འཕགས་པ་འཇམ་དཔལ་རྣམ་པར་འཕྲལ་པའ་ལའ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1

1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, together with a great monastic assembly of 1,250 monks. Also in attendance was a great assembly of bodhisattvas, as well as gods of the desire realm, gods of the form realm, and various gods of the pure abodes. There, surrounded and revered by his retinue of many hundreds of thousands, the Blessed One was teaching the Dharma.

Present in the assembly at that time was a divine being known as Great Light. Also present in the assembly was youthful Mañjuśrī. The god Great Light asked youthful Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, when Māra creates obstacles to the bodhisattvas’ unexcelled and perfect awakening, then, Mañjuśrī, what are the workings of Māra with respect to bodhisattvas?”

Youthful Mañjuśrī replied to the god Great Light, “Divine being, as long as there are actions, there are the workings of Māra. As long as there are aspirations, misapprehensions, or valuations, there are the workings of Māra. As long as there are desires, conceptions, assumptions, or superimpositions, there are the workings of Māra. Also, divine being, clinging to the mind of awakening is the working of Māra. Clinging to an attitude of generosity is the working of Māra. Clinging to thoughts of discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight is also the working of Māra.