1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion a certain newly ordained bhikkhu, after returning from the alms round, would enter his dwelling after the meal and pass the time living at ease and keeping silent. He did not render service to the bhikkhus at the time of making robes. Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to him.

2Then the Blessed One addressed a certain bhikkhu thus: "Come, bhikkhu, tell that bhikkhu in my name that the Teacher calls him."

"Yes, venerable sir," that bhikkhu replied, and he went to that bhikkhu and told him: "The Teacher calls you, friend."

"Yes, friend," that bhikkhu replied, and he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. sn.ii.278

The Blessed One then said to him: "Is it true, bhikkhu, that after returning from the alms round you enter your dwelling after the meal and pass the time living at ease and keeping silent, and you do not render service to the bhikkhus at the time of making robes?"

"I am doing my own duty, venerable sir."

3Then the Blessed One, having known with his own mind the reflection in that bhikkhu's mind, addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus, do not find fault with this bhikkhu. This bhikkhu is one who gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and provide a pleasant dwelling in this very life. And he is one who, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life enters and dwells in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness."

4This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

5"Not by means of slack endeavour,
Not by means of feeble effort,
Is this Nibbāna to be achieved,
Release from all suffering.

6"This young bhikkhu by my side
Is a supreme man indeed:
He carries about his final body,
Having conquered Māra and his mount." [n.389] Jetvā Māraṁ savāhanaṁ. Spk does not comment on the "mount," but other commentaries explain it as either the elephant Girimekha (Pj II 392,3 to Sn 442) or Māra's army (Mp III 18,26 to AN II 15,29). At Ja I 72, Māra is shown mounting his elephant Girimekha before going to attack the future Buddha under the Bodhi Tree.

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro navo bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karoti cīvarakārasamaye. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "idha, bhante, aññataro navo bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karoti cīvarakārasamaye"ti.

2Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena taṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi ‘satthā taṁ, āvuso, āmantetī’"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: "satthā taṁ, āvuso, āmantetī"ti.

"Evamāvuso"ti kho so bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho taṁ bhikkhuṁ bhagavā etadavoca: "Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyasi, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karosi cīvarakārasamaye"ti?

"Ahampi kho, bhante, sakaṁ kiccaṁ karomī"ti.

3Atha kho bhagavā tassa bhikkhuno cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya bhikkhū āmantesi: "Mā kho tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno ujjhāyittha. Eso kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī, yassa catthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāratī"ti.

4Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

5"Nayidaṁ sithilamārabbha,
nayidaṁ appena thāmasā;
Nibbānaṁ adhigantabbaṁ,
sabbadukkhappamocanaṁ.

6Ayañca daharo bhikkhu,
ayamuttamapuriso;
Dhāreti antimaṁ dehaṁ,
jetvā māraṁ savāhinin"ti.

Catutthaṁ.