San Lo Mvu 106The Temptation by Māra

SUTTA ON THE TEMPTATION OF MĀRA

Background

This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the San Lo Mvu section (Saṅghabhedavastu - The Division of the Sangha). It recounts events connected with the enticements and temptations of Māra, the symbol of greed, hatred, delusion, and the forces opposed to the path of liberation.

According to the Theravāda tradition, Māra is not a demon-god or devil in the sense found in other religions, but the personification of desires, defilements (kilesa), and attachment to existence (bhava). Māra represents the temptations of sensual gratification, fame, power, and fear - all that obstructs disciples from progressing on the path of practice.

This sutta belongs to the early historical context of the Sangha, when the Blessed One and his great disciples faced challenges both within and outside the monastic community.

Main Content

The sutta describes how Māra attempts to draw monastics, even those closely following the Blessed One, away from the path of practice through subtle means. This temptation does not always appear in the form of greed or base misconduct. Instead, Māra may use subtle ambition for spiritual beauty, self-satisfaction with minor attainments in practice, or even fear of the difficulty of the path.

The sutta shows that intelligent people who have attained a certain degree of practice may still fall into Māra's snare if they do not remain continuously vigilant. For this reason the Blessed One emphasized the importance of wisdom (paññā), that is, clear recognition of the fabricated nature of all phenomena, and perseverance in the five faculties (pañcindriya): faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.

The sutta also describes the means the Blessed One taught for recognizing and overcoming these temptations. The fundamental element is the awakening that whatever belongs to the world of sensory experience bears the three characteristics: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā).