bza031
如是我聞:一時佛在 *
優樓比螺聚落
尼連禪河
菩提樹下,成佛未久。
爾時魔王而作是念:
「佛在 * 優樓比螺聚落尼連禪河菩提樹下,成佛未久。我當詣彼,伺求其便!」
作是念已,往詣佛所,而說偈言:
「汝獨處閑靜 閉默常寂然
光顏顯神體 諸根悉悅豫
譬如失財者 後還獲於財
汝今翫禪寂 歡喜亦如是
既能遺國榮 亦不悕名利
何不與諸人 而共為親友」
爾時世尊以偈答言:
「我 * 久獲禪定 其心常寂然
破壞汝欲軍 得於無上財
* 我根恒恬豫 心中得寂滅
以壞汝欲軍 修道情歡 * 喜
獨一離憒閙 安用親友為」
爾時魔王復說偈言:
「汝 * 已獲正道 安隱向涅槃
既以得妙法 宜 * 常戢在懷
誠應獨了知 何以教眾人」
爾時世尊復說偈言:
「人不屬魔者 諮吾彼岸法
我為正分別 諦實得盡滅
止心不放逸 魔不得其便」
爾時魔王復說偈言:
「譬如白石山 其色類脂膏
群 *
烏不別知 飛來而 * 噏食
既不得其味 [口*(隹/乃)]傷而虛還
我今亦如是 徒 * 來無所為」
爾時魔王說是偈已,憂愁苦惱,極生悔恨,向一空處蹲踞獨坐,以箭畫地,思作方計。時魔三女:一名極愛,二名悅彼,三名適意。時魔三女往至魔邊,向父說偈:
「父今名丈夫 何以懷憂愁
我當以欲羂 羂彼如捕 * 鳥
將來至父所 使父得自在」
爾時魔王說偈答言:
「彼人善斷欲 不可以欲牽
已過魔境界 是故我懷憂」
彼魔三女化其形容,極為端嚴,往 * 至佛所,即禮佛足,在一面立。三女同聲,俱白佛言:
「
我故來供養,與佛策使!」
爾時世尊無上斷愛,了不顧視。第二、第三,亦作是語,佛不觀察。時魔三女退在一處,自共議論:
「
男子之法,所好各異,或愛小者,或愛中者,或愛大者。」
即時一女,化作六百女人。或作小女,或作童女,或作未嫁女,或作已嫁女,或作已產女,或作未產女,化作如是眾多女已,俱往佛所,白佛言:
「
世尊!我等今來供養世尊,為其策使,給侍手足!」
佛不觀察。第二、第三,亦如是說,都不顧視。時魔女等復退一處,更共語言:
「
此必得無上,斷愛欲、解脫故。若不爾者,應見我等,狂亂、吐血,或能心裂。我等 * 當往其所,以偈問難。」
魔女極愛以偈問曰:
「端拱樹下坐 閑靜獨思惟
為失於財寶 為欲求大財
城邑聚落中 都無愛著心
何不與眾人 而共作親友」
爾時世尊說偈答言:
「我以得大財 心中得寂滅
我壞愛欲軍 妙色都不著
獨處而坐禪 最受第一樂
以是因緣故 都不求親友」
魔女適意復說偈言:
「比丘住何處 能度五駛流
六駛流亦 * 過 入何禪定中
得度大欲岸 永離有 * 攝縛」
爾時世尊復說偈言:
「身獲柔軟樂 心得善解脫
心離於諸業 意不復退轉
得斷覺觀法 得離瞋愛掉
得住此處住 能度五駛流
并度第六者 作如是坐禪
能度大欲結 并離有 * 攝流」
魔女悅彼復說偈言:
「已斷於愛結 離眾所著處
多欲度駛流 多欲度死岸
唯有 * 黠慧者 能度如斯難」
爾時世尊復說偈言:
「大精進 * 濟拔 如來正法度
如法得度脫 * 智者莫不欣」
三女不果所願,還至父所。爾時魔王呵責三女,因說偈言:
「三女占壞彼 形容猶如電
向彼大精進 如風吹兜羅
* 爪以欲壞山 齒齚於鐵丸
* 嬰愚以藕絲 欲懸於 * 太山
佛 * 已度眾 * 著 欲共彼講論
羂摾欲捕 * 風 欲下虛空月
以手掬大海 望欲得乾竭
佛 * 已離諸著 欲往共講論
舉脚度須彌 大海中覓地
佛 * 已出諸著 而往共講論」
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The daughters of Māra
Translation of BZA 031. First version published in Buddhist Studies
Review vol. 23-1 (2006).
Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying in the village uruvelā near the
river nerañjarā under the Bodhi tree. This was not long after he had attained
Buddhahood. At that time King Māra had this thought: ‘The Buddha is staying in
the village uruvelā near the river nerañjarā under the Bodhi tree. He has just
attained Buddhahood. I should go there and try to mislead him’.
He went to the Buddha and spoke this verse:
You live alone in the wilderness // taciturn, always silent.
Of radiant countenance and with celestial body // all senses [perceiving]
happiness,
like someone who had lost his fortune // and later regained it.
You are idling your time away in the silence of meditation // and the
enjoyment that comes with it.
Since you were able to discard public honours // and do not desire status and
profit,
why do you not with others // form close friendships?
At that time the World-honoured One answered with a verse:
For a long time I have attained meditative concentration // where the mind is
always still.
I have defeated your armies of desire // [and] reached the highest fortune.
My senses are always quiet and happy // In my mind I have attained silent
extinction.
