Saṁyutta Nikāya
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35: Saḷāyatana Saṁyutta
Paññāsaka Tatiya
2. Lokakāmaguṇa Vagga
IV. Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35: Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense The 'Third Fifty' Suttas
2. The Chapter on the Worldly Sensual Elements1
Sutta 114
Mārapāsa Suttaṁ
Māra's Noose (i)
[91] [56]
Thus have I heard:ed1
Once the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One thus spoke:
"There are, Brethren, objects cognizable by the eye,
objects desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, sounds cognizable by the ear,
sounds desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, scents cognizable by the nose,
scents desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, savours cognizable by the tongue,
savours desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, tangibles cognizable by the body,
tangibles desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, mind-states cognizable by the mind,
mind-states desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights in them,
welcomes them,
persists in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One gone to Māra's home,
gone under Māra's sway.'
Māra's noose encircles him.
Bound is he
with Māra's bond,
for the Evil One
to work his will upon.
"There are, Brethren, objects cognizable by the eye,
objects desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, sounds cognizable by the ear,
sounds desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, scents cognizable by the nose,
scents desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, savours cognizable by the tongue,
savours desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, tangibles cognizable by the body,
tangibles desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
■
"There are, Brethren, mind-states cognizable by the mind,
mind-states desirable,
pleasant,
delightful and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
If a brother delights not in them,
welcomes them not,
persists not in clinging to them,
this brother is called
'One not gone to Māra's home,
not gone under Māra's sway.'
Unwound for him is Māra's noose.
Freed is he from Māra's bond.
He is not one for the Evil One to work his will upon.
1 (Pañca)loka-kāma-guṇā. Cf. xxxvi, § 19, 11.
ed1 This sutta has no Nidāna.