Upacālāsutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho upacālā bhikkhunī pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā …pe… aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi. Atha kho māro pāpimā yena upacālā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā upacālaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca: “kattha nu tvaṁ, bhikkhuni, uppajjitukāmā”ti? “Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, katthaci uppajjitukāmā”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Then the nun Upacālā 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 Upacālā and said to her, “Nun, where do you want to be reborn?” “I don’t want to be reborn anywhere, sir.”

“Tāvatiṁsā ca yāmā ca, tusitā cāpi devatā; Nimmānaratino devā, ye devā vasavattino; Tattha cittaṁ paṇidhehi, ratiṁ paccanubhossasī”ti.

“There are the gods of the thirty-three, <j>and those of Yama; also the Joyful Deities, the gods who love to create, and the gods who control what is created by others. Set your heart on such places, and you’ll undergo delight.”

“Tāvatiṁsā ca yāmā ca, tusitā cāpi devatā; Nimmānaratino devā, ye devā vasavattino; Kāmabandhanabaddhā te, enti māravasaṁ puna.

“The gods of the thirty-three, <j>and those of Yama; also the Joyful Deities, the gods who love to create, and the gods who control what is created by others— they’re bound with the bonds of sensuality; they fall under your sway again.

Sabbo ādīpito loko, sabbo loko padhūpito; Sabbo pajjālito loko, sabbo loko pakampito.

All the world is on fire, all the world is smoldering, all the world is ablaze, all the world is rocking.

Akampitaṁ apajjalitaṁ, aputhujjanasevitaṁ; Agati yattha mārassa, tattha me nirato mano”ti.

My mind adores that place where Māra cannot go; it’s not shaking or burning, and not frequented by ordinary people.”

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

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