Āḷavikāsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami vivekatthinī. Atha kho māro pāpimā āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo yena āḷavikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āḷavikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then the nun Āḷavikā robed up in the morning and, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. She wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on her return from almsround, she went to the Dark Forest seeking seclusion. Then Māra the Wicked, wanting to make the nun Āḷavikā feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make her fall away from seclusion, went up to her and addressed her in verse:

“Natthi nissaraṇaṁ loke, kiṁ vivekena kāhasi; Bhuñjassu kāmaratiyo, māhu pacchānutāpinī”ti.

“There’s no escape in the world, so what will seclusion do for you? Enjoy erotic delights; don’t regret it later.”

Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: “ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti? Atha kho āḷavikāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi: “māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo vivekamhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti. Atha kho āḷavikā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:

Then the nun Āḷavikā thought, “Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?” Then she thought, “This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from seclusion!” Then Āḷavikā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

“Atthi nissaraṇaṁ loke, paññāya me suphussitaṁ; Pamattabandhu pāpima, na tvaṁ jānāsi taṁ padaṁ.

“There is an escape in the world, and I’ve personally experienced it with wisdom. O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent, you don’t know that state.

Sattisūlūpamā kāmā, khandhāsaṁ adhikuṭṭanā; Yaṁ tvaṁ kāmaratiṁ brūsi, arati mayha sā ahū”ti.

Sensual pleasures are like swords and spears; the aggregates are their chopping block. What you call erotic delight is now no delight for me.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ āḷavikā bhikkhunī”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The nun Āḷavikā knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.