How enlightened Bhikkhuni Vajira tamed Mara

By Premasara Epasinghe

Many demons appear in Indian and Buddhist scriptures. The most formidable, fearful and powerful of which is Mara, of the sixth heaven. It is supposed to be the highest Heaven in the world of desire composed of four evil paths, hell, hungry ghosts, animality and Asuras.

Its ruler delights in manipulating others to do his will. Mara is regarded as a symbol of lust for power. Especially, in Buddhism, devils work to block or hinder people in their Buddhist practices.

Mara used to appear in the guise of some person and upset the peace of mind. When the Prince Sidhartha was on the verge of achieving the Enlightenment, Mara disturbed him. As an Evil God, his modus operenda was to disturb the minds of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis when they meditate.

Once the enlightened Bhikkhuni Vajira was meditating in the Andha forest, Mara appeared as a very handsome youth and questioned her in the following manner.

Kenayam Pakata Satto
Kucham sattassa Karako
Kucham Satto Samuppanna
Kucham Satto Nirujjanti
Who made this mortal being?
Where is the maker of this being?
Where did the being originate?
How will he end?

Questions

Vajira, the enlightened Bhikkhuni recognised Mara. She answered the questions in the following manner.

“Mara do you think being, whether god, human or animal isa person? That is only an idea or belief you think. Remember, the being – a god, human or animal is made up of five Kandhas or five groups of existences, the five aggregates. There is no person. It's a namesake only. Once the component parts, wheels, planks, seats, nails, fixed – it's called a cart.

Even so, five aggregates material form, feelings, mental perception, formations of and consciousness – Rupakandha, Vedanakandha, Sannakandha, Sankara Kandha, Vinnanakandha, make up the form or body.

You call that a being.

For an ignorant man it is a personality. All corporeal phenomena, whether past, present or future, one's own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far and near, they all belong to these five groups of existence.

You asked me a question: Who made this mortal being? I hope I answered your question,” said Vajira.”

“Now, I will take your questions one by one.

Question number one: Where is the maker of this being?

My answer is, there is no maker for this being. Karma or actions done by him in his earlier births resulted whether he is a king, beggar, pretty, handsome, ugly or awful creature, wise or unwise, rich or poor, blind, deaf or deformed.

Origin

Then, you wanted to know where it originated. That's your other question. Kamma – actions produced five aggregates hatred, desire, ignorance results in actions. Every one is suffering. We cannot say any one is happy.

Your final question: “How will it end?”

You have to cast away all bonds, fetters, desires and craving. Attain enlightenment – liberation, so that one will never be reborn.

After listening to the intelligent “words of wisdom” of Bhikkhuni Vajira, Mara was badly dejected in his exercise and immediately vanished.

Who is the brilliant Bhikkhuni Vajira?

She had committed meritorious acts in her previous births and she was born as a very pretty and beautiful princess in the state of Kosala during the dispensation of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. The Blessed One spent Vas season, once at Vesali, many were present to listen to the Buddha's sermons. Vajira too was a keen listener. The Buddha knew that she was in her final birth. She decided to enter the Bhikkhuni order.

The parents who looked after Vajira, like their own eyes, were not happy about her decision to renounce the worldly life.

Parents

“Dear daughter, if you enter the order as a Bhikkhuni there is no one to look after the two of us. You have a duty towards your beloved parents,” said the parents.

One day when she listened to a Sermon delivered by the Blessed One, she reached the state of Stream Entrant.

Then she worshipped the Buddha, begged permission to enter the order of Bhikkhunis. The Blessed One directed her to the Bhikkhunis and thus she entered the order.

Knowledge

She lived according to the rules and regulations of the order, gained more knowledge and concentrated more time in meditation, one of the three major components of the Buddhist way and other two being morality and wisdom.

Meditation is an activity in which one is engaged in subduing discursive thought, destroying or discouraging unwholesome mental states. There are two basic kinds of Meditative Practice.

The first is the development of concentration, where we give the mind a single object and rest there – Samatha. The second is the development of mindful awareness, in which we use the tranquillity that arises from concentration in order to see the impermanent, changing nature of all our experience – Vipassana.