, addressed the bhikkhunī Uppalavaṇṇā with a verse: “Having approached a tree with flowering top, You stand alone at the foot of a Sāla tree. You have no second of your beauty, Foolish one, do you not fear the rogues?” In that context, venerable sir – “Even a hundred thousand rogues, Were they to come here, such as they; I do not tremble, I do not fear, Nor do I fear Māra, though I am alone. I shall vanish from sight, Or enter your belly; Even between your eyelashes, You will not see me standing. I am master of my mind, My psychic powers are well-developed; I am freed from all bonds, I do not fear you, friend.” Thus, venerable sir, was it spoken by the bhikkhunī Uppalavaṇṇā. Cālā Sutta Question – There, friend, where, concerning whom, in what context, by whom, and how was the Cālā Sutta spoken? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, in the Dark Forest, concerning Māra the Evil One, it was spoken by the noble disciple, the bhikkhunī Cālā. Māra the Evil One, venerable sir, approached the bhikkhunī Cālā and said this: “What is it, bhikkhunī, that you do not like?” “I do not like birth, friend.” “Why do you not like birth? One who is born enjoys sensual pleasures; Who is it that urged you to this, ‘Do not like birth, bhikkhunī’?” In that context, venerable sir – For one who is born, there is death, One who is born experiences suffering; Bondage, slaughter, defilement, Therefore, I do not like birth. The Buddha taught the Dhamma, The transcendence of birth; For the abandonment of all suffering, He established me in the truth. And those who are attached to forms The beings who have gone, and those who dwell in the formless realms; Not knowing cessation, will come again to renewed existence. Thus, venerable sir, was spoken by the nun Cālā. Why do you not like birth? One born enjoys pleasures. Who urged you to this, "Nun, do not like birth"? For one born there is death, one born experiences sufferings; Bondage, slaughter, defilement, therefore I do not like birth. The Buddha taught the Dhamma, the transcending of birth, For the abandoning of all suffering; He established me in the truth. Sela Sutta Question – There, friends, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and by whom and how was the Sela Sutta spoken? Answer – In Savatthi, venerable sir, concerning Māra the Evil One, it was spoken by the nun Sela, a noble disciple. Māra, venerable sir, the Evil One, wishing to arouse fear, terror, and goosebumps in the nun Sela, wishing to dislodge her from concentration, addressed the nun Sela with a verse— By whom was this body made? Where is the maker of the body? Where did the body arise? Where does the body cease? On that occasion, venerable sir— This body is not self-made, nor is this evil made by another; Having arisen dependent on a cause, it ceases with the breaking of the cause. Thus, venerable sir, was spoken by the nun Sela. By whom was this body made? Where is the maker of the body? Where did the body arise? Where does the body cease? This body is not self-made, nor is this evil made by another; Having arisen dependent on a cause, it ceases with the breaking of the cause. Vajira Sutta Question – There, friends, where, concerning whom, and by whom and how was the Vajira Sutta, recited by the ancient great elders such as Mahākassapa, spoken? Answer – In Savatthi, venerable sir, concerning Māra the Evil One, it was spoken by the elder nun Vajira. Māra, venerable sir, the Evil One, in the same manner as before, addressed the nun Vajira with a verse— By whom was this being made? Where is the being... its maker? Where does a being arise? Where does a being cease? Regarding that matter, venerable sir— Why do you assume a 'being'? Is it a view of Māra for you? This is just a heap of pure formations; no 'being' is found here. Just as with an assemblage of parts, the word 'chariot' arises; So, when the aggregates are present, the convention 'being' arises. Only suffering arises, suffering endures and passes away, Nothing but suffering arises, nothing but suffering ceases. Thus, venerable sir, was it spoken by the bhikkhunī Vajirā. By whom is this being made? Where is the maker of the being? Where does a being arise? Where does a being cease? Why do you assume a 'being'? Is it a view of Māra for you? This is just a heap of pure formations; no 'being' is found here. Brahma Saṃyutta Gārava Sutta Question – Friends, where and how did the Gārava Sutta, which was recited for the second time by the venerable elder Mahākassapa and other eminent reciters of the Dhamma in the Brahma Saṃyutta, arise? Answer – It arose, venerable sir, in Uruvelā. The Blessed One, venerable sir, was dwelling in Uruvelā, on the bank of the river Nerañjarā, at the foot of the Ajapāla Banyan tree, having just attained full enlightenment. Then, while the Blessed One was in seclusion, reflecting, this thought arose in his mind: "It is painful to dwell without reverence, without deference. Whom now should I revere, respect, and depend on, whether a recluse or a brahmin, and dwell?" Then, venerable sir, this thought occurred to the Blessed One: "For the completion of an unperfected aggregate of virtue, one might revere, respect, and depend on another recluse or brahmin. But I do not see in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, devas and humans, any other recluse or Brahmin more accomplished in virtue than myself, whom I might revere, respect, and depend on. For an unperfected aggregate of concentration; For an unperfected aggregate of wisdom. Of the not fully perfected liberation aggregate. Of the not fully perfected liberation-knowledge-and-vision aggregate, for its perfection, I might dwell revering, respecting, and depending on another ascetic or brahmin. But I do not see in this world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, any other ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in liberation-knowledge-and-vision than myself, whom I might revere, respect, and depend on. What if I were to dwell revering, respecting, and depending on this Dhamma that I have fully awakened to? Thus, Venerable Sir, did this thought arise in the Blessed One's mind. And those Buddhas of the past, And those Buddhas of the future; And the Buddha of the present, Dispeller of sorrow for many; All revered the True Dhamma, They dwelt, and they dwell;