10. Vajira Sutta
Discourse Concerning Bhikkhuni Vajira
Bhikkhuni Samyutta
Sagatha Vagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka
SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA
SAMYUTTA"
Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar)
Tipitaka Association, 1998 |
 |
10. Vajira Sutta Discourse Concerning
Bhikkhuni Vajira
171. The Bhagava was staying at Savatthi... During that time Vajira the
bhikkhuni, on a certain morning, having re-arranged the robes on her person and
carrying alms-bowl and great robe, entered the town of Savatthi for alms-food.
After going round Savatthi for alms-food and having had her meal she left the
place of alms-gathering and went to this Andhavana Forest to spend the day (in
meditation). Having entered the Andhavana Forest, she sat at the foot of a tree
to spend the day (in meditation). Then, Mara the Wicked One, desiring to make
Vajira the bhikkhuni feel hair-raising dread and terror and desiring to make
her lose concentration, went to where the bhikkhuni was and spoke in verse to
Vijira the bhikkhuni thus:
"By whom is a sentient being made?
Who is the maker of the sentient being?
Why does the sentient being arise?
And why does it cease?"
Thereupon Vajira the bhikkhuni thought: 'Who might be this that speak to me
in verse? Is he human or non-human?' and then it occurred to her: This is Mara
the Wicked One, desiring to make me feel hair-raising dread and terror and
desiring to make me lose concentration.' Then, Vajira the bhikkhuni knowing
that it was Mara the
Wicked One, replied to Mara the Wicked One in these verses:
"Mara, what do you believe is a sentient being? Are you
holding a wrong view? This (so-called sentient being) is purely a mass of
conditioned phenomena; this (mass of conditioned phenomena) in reality cannot
be taken as a sentient being.
"Just as the term 'chariot' comes to be when there is an assembly of
the component parts, so also, when there exist the five khandha aggregates,
there comes to be the term 'being' which is only a designation. "Indeed,
what arises is just the dukkha (of the five khandha aggregates); and the dukkha
lasts momentarily and disappears. Nothing arises apart from dukkha and nothing
ceases apart from dukkha." Mara the Wicked One then realized: ''Vajira the
bhikkhuni knows me," and, feeling frustrated and miserable, he vanished
thence.
End of the Vajira Sutta,
The tenth in this vagga.
End of the Bhikkhuni Samyutta.
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