Selā
Translation of BZA 218. First version published in Buddhist Studies
Review vol. 23-1 (2006).
Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in
the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.
At that time one morning the nun Selā took her robes and her begging bowl and
entered Sāvatthī to beg for food. Having finished her meal, she cleaned her
bowl, gathered her seat [for meditation] and went to the Andhavana forest [to
meditate]. At that time King Māra thought: “The renunciant Gotama is staying at
Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park. And there is the nun Selā
who took her robes and her begging bowl and entered Sāvatthī to beg for food.
Having finished her meal, she cleaned her bowl, gathered her seat and has gone
to the Andhavana forest. I shall disturb her!” Having thought this he changed
into a young man, approached her and spoke a verse:
Who is it that created beings // by whom were they made
Why are they called beings // from where do they arise
That time the nun Selā having heard the verse thought: “Who is this? What a
cheat! Is he a human or a non-human being?” She entered concentration and
recognized he was King Māra. She answered with a verse:
Māra, you have a wrong view of “beings” // saying and believing they actually
exist
They are assembled from conventional empty [names] // there are in fact no
“beings”
Like when causes and various conditions // converge and yield the use of a
“chariot”
The same with khandhas, dhātus and āyatanas // they exist [because of] the
convergence of causes and conditions.
Because of karmic conditions they assemble // because of karmic conditions
they disperse
[I have] cut off all craving // the darkness of ignorance destroyed
Having reached complete cessation // [I] peacefully dwell in a state of
purity
Therefore understand // Bad One you are defeated
At that time King Māra thought: “This nun knows my mind well!” Depressed,
dispirited, and ashamed he returned to his palace.
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時尸羅比丘尼住舍衛國王園比丘尼眾中，晨朝著衣持鉢，入舍衛城乞食。食已，還精舍，舉衣鉢，洗足畢，持尼師壇，著肩上，入安陀林，坐一樹下，入晝正受。時魔波旬作是念：
「今沙門瞿曇住舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。尸羅比丘尼住舍衛國王園精舍比丘尼眾中，晨朝著衣持鉢，入舍衛城乞食。食已，還精舍，舉衣鉢，洗足畢，持尼師壇，著肩上，入安陀林，坐一樹下，入晝正受。我今當往，為作留難！」
即化作年少，容貌端正，往到尸羅比丘尼前而說偈言：
「眾生云何生 誰為其作者
眾生何處起 去復至何所」
尸羅比丘尼作是念：
「此是何人，欲恐怖我？為人，為非人，為姦狡人？」
作是思惟已，即生知覺：
「此是惡魔，欲作留難！」
即說偈言：
「汝謂有眾生 此則惡魔見
唯有空陰聚 無是眾生者
如和合眾材 世名之為車
諸陰因緣合 假名為眾生
其生則苦生 住亦即苦住
無餘法生苦 苦生苦自滅
捨一切愛苦 離一切闇冥
已證於寂滅 安住諸漏盡
已知汝惡魔 則自消滅去」
時魔波旬作是念：
「尸羅比丘尼已知我心！」
內懷憂慼，即沒不現。
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