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Upacala Sutta: Sister Upacala

Upacala Sutta

Summary: Mara: Why not just settle for a happy rebirth among the devas.

SN 5.7 PTS: S i 133 CDB i 227

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

1998-2018

Alternate translation: Bodhi

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

At Savatthi. Then, early in the morning, Upacala the nun put on her robes and, taking her bowl & outer robe, went into Savatthi for alms. When she had gone for alms in Savatthi and had returned from her alms round, after her meal she went to the Grove of the Blind to spend the day. Having gone deep into the Grove of the Blind, she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day's abiding.

Then Mara the Evil One, wanting to arouse fear, horripilation, & terror in her, wanting to make her fall away from concentration, approached her & said, “Where do you want to reappear,(1) nun?”

“I don't want to reappear anywhere, my friend.”

[Mara:]

The devas of the Thirty-three, the Hours, the Contented, those who delight in creation, & those in control:

direct your mind there
and it will enjoy
	delight.

[Sister Upacala:]

The devas of the Thirty-three, the Hours, the Contented, those who delight in creation, & those in control:

they are bound
with the bonds of sensuality;
they come again
under Mara's sway.

The whole world is burning. The whole world is aflame. The whole world is blazing. The whole world is provoked. The Unprovoked, Unblazing — that people run-of-the-mill

don't partake,
	where Mara's
	never been —
that's where my heart
truly delights.

Then Mara the Evil One — sad & dejected at realizing, “Upacala the nun knows me” — vanished right there.

Notes

1.: To reappear = to be reborn.

See also: SN 6.15; SN 9.6.

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Provenance:

The source of this work is the gift within Access to Insight “Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14”, last replication 12. March 2013, generously given by John Bullitt and mentioned as: ©1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.

This Zugang zur Einsicht edition is 2013 (ATI 1998-2012).

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How to cite this document (one suggested style): “Upacala Sutta: Sister Upacala” (SN 5.7), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 17 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn05/sn05.007.than.html . Retrieved on 10 September 2012 (Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14), republished by Zugang zur Einsicht on http://www.zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/sn/sn05/sn05.007.than_en.html retreived on: “date”

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