SA 1199（一一九九） 素弥

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, there was a nun named Sumanā, who was staying in the nunnery in the King’s Park in Śrāvastī. In the morning, she put on her robes and took her alms bowl to enter Śrāvastī to beg for food. After eating, she returned to the nunnery, put away her robes and bowl, washed her feet, took her sitting mat, put it on her right shoulder, and went to the Andhavana forest to sit in meditation.

At that time, Māra the Evil One thought, "Now the Śramaṇa Gautama is staying at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī. There is a nun named Sumanā, who is staying in the nunnery in the King's Park in Śrāvastī. In the morning, she puts on her robes and takes her alms bowl to enter Śrāvastī to beg for food. After eating, she returns to the nunnery, puts away her robes and bowl, washes her feet, takes her sitting mat, puts it on her right shoulder, and goes to the Andhavana forest to sit in meditation. I shall now go to create obstacles for her." He then transformed himself into a young man of handsome appearance and went to where the nun Sumanā was. He asked, "Elder Sister! Where are you going?"

She replied, "Virtuous one! I wish to go to a place of solitude."

At that time, Māra the Evil One spoke a verse, saying:

The place where the sages dwell is extremely difficult to attain, not
by the wisdom of those with two fingers can one reach that place.

At that time, the bhikṣuṇī Sumanā thought: "What is this? Do they want to frighten me? Are they human or non-human? Are they deceitful people?" Having thought this, a decisive understanding arose, knowing that it was the evil Māra who had come to disturb her. She then spoke a verse, saying:

If the mind enters right concentration, what is the use of
the female form? If wisdom arises, one may attain the unsurpassed
Dharma. If one has thoughts of male and female, the mind
cannot be completely free from them. Then one follows Māra's words
and should go tell them: 'Free from all suffering, abandoning all
darkness, attaining the realization of cessation, dwelling in the exhaustion of
all taints. Recognizing you as an evil Māra, one will immediately
be ground to dust and depart.

At that time, Māra the Evil One thought: "The bhikṣuṇī Sumanā already knows my mind." Feeling sorrowful and regretful, he immediately disappeared.