Once upon a time, while the Bodhisattva (the one who would soon attain enlightenment, in this case, Siddharta) was meditating under the Bodhi tree, he thought, “What did the past Buddhas sit on when they attained the supreme path (enlightenment)?” And he concluded, “They must have sat on the grass.”
At that moment, Indra (the king of gods) appeared in human form and brought clean, soft grass. The Bodhisattva asked him, “Who are you?”
Indra replied, “I am called Kichijo(A good omen,, an auspicious sign).”
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva was pleased.
“I have transformed from an inauspicious state to an auspicious one. By the way, may I take the grass you are holding?”
Kichijo offered the grass to the Bodhisattva and made a vow:
“Once you complete the Bodhisattva path, please help me first.”
The Bodhisattva accepted the grass and used it as a seat, sitting in the lotus position upon it, just like the past Buddhas.
“If I do not attain supreme awakening (enlightenment), I will never leave this seat.”
As he made this vow, the Eight legions (the celestial beings) rejoiced, and the gods in the heavens praised him endlessly.
At that moment, the Sixth Heaven, where the demon resides, began to tremble. Mara (the Demon King) thought,
“Siddharta has forsaken the five desires and is sitting beneath the tree, meditating to attain enlightenment. If he succeeds in the path and helps many people, those in my world will also gain greater understanding. I must go and prevent him from achieving his goal before he succeeds.”
Mara had a son named Satta, who observed this situation.
“Why are you so sorrowful?”
Mara replied,
“Shakyamuni is sitting beneath the tree and trying to surpass me, creating a new world. I plan to disrupt and destroy this.”
Satta reproached him,
“The Bodhisattva is pure and incomparable. The Eight Legions of Devas are protecting him. He has miraculous powers and wisdom, and there is nothing unclear about him. You must not interfere. Please do not create evil and incur sin.”
Mara had three daughters, all exceptionally beautiful, surpassing even the most beautiful celestial maidens. The eldest was named Senyoku(A woman tainted by greed), the second was Nouetsujin(A woman skilled at bringing joy), and the third was Kawairaku(A cute woman who brings pleasure).
The three daughters came to the Bodhisattva and said,
“You possess great virtue, and are revered by both humans and a celestial beings. We are of age and our beauty is unmatched. Our father, A celestial being, has commanded us to serve you. We wish to attend to you morning and evening.”
The Bodhisattva replied,
“You have been born as celestial beings because of the good deeds you accumulated in your past lives. While you are beautiful, you do not understand impermanence. After death, you will surely fall into one of the Three Evil Paths(The worlds of Hell, Hungry Ghosts, and Beasts). I do not wish to accept your service.”
At once, the three celestial maidens transformed into old women. Their hair turned white, their faces became deeply wrinkled, their teeth fell out, and saliva dripped from their mouths. Their backs bent, and their bellies swelled like drums. They leaned on staffs, unable to walk due to their exhaustion.
Mara saw this and spoke gently to the Bodhisattva,
“If you cannot accept the pleasures of the human world, we will invite you to the heavenly realm. I will give you my heavenly position and the five desires(everything perceived through the senses).”
The Bodhisattva replied,
“You have a bit of merit from your past life, which has allowed you to live in the Deva realm and become a king. But blessings are temporary, and you will eventually sink into the Three Evil Paths. The heavenly realm and are the causes of sin. These are not things I desire.”
The Temptation Of Buddha by Mara
Mara said,
“You understand the law of cause and effect, but who knows the results of your actions?”
The Bodhisattva responded,
“My results are known to heaven and earth.”
At this, the earth trembled in six ways. The earth god brought forth a jewel-filled vase from the ground, which was filled with lotus flowers, and said to Mara,
“The Bodhisattva has given away his leadership, his family, his country, and his possessions to others, seeking the supreme enlightenment. Now, you must not hinder him.”
Upon hearing this, Mara was filled with fear, and his hair stood on end. The earth god then lifted the Bodhisattva’s feet, scattered flowers, and departed.
Mara thought,
“I will cease trying to disturb Siddharta’s mind. I will change my approach. I will gather many armies and attack him with force.”
The sky filled with armies. Some held halberds, others swords, and some wore large trees on their heads. Among them were beings with pig-heads, dragon-heads, and those with fearsome appearances, including some who were quite terrifying.
Mara also had two sisters. The eldest was named Myoga, and the second was Kary. They each carried skull vessels and came before the Bodhisattva, revealing their terrifying forms.
Many demons appeared in ugly forms, hoping to scare the Bodhisattva. But none of them could make even a single hair on his body move. He was deeply distressed, lamenting their actions.
Among those flying through the air was a deity named Inta. Inta said,
“When I look at Siddharta, my heart becomes at ease. No feelings of resentment arise. Demons, do not let hatred and malice grow within you.”
Upon hearing Inta’s voice, the demons were ashamed, and they ceased their arrogant and jealous thoughts, returning to their heavenly palaces.
The Demon Attacking the Buddha, Dunhuang, 10th Century
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka
The ascetic practices of Shakyamuni Buddha have been passed down in various ways, and the stories of the demon’s interference (the legend of Mara’s temptation) differ depending on the tradition.
In the murals of Dambulla, Sri Lanka, there is a painting depicting a demon attacking the Buddha with a gun. It is said that this was added after the Portuguese invasion.
In the Konjaku Monogatari, three daughters, whose names alone suggest they must be extremely seductive women, attempt to tempt and corrupt the Buddha. Afterward,The Demon King proposes to grant him the Five Desires.
The battle against demons did not end.it appears frequently in Buddhist scriptures. This episode occurred before his enlightenment, but even after becoming a Buddha, Shakyamuni was repeatedly subjected to temptation.
In the early Buddhist scripture Samyutta Nikaya, the demon’s words are recorded as:
“You cannot escape from me.”
The methods of temptation were not limited to lust or fear, as mentioned here.
When Shakyamuni went out for alms, he sometimes received no food at all. However, monks were bound by the rule that alms-seeking must be done in the morning. Breaking this rule was not an option. He had no choice but to endure.
Then the demon whispered:
“Why don’t you go out again in the afternoon?”
If he followed the precepts, he would have no food until the next day, meaning he would go two days without eating. The hunger must have been intense, and the demon preyed on this weakness.
Moreover, Shakyamuni had once been a prince. He sometimes wondered whether returning to the palace and ruling as king, administering wise governance, would be more beneficial to the people. In such moments, the demon appeared as a voice offering economic or military support (Sutta Nipata).
The battle with demons continued until Shakyamuni’s death. It did not end there.
Dogen wrote in Shobogenzo:
“Enlightenment exists within the practice itself.”
Reaching enlightenment is not the goal.Continuous practice itself is enlightenment.
zen master Dogen
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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