Vajirā Sutta (SN 5.10) – The Discourse on Vajirā

10. The Discourse on Vajirā

171. More Details At Sāvatthī. Then the nun Vajirā, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking her bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Sāvatthī, after the meal, having returned from her alms round, she approached the Blind Men's Grove for the day residence. Having plunged into the Blind Men's Grove, she sat down for the day residence at the foot of a certain tree. Then Māra the Evil One, wishing to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in the nun Vajirā, wishing to make her fall away from concentration, approached the nun Vajirā; having approached, he addressed the nun Vajirā in verse -

"By whom was this being made, where is the maker of the being;

Where has the being arisen, where does the being cease?"

Then this occurred to the nun Vajirā - "Who indeed is this, a human being or a nonhuman being, speaking a verse?" Then this occurred to the nun Vajirā - "This is Māra the Evil One, wishing to arouse fear, trepidation, and terror in me, wishing to make me fall away from concentration, speaking a verse." Then the nun Vajirā, having understood "this is Māra the Evil One", replied to Māra the Evil One in verses -

"Why do you assume 'a being', Māra, is that your wrong view;

This is a mere heap of sheer activities, no being is found here.

"Just as indeed from an assemblage of parts, there is the word 'chariot';

So when the aggregates exist, there is the convention 'a being'.

"For only suffering comes into being, suffering remains and disappears;

Nothing other than suffering comes into being, nothing other than suffering ceases."

Then Māra the Evil One, thinking "the nun Vajirā knows me", afflicted and unhappy, disappeared right there.