Venerable Rādha asks how Māra is defined; the Buddha teaches that where there are the five aggregates there is Māra, and that seeing them rightly leads through disillusionment and dispassion to freedom and extinguishment.

SN 23.1 About Māra

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Atha kho āyasmā rādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“‘Māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro”ti?

“Rūpe kho, rādha, sati māro assa māretā yo pana mīyati. Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, rūpaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa. Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti te sammā passanti. Vedanāya satisaññāya satisaṅkhāresu sativiññāṇe sati māro assa māretā yo pana mīyati. Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, viññāṇaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa. Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti, te sammā passantī”ti.

“Sammādassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“Sammādassanaṁ kho, rādha, nibbidatthaṁ”.

“Nibbidā pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“Nibbidā kho, rādha, virāgatthā”.

“Virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo”ti?

“Virāgo kho, rādha, vimuttattho”.

“Vimutti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“Vimutti kho, rādha, nibbānatthā”.

“Nibbānaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“Accayāsi, rādha, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ. Nibbānogadhañhi, rādha, brahmacariyaṁ vussati, nibbānaparāyanaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho āyasmā rādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Rādha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“‘Māro, māro’ti, bhante, vuccati.

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘Māra’.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, māro”ti?

How is Māra defined?”

“Rūpe kho, rādha, sati māro assa māretā yo pana mīyati.

“When there is form, Rādha, there would be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, rūpaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.

So you should see form as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the gloom, the gloominess.

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti te sammā passanti.

Those who see it like this see rightly.

Vedanāya sati

When there is feeling …

saññāya sati

perception …

saṅkhāresu sati

choices …

viññāṇe sati māro assa māretā yo pana mīyati.

consciousness, there may be Māra, or the murderer, or the murdered.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, rādha, viññāṇaṁ māroti passa, māretāti passa, mīyatīti passa, rogoti passa, gaṇḍoti passa, sallanti passa, aghanti passa, aghabhūtanti passa.

So you should see consciousness as Māra, the murderer, the murdered, the diseased, the boil, the dart, the gloom, the gloominess.

Ye naṁ evaṁ passanti, te sammā passantī”ti.

Those who see it like this see rightly.”

“Sammādassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“But sir, what’s the purpose of seeing rightly?”

“Sammādassanaṁ kho, rādha, nibbidatthaṁ”.

“Disillusionment is the purpose of seeing rightly.”

“Nibbidā pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“But what’s the purpose of disillusionment?”

“Nibbidā kho, rādha, virāgatthā”.

“Dispassion is the purpose of disillusionment.”

“Virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo”ti?

“But what’s the purpose of dispassion?”

“Virāgo kho, rādha, vimuttattho”.

“Freedom is the purpose of dispassion.”

“Vimutti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā”ti?

“But what’s the purpose of freedom?”

“Vimutti kho, rādha, nibbānatthā”.

“Extinguishment is the purpose of freedom.”

“Nibbānaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyan”ti?

“But sir, what is the purpose of extinguishment?”

“Accayāsi, rādha, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ.

“Your question goes too far, Rādha. You weren’t able to grasp the limit of questioning.

Nibbānogadhañhi, rādha, brahmacariyaṁ vussati, nibbānaparāyanaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.

For extinguishment is the objective, destination, and culmination of the spiritual life.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Dispassion

Dispassion

The fading of desire and attraction toward conditioned things. It arises through seeing the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of experience. It is the natural fragrance of understanding and the forerunner of release.

Also known as: detachment, disinterest, fading of desire, disentanglement
Pāli: virāga, visaṁyutta
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
View all discourses →
Spiritual life

Spiritual life

A life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures

Also known as: abstinence, celibacy, chastity, holy life, sexual restraint
Pāli: brahmacariya
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026