SA-2 30（三〇）

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying at the Vipula Mountain in Rajagriha, in the cave of the seven-leaved tree. At that time, there was a bhiksu named Sudatta, who lived alone in the black stone cave on the mountain of the solitary immortals in Rajagriha. He diligently practiced diligently, without being negligent, and eliminated the view of self, attaining temporary liberation, realizing it for himself. However, he regressed and lost it. The second, third, up to the sixth time, he also regressed and lost it. The bhiksu thought: "Now I am alone, practicing diligently, but I have regressed six times. If I regress again, I will cut myself with a knife." The Mara King knew that the Buddha was staying at the Vipula Mountain in Rajagriha, in the cave of the seven-leaved tree, and that the disciple of Gautama named Sudatta was also living alone in the black stone cave on the mountain of the solitary immortals in Rajagriha, diligently practicing diligently, with an undistracted mind, attaining temporary liberation, realizing it for himself. After attaining it, he regressed and lost it, like this six times. At that time, the Mara King thought: "If the bhiksu Sudatta attains it a seventh time, he will definitely injure himself and leave the realm of Mara." Having thought this, he took a lapis lazuli zither and went to where the Buddha was, strumming the zither and speaking a verse:

Great wisdom, great diligence, with great supernatural powers, having attained
mastery over the Dharma, with blazing radiance. Your disciples, the
Shravakas, are now about to harm themselves. The supreme one
among humans, you should now stop them. Why do they
delight in your Dharma? Why do they learn to die for others?

At that time, after the Mara King had spoken this verse, the Buddha told Mara, "O Mara! You are now the great friend of all the negligent ones. What you have just said is for yourself, not for that bhiksu."

At that time, the World Honored One again spoke a verse:

If one is not timid and weak, and diligently practices
diligently, always delighting in meditation, cultivating various good deeds day
and night, drying up the afflictions of desire, destroying your
army of Mara, now abandoning the last body, forever entering into nirvana.

At that time, the Demon King was sorrowful, suffering and distressed, losing the crystal zither. He was sorrowful, regretful and remorseful, returning to his own palace.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus, "I will go with you to the mountain of the seer to find the bhikṣu Sthavira." The Buddha led the bhikṣus to where Sthavira was. He saw that Sthavira's body in the east was like a mass of smoke. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus, "Do you see this mass of smoke?" The bhikṣus said, "We see it, World-Honored One." The same was the case in the south, west, and north. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus, "This is Māra hiding his form and circling around Sthavira, seeking his mind and consciousness." The Buddha said to the bhikṣus, "The bhikṣu Sthavira has entered nirvāṇa, without any consciousness, and has gone nowhere.

At that time, the Demon King transformed his form into a monk and spoke a verse, saying:

Above, below, and in the four directions, searching for Sthavira's consciousness, I
do not know where it has gone. Where has his consciousness gone?

At that time, the World Honored One told Pāpīyān, "This strong man has defeated your army and entered nirvāṇa."

The Buddha having spoken thus, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.