The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra: Volume 337

Ananda, if a Bodhisattva Mahasattva, relying on his own merits and wholesome roots, disparages other Bodhisattva Mahasattvas, saying: "I can cultivate the perfection of giving, the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom; but you cannot!"

"I can abide in internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal and external emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, boundless emptiness, beginningless and endless emptiness, dispersed emptiness, immutable emptiness, inherent-nature emptiness, self-characteristic emptiness, common-characteristic emptiness, emptiness of all dharmas, unobtainable emptiness, non-nature emptiness, self-nature emptiness, and emptiness of self-nature and non-nature; but you cannot!"

"I can abide in the suchness of the dharmadhatu, the dharmata, the non-falsity, the immutability, the equality, the freedom from production, the established dharma, the abiding in the ultimate reality, the sphere of space, and the inconceivable sphere; but you cannot!"

"I can abide in the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten universal bases; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the doors to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the ten Bodhisattva grounds; but you cannot!"

"I can adorn and purify Buddha-lands and mature sentient beings; but you cannot!"

"I can contemplate the twelve links of dependent origination in forward and reverse order; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the five eyes and the six superknowledges; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered discriminations, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique Buddha-dharmas; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate shamatha and vipashyana; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the power of non-forgetfulness and constantly abide in the nature of equanimity; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the dharanis and the samadhis; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the wisdom of all aspects, the wisdom of the path, and the wisdom of omniscience; but you cannot!"

"I can contemplate the specific and general characteristics of all dharmas; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate all the practices of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva; but you cannot!"

"I can cultivate the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; but you cannot!"

At that time, the evil Mara rejoiced and exulted, saying: "This Bodhisattva is my companion. He will revolve in the cycle of birth and death without an end in sight."

Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is disturbed by the evil Mara.

If a Bodhisattva Mahasattva does not rely on his own merits and wholesome roots, does not disparage other Bodhisattva Mahasattvas, and although he constantly diligently cultivates all wholesome dharmas, he does not grasp at the marks of wholesome dharmas, Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is not disturbed by the evil Mara.

Furthermore, Ananda, if a Bodhisattva Mahasattva, relying on his own renowned name widely recognized by others, despises other virtuous Bodhisattvas, constantly praises his own virtues and slanders others, and though he does not truly possess the marks and characteristics of an irreversible Bodhisattva Mahasattva, he claims to possess them, gives rise to afflictions, praises himself and slanders others, saying: "You do not have the name of a Bodhisattva; only I alone possess the name of a Bodhisattva," and due to arrogance, despises and slanders other Bodhisattva Mahasattvas,

At that time, the evil Mara, seeing this, thinks thus: "Now this Bodhisattva will ensure my realm and palaces are not empty. He increases the hells, animal realms, and the realm of hungry ghosts."

Then the evil Mara lends him his supernatural power, causing his influence and eloquence to increase even more. Because of this, many people believe and accept his words. Influenced by him, they adopt the same wrong views. Having adopted the same views, they follow his erroneous teachings. Having followed his teachings, their afflictions blaze fiercely, and due to their perverted minds, all the bodily, verbal, and mental actions they perform bring about undesirable, harmful, and painful results. Because of this cause, the three evil destinies increase, filling the evil Mara's palaces and realm. Because of this, the evil Mara rejoices and exults, and whatever he wishes to do, he accomplishes freely.

Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is disturbed by the evil Mara.

If a Bodhisattva Mahasattva does not rely on his own false name to despise other virtuous Bodhisattvas, has no arrogance regarding virtues, constantly does not praise himself nor slander others, and is well aware of the deeds of Mara, Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is not disturbed by the evil Mara.

Furthermore, Ananda, if a Bodhisattva Mahasattva and those seeking the vehicle of Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas mutually revile, quarrel, and slander each other, then the evil Mara, seeing this, thinks thus: "This virtuous man has strayed far from the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and draws near to the hells, animal realms, and the realm of hungry ghosts."

Why is that? Mutual reviling, quarreling, and slander are not the path to enlightenment; they are but the paths to the evil destinies of hells, animal realms, and the realm of hungry ghosts. Thinking thus, he rejoices and exults. Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is disturbed by the evil Mara.

If a Bodhisattva Mahasattva and those seeking the vehicle of Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas do not mutually revile, quarrel, or slander each other, but skillfully guide them to turn towards the Great Vehicle, or cause them to diligently cultivate the wholesome dharmas of their own vehicle, Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is not disturbed by the evil Mara.

Furthermore, Ananda, if a Bodhisattva Mahasattva and other virtuous men and women seeking the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment mutually revile, quarrel, and slander each other, then the evil Mara, seeing this, thinks thus: "These two Bodhisattvas have both strayed far from the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and both draw near to the hells, animal realms, and the realm of hungry ghosts." Why is that? Mutual reviling, quarreling, and slander are not the path to enlightenment; they are but the paths to the evil destinies of hells, animal realms, and the realm of hungry ghosts. Thinking thus, he rejoices and exults. Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is disturbed by the evil Mara.

If a Bodhisattva Mahasattva and other virtuous men and women seeking the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment do not mutually revile, quarrel, or slander each other, but instead teach and advise each other to diligently cultivate wholesome dharmas, enabling them to quickly realize the wisdom of omniscience, Ananda, you should know that when this Bodhisattva Mahasattva practices the profound perfection of wisdom, he is not disturbed by the evil Mara.

Ananda, you should know that if a Bodhisattva Mahasattva who has not received the prediction of irreversible attainment of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment gives rise to a harmful mind towards those Bodhisattvas who have received the prediction of irreversible attainment of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, quarreling with them, reviling, despising, and slandering them, then for every thought of unbeneficial mind this Bodhisattva Mahasattva gives rise to, he will regress by that many kalpas of previously cultivated superior practices. For that same length of time, he will be separated from good friends. For that same number of times, he will again be bound by birth and death. If he does not abandon the mind of great enlightenment, he must again diligently cultivate superior practices for that same number of kalpas before he can restore the merits he regressed.