SN 4.17 The Six Fields of Contact

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ upādāya bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.

Now at that time the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the six fields of contact.

Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

And those mendicants were paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening.

Atha kho mārassa pāpimato etadahosi:

Then Māra thought,

“ayaṁ kho samaṇo gotamo channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ upādāya bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sappahaṁseti.

“This ascetic Gotama is educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the six fields of contact.

Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

And those mendicants are paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ vicakkhukammāyā”ti.

Why don’t I go and pull the wool over their eyes?”

Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato avidūre mahantaṁ bhayabheravaṁ saddamakāsi, apissudaṁ pathavī maññe undrīyati. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and made a terrifyingly loud noise close by him. It seemed as if the earth were shattering, so that one of the mendicants said to another,

“bhikkhu bhikkhu, esā pathavī maññe undrīyatī”ti.

“Mendicant, mendicant, it seems like the earth is shattering!”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

When this was said, the Buddha said to that mendicant,

“nesā, bhikkhu, pathavī undrīyati.

“Mendicant, that’s not the earth shattering.

Māro eso pāpimā tumhākaṁ vicakkhukammāya āgato”ti.

That’s Māra the Wicked come to pull the wool over your eyes!”

Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

“Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,

“Sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

phassā dhammā ca kevalā;

touches, and ideas, the lot of them—

Etaṁ lokāmisaṁ ghoraṁ,

this is the terrible bait

ettha loko vimucchito.

that the world’s infatuated by.

Etañca samatikkamma,

But a mindful disciple of the Buddha

sato buddhassa sāvako;

has transcended all that.

Māradheyyaṁ atikkamma,

Having slipped free of Māra’s dominion,

ādiccova virocatī”ti.

they shine like the sun.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā …pe… tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra … vanished right there.