Cālāsutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho cālā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā …pe… aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi. Atha kho māro pāpimā yena cālā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā cālaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca: “kiṁ nu tvaṁ, bhikkhuni, na rocesī”ti? “Jātiṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, na rocemī”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Then the nun Cālā robed up in the morning … and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation. Then Māra the Wicked went up to Cālā and said to her, “Nun, what don’t you approve of?” “I don’t approve of rebirth, sir.”

“Kiṁ nu jātiṁ na rocesi, jāto kāmāni bhuñjati; Ko nu taṁ idamādapayi, jātiṁ mā roca bhikkhunī”ti.

“Why don’t you approve of rebirth? When you’re born, you get to enjoy sensual pleasures. Who put this idea in your head: ‘Nun, don’t approve of rebirth’?”

“Jātassa maraṇaṁ hoti, jāto dukkhāni phussati; Bandhaṁ vadhaṁ pariklesaṁ, tasmā jātiṁ na rocaye.

“Death comes to those who are born, when you’re born you undergo sufferings— killing, caging, misery— that’s why you shouldn’t approve of rebirth.

Buddho dhammamadesesi, jātiyā samatikkamaṁ; Sabbadukkhappahānāya, so maṁ sacce nivesayi.

The Buddha taught me the Dhamma for transcending rebirth, for giving up all suffering; he settled me in the truth.

Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā, ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino; Nirodhaṁ appajānantā, āgantāro punabbhavan”ti.

There are beings in the realm of luminous form, and others stuck in the formless. Not understanding cessation, they return in future lives.”

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

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