The Sweet Praise of Mara and Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's Concern

**SUMMARY:** The story of how Mara used praise to request the Buddha to enter nirvana, and Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's concern when seeing the true teachings threatened by scientific delusion.

The atmosphere in the assembly was hushed. All eyes were directed forward as if awaiting something of great importance. The lecturer paused for a moment, his voice growing deeper as he spoke the name "Mara."

"Do you know," he began, "that three months before the Buddha entered nirvana, a very special visitor came to see Him? It was Mara. He did not appear in a terrifying or fierce form. On the contrary, he presented himself with great dignity and politeness. He smiled warmly, pressing his palms together in greeting to the World-Honored One with the utmost respect."

That image brings to mind petty people in the world who always wear a sweet, harmless mask while harboring sinister intentions. Mara sat down and began his conversation with beautifully ornate words.

"Honored World-Honored One, throughout Your entire life, You have taught and transformed countless beings, bringing immense benefit to this world. The Dharma has now spread far and wide. Your disciples are all supremely capable and outstanding."

These words of praise sounded very pleasant and reasonable. But then, Mara shifted his tone, all while maintaining that same polite smile.

"The World-Honored One may rest assured. For even without Your presence here, the Dharma will spread across this land by itself. Please be at peace and enter nirvana."

The lecturer emphasized this point: "Don't you find it strange? A being who wants to destroy morality, who wants all beings to drown in suffering, uses praise itself to invite the good one to depart. This is a priceless lesson about being cautious with flattery. There are those who come to us with sweetness, but whose ultimate goal is merely to 'cut off our stream,' to ensure their own interests are preserved."

And the most surprising thing, which has given generations of practitioners pause for reflection, is that the Buddha agreed. After Mara had analyzed and persuaded for some time, the Buddha listened in silence and then accepted the request. He entered meditative concentration, used his divine powers to relinquish his life span. The earth shook violently, heralding the dawn of a new era.

At that moment, the Venerable Ananda stood beside him, tears rolling down his cheeks. He wept profusely, his choked sobs echoing in the still air.

"Why... why does the Thus-Gone One abandon the beings? Why does He heed the words of Mara?"

The Buddha looked at Ananda, his gaze full of compassion yet brimming with profound wisdom. He explained that all that needed to be said, He had already said. With the knowledge and language of that era, even if He lived longer, He could not convey much more. Complex matters concerning the universe, atoms, and the laws of modern physics... the people of India at that time lacked the capacity to understand. Speaking further would only cause confusion or be deemed madness. Therefore, His departure was a decision based on wisdom that thoroughly understood the limitations of the age.

But the story does not end there. During his dharma talk, Venerable Thich Chan Quang revealed a personal sentiment, a shared "concern" with Bodhisattva Samantabhadra:

"When I read this passage in the sutra, I am always puzzled. Why did the Buddha listen to Mara after just a bit of persuasion? Perhaps Bodhisattva Samantabhadra shared this very concern with me."

It is because of this concern, the fear that after the Buddha's passing, Mara would continue to use the guise of "science and technology" to sweep humanity away from morality, that Bodhisattva Samantabhadra made his seventh great vow: "To request the Buddha to remain in the world." He vowed that wherever any Buddha appears, he would find Him, stand guard, and prevent Mara from using sweet words to request the Buddha's entry into nirvana. He acted in complete opposition to Mara's actions of old.

The lecturer