While the Buddha teaches on extinguishment, Māra appears as a muddy farmer claiming dominion over the six sense fields; the Buddha refutes him, teaching non-attachment to eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

SN 4.19 A Farmer

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

Atha kho mārassa pāpimato etadahosi: “ayaṁ kho samaṇo gotamo bhikkhūnaṁ nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya …pe… yannūnāhaṁ yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ vicakkhukammāyā”ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā kassakavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā mahantaṁ naṅgalaṁ khandhe karitvā dīghapācanayaṭṭhiṁ gahetvā haṭahaṭakeso sāṇasāṭinivattho kaddamamakkhitehi pādehi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “api, samaṇa, balībadde addasā”ti?

“Kiṁ pana, pāpima, te balībaddehī”ti?

“Mameva, samaṇa, cakkhu, mama rūpā, mama cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Kuhiṁ me, samaṇa, gantvā mokkhasi? Mameva, samaṇa, sotaṁ, mama saddā …pe… mameva, samaṇa, ghānaṁ, mama gandhā; mameva, samaṇa, jivhā, mama rasā; mameva, samaṇa, kāyo, mama phoṭṭhabbā; mameva, samaṇa, mano, mama dhammā, mama manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Kuhiṁ me, samaṇa, gantvā mokkhasī”ti?

“Taveva, pāpima, cakkhu, tava rūpā, tava cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi cakkhu, natthi rūpā, natthi cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima. Taveva, pāpima, sotaṁ, tava saddā, tava sotasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi sotaṁ, natthi saddā, natthi sotasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima. Taveva, pāpima, ghānaṁ, tava gandhā, tava ghānasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi ghānaṁ, natthi gandhā, natthi ghānasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima. Taveva, pāpima, jivhā, tava rasā, tava jivhāsamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ …pe… taveva, pāpima, kāyo, tava phoṭṭhabbā, tava kāyasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ …pe… taveva, pāpima, mano, tava dhammā, tava manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ. Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi mano, natthi dhammā, natthi manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpimā”ti.

“Yaṁ vadanti mama yidanti,
ye vadanti mamanti ca;
Ettha ce te mano atthi,
na me samaṇa mokkhasī”ti.

“Yaṁ vadanti na taṁ mayhaṁ,
ye vadanti na te ahaṁ;
Evaṁ pāpima jānāhi,
na me maggampi dakkhasī”ti.

Atha kho māro pāpimā …pe… tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya 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 about extinguishment.

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 bhikkhūnaṁ nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya …pe…

“The ascetic Gotama is giving a Dhamma talk about extinguishment … and the mendicants are listening well.

yannūnāhaṁ yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ vicakkhukammāyā”ti.

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

Atha kho māro pāpimā kassakavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā mahantaṁ naṅgalaṁ khandhe karitvā dīghapācanayaṭṭhiṁ gahetvā haṭahaṭakeso sāṇasāṭinivattho kaddamamakkhitehi pādehi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Māra the Wicked manifested in the form of a farmer carrying a large plough on his shoulder. He held a long goad, his hair was messy, he was clad in sunn hemp, and his feet were muddy. He went up to the Buddha and said to him,

“api, samaṇa, balībadde addasā”ti?

“So, ascetic, did you happen to see any oxen?”

“Kiṁ pana, pāpima, te balībaddehī”ti?

“But what have you to do with oxen, Wicked One?”

“Mameva, samaṇa, cakkhu, mama rūpā, mama cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

“Mine alone, ascetic, is the eye, mine are sights, mine is the field of eye contact consciousness.

Kuhiṁ me, samaṇa, gantvā mokkhasi?

Where can you escape me, ascetic?

Mameva, samaṇa, sotaṁ, mama saddā …pe…

Mine alone is the ear …

mameva, samaṇa, ghānaṁ, mama gandhā;

nose …

mameva, samaṇa, jivhā, mama rasā;

tongue …

mameva, samaṇa, kāyo, mama phoṭṭhabbā;

body …

mameva, samaṇa, mano, mama dhammā, mama manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

mind, mine are ideas, mine is the field of mind contact consciousness.

Kuhiṁ me, samaṇa, gantvā mokkhasī”ti?

Where can you escape me, ascetic?”

“Taveva, pāpima, cakkhu, tava rūpā, tava cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

“Yours alone, Wicked One, is the eye, yours are sights, yours is the field of eye contact consciousness.

Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi cakkhu, natthi rūpā, natthi cakkhusamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima.

Where there is no eye, no sights, no eye contact consciousness—you have no place there, Wicked One!

Taveva, pāpima, sotaṁ, tava saddā, tava sotasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

Yours alone is the ear …

Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi sotaṁ, natthi saddā, natthi sotasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima.

Taveva, pāpima, ghānaṁ, tava gandhā, tava ghānasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

nose …

Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi ghānaṁ, natthi gandhā, natthi ghānasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpima.

Taveva, pāpima, jivhā, tava rasā, tava jivhāsamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ …pe…

tongue …

taveva, pāpima, kāyo, tava phoṭṭhabbā, tava kāyasamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ …pe…

body …

taveva, pāpima, mano, tava dhammā, tava manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ.

mind, yours are ideas, yours is the field of mind contact consciousness.

Yattha ca kho, pāpima, natthi mano, natthi dhammā, natthi manosamphassaviññāṇāyatanaṁ, agati tava tattha, pāpimā”ti.

Where there is no mind, no ideas, no mind contact consciousness—you have no place there, Wicked One!”

“Yaṁ vadanti mama yidanti,

“The things they call ‘mine’,

ye vadanti mamanti ca;

and those who say ‘it’s mine’:

Ettha ce te mano atthi,

if your mind remains there,

na me samaṇa mokkhasī”ti.

you won’t escape me, ascetic!”

“Yaṁ vadanti na taṁ mayhaṁ,

“The things they speak of aren’t mine;

ye vadanti na te ahaṁ;

I’m not someone who speaks like that.

Evaṁ pāpima jānāhi,

So know this, Wicked One:

na me maggampi dakkhasī”ti.

you won’t even see the path I take.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā …pe… tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Māra … vanished right there.

Topics & Qualities:

Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026