How to Subdue the Six Māras

Original text: 有六魔钩。云何为六。眼味著色。是则魔钩。耳味著声。是则魔钩。鼻味著香。是则魔钩。舌味著味。是则魔钩。身味著触。是则魔钩。意味著法。是则魔钩。若沙门婆罗门。眼味著色者。当知是沙门婆罗门。魔钩钩其咽。于魔不得自在。

Explanation: The Buddha said there are six demon hooks. What are the six? The eye consciousness, at the eye faculty, craves material form, considering forms to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook; the ear consciousness, at the ear faculty, craves sounds, considering sounds to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook; the nose consciousness, at the nose faculty, craves scents, considering scents to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook; the tongue consciousness, at the tongue faculty, craves flavors, considering flavors to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook; the body consciousness, at the body faculty, craves tactile objects, considering tactile objects to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook; the mind consciousness, at the manas, craves mental objects, considering mental objects to be pleasurable—this is a demon hook. If a śramaṇa or brāhmaṇa has the eye consciousness and so forth craving forms and other sense objects at the eye faculty and the other faculties, one should know that this śramaṇa or brāhmaṇa has been hooked in the throat by the demon hook, and this person has no freedom from the demon, being at the demon's mercy.

The Buddha's analogy is very vivid: Māra's demonic claws grip six chains, lurking at all times at the gates of our six faculties, waiting for a chance to strangle our throats. As soon as one develops even a little craving-attachment toward the six sense objects, an iron chain of Māra is hung around one's neck, and a demon hook is lodged in one's throat. By upholding the precepts and not attaching to the six sense objects, one can escape the demon's claws; without upholding the precepts, with the mind attached to the six sense objects, one will surely be bound by the demon. The six sense objects of the desire realm are what the demon uses to bind sentient beings; those who have desires for the six sense objects are held by the desire demon. When held by the demon, one cannot escape suffering; therefore one should uphold the precepts and stay far away from the demon's disturbances.

Original text: 一天，魔波旬打扮成一个蓬头垢面的放牛人，假装寻找走失的牛。到世尊前问。瞿昙。见我牛不。世尊作是念。此是恶魔。欲来乱我。即告魔言。恶魔。何处有牛。何用牛为。魔作是念。沙门瞿昙知我是魔。而白佛言。瞿昙。眼触入处。是我所乘。耳鼻舌身意触入处。是我所乘。复问。瞿昙。欲何所之。

Explanation: One day, Māra Pāpīyas disguised himself as a disheveled, dirt-covered cowherd, pretending to search for lost cattle. Pāpīyas came before the World-Honored One and asked: "Gautama, have you seen my cattle?" The World-Honored One saw at a glance that it was the demon who had come to cause trouble, and told the demon: "Demon, where would there be cattle? What would you want with cattle?" The demon knew that the World-Honored One had seen through him, so he said to the Buddha: "Gautama, the eye-contact base is what I ride; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact bases are what I ride—the six faculties are my cattle." He also said: "Gautama, where are you going?"

Original text: 佛告恶魔。汝有眼触入处。耳鼻舌身意触入处。若彼无眼触入处。无耳鼻舌身意触入处。汝所不到。我往到彼。尔时天魔波旬。即说偈言。若常有我者。彼悉是我所。一切悉属我。瞿昙何所之。

尔时世尊说偈答言。若言有我者。彼说我则非。是故知波旬。即自堕负处。魔复说偈言。若说言知道。安隐向涅槃。汝自独游往。何烦教他为。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the demon: "You have the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculty contact bases, but others do not have these six faculty contact bases—you cannot reach those places, whereas I can go to those places." At that time the heavenly demon Pāpīyas spoke in verse: "If there were a permanently existing self, all of that would be my possession; everything would belong to me—Gautama, where could you go?"

At that time the World-Honored One replied in verse: "If someone claims there is a permanently existing self, then the self he speaks of is not the self. Therefore I know, Pāpīyas, that you have fallen into defeat by your own doing." The demon then spoke in verse again: "If you claim to know the path, the secure way leading to nirvāṇa, then go off wandering there alone by yourself—why trouble yourself to teach others?"

Original text: 世尊复说偈答言。若有离魔者。问度彼岸道。为彼平等说。真实永无余。时习不放逸。永离魔自在。魔复说偈言。有石似段肉。饿鸟来欲食。彼作软美想。欲以补饥虚。竟不得其味。折嘴而腾虚。我今犹如鸟。瞿昙如石生。不入愧而去。犹鸟陵虚逝。内心怀愁毒。即彼没不现。

Explanation: The World-Honored One spoke again in verse in reply: "If there are those who have departed from the demon's obstructions and ask about the path to cross over to the other shore of nirvāṇa, I teach the Dharma equally for them, instructing them in the most genuine truth of liberation, leaving nothing out. After sentient beings receive and learn this, diligently cultivating without negligence, they can forever leave the demon's bondage and attain great freedom." The demon king then spoke in verse: "There was a stone resembling a piece of meat; a hungry bird flew over wanting to eat it. It imagined the stone to be soft and delicious, hoping to satisfy its hunger. But pecking at it again and again, it could not taste any flavor at all; its beak broke, and it soared away into the sky. I am now just like that bird, and Gautama is like that stone—since I could not get it into my mouth, I leave in shame, vanishing like a bird flying across the void. Yet my heart harbors the poison of sorrow, and I immediately vanish from his presence, never to appear again."