Defeating your armies of desire // practising the way I feel joy,
[I live] alone, apart from the hustle and bustle [of others] // What use is
there for close friends?
At that time King Māra spoke this verse:
Now, since you have attained the true way // you can rest in Nirvāṇa.
Since you have reached the wonderful Dhamma // you should keep it forever in
your bosom.
Uprightly face and understand it alone; // why should you teach the many?
At that time the World-honoured One answered with a verse:
Humankind does not belong to you // if someone asks me about the teaching
that leads to the other shore,
I will correctly explain // the truth to let them attain extinction.
Stopping their mind without giving up; // Māra will not overpower them.
at that time King Māra spoke this verse:
It is as if there is a large white boulder // its colour like that of fat.
A flock of crows cannot distinguish [the two] // they perch on it and peck
away,
but do not get the taste [they wanted] // and with bruised beaks take off
again into the air.
I myself am like this // having come in vain, there is nothing more to
do.
There King Māra, having spoken this verse, became depressed and dispirited and
felt deep regret. he went to an empty place where he crouched alone and with an
arrow drawing [figures] on the ground, trying to think of a way79 [to prevent
the Buddha from teaching]. Māra had three daughters; the first was called
Passionate, the second Pleasing, and the third Desirable. Māra’s daughters came
to his side and addressed their father with a verse:
Father is famous as a great Lord // why are you so depressed?
We will with the snare of desire // bind him [the Buddha] like one catches a
bird,
and bring him to our father // to make you feel at ease.
King Māra answered with a verse:
This man is good in cutting off desire // he is not moved by it.
He has left the world of Māra already // this is why I am sad.
There, Māra’s three daughters changed their appearance. Becoming extraordinary
beautiful, they went to the Buddha, paid homage to his feet and sat to one side.
The three daughters said together in one voice: ‘We have come to worship you and
be at your service’. But the World-honoured One [had already attained] the final
cutting-off of desires and did not even look at them. They addressed him like
this a second and a third time. The Buddha did not look at them. There, Māra’s
three daughters retreated and discussed the matter: ‘it is in the nature of men
that they like different types [of women]. some like [their women] young, some
like them middle-aged and some mature’. upon [saying] that, each daughter
changed into six hundred women, some of them small girls, some teenagers, some
of them already married women, and some not yet married, some of them had given
birth already and some had not yet given birth. having thus turned into a
multitude of women, they all went to the Buddha and said to him: ‘World-honoured
One! We have come to worship the World-honoured One and be at his service. We
will serve [the World-honoured One] in every way’.
The Buddha did not look at them. They addressed him like this a second and a
third time. The Buddha did not look at them at all. There, Māra’s daughters
retreated and conferred again. ‘he must have attained the final cutting-off of
desire, utmost liberation. Otherwise he would have looked at us and become mad,
spitting blood. It might even have torn his heart apart. Let us go to him and
debate with him in verse’.
Māra’s daughter Passionate asked in a verse:
The body upright, one hand cupped within another, you sit under the tree //
alone in complete solitude, contemplating.
Like someone who has lost a fortune // and desires to find a great treasure.
In the cities and villages // your mind is without passion or attachment.
Why is it that among all those people // you have made no close friends?
At that time the World-honoured One answered in a verse:
I have already attained the great treasure // attained quiet extinction in
the mind.
I have destroyed the host of passion and desire // am not attached to
wonderful forms.
I dwell alone sitting in meditation // experiencing the ultimate joy.
For this reason // I do not desire close friends.
Māra’s daughter Desirable spoke this verse:
Dwelling in which state, oh monk // have you crossed the five currents [of
sense-pleasures],
as well as the sixth [i.e. mind] // in what meditation do you abide?
That you attained the crossing from the great shore of desire // forever free
from the bondage of becoming?
At that time the World-honoured One spoke a verse:
The body has obtained subtle, gentle joy // the mind attained good
liberation.
The mind abstains from action // consciousness will not regress again.
Having attained the method of cutting off discursive thought // having
attained avoidance of falling into hate and passion;
if one can abide in this state // [one] can cross the five currents,
and the sixth as well // if one can sit in meditation like this,
one can cross from the [existance bound by the] great fetter of desire // and
leave the relentless flow of becoming.
Māra’s daughter Pleasing said in a verse:
Having cut off the fetter of passion // having abandoned what most people are
attached to,
crossing over the currents of many desires // crossing from the many desires’
shore of death;
only the wise // can cross against these difficulties.
At that time the World-honoured One spoke this verse:
By great effort the Tathāgata extracts himself // [and] crosses with the help
of the true Dhamma.
Liberated by the Dhamma // the wise have no reason not to be happy.
The three daughters, their wish unfulfilled, returned to their father. King Māra
scolded them and for that spoke a verse:
My three daughters thought they could destroy him // their appearance
[blinding] like lightning.
Advancing on the [one with] great effort // [they are scattered by him] like
tufts of grass in the wind;
[they act like they could] tear down a mountain with their fingernails //
bite an iron pellet with their teeth;
foolish children [trying] with lotus stalks // to suspend a great mountain.
The Buddha has already crossed beyond all attachment // to desire to debate
with him
[is like wanting to] catch the wind with a net // like wanting to take down
the moon from the sky,
to scoop the ocean with one’s hands // hoping to dry it out.
The Buddha has already left all attachment behind; // to desire to go and
debate with him
[is like] striding over Mount sumeru with one’s foot // looking for earth in
the great ocean.
The Buddha has already abandoned all attachment; // to go and debate with him
[…]
King Māra, sad and regretful, vanished and returned to his heavenly palace.
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