The Night Mara Tested Him

The sacred forest was still and quiet that night, with only the sound of wind whistling through the old bodhi branches. Prince Siddhartha sat in full lotus posture beneath the tree, his body radiating a gentle light that dispelled the darkness. Forty-nine days of meditative concentration had passed, and he had attained the third dhyana. Suddenly the air grew cold, the smell of sulfur filled the air, and the Mara king appeared.

Before this, he had renounced his golden palace, overcome the pleas of King Bimbisara, endured six years of ascetic practice, and then accepted milk to restore his strength. Now came the final moment before becoming a Buddha. By the law of things, anyone about to attain the way must be tested in mind and heart by the Mara king.

The Mara king took on a hideous form, wielding spears and lances, his eyes bloodshot, and he roared into the night:

"You abandoned your wife and child—hypocrite! What are you doing sitting here practicing? Die!"

An arrow flew toward him, but he did not stir, his eyes still closed. The arrow transformed into flowers falling before him. The Mara king changed his strategy, taking the form of Princess Yasodhara. She came forward, kneeling and weeping, her shoulders shaking with sobs:

"My husband, for six years I have cried every night. When your clothes wore rags, mine wore rags too. When you went without food, so did I. My life belongs to you—please come home!"

Her voice was like a knife cutting into his very being, yet he sat unmoved, his breath steady. The Mara king then summoned dancing maidens who performed unclothed, celestial music rang out, and he proclaimed himself the supreme ruler:

"Follow me, and I will let you rule the entire continent of Jambudvipa—not some small kingdom!"

The prince slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as if nothing existed at all:

"I fear nothing. I desire nothing. Go."

The Mara king was stunned, and his form dissolved into the mist. That was the turning point: his mind and heart had transcended fear and desire. He entered the fourth dhyana, attained the three knowledges, and became the great Buddha.

From that night on, human history held a Buddha who could no longer be shaken by external circumstances. He sat unmoving beneath the tree—though his flesh waste away and his bones crumble, he would not leave—and so he conquered Mara.

The Meaning of the Story

To achieve virtue, one must overcome the trials of fear and craving. When we fear nothing and desire nothing, no external force—whether threatening or seducing—can shake our inner mind and heart.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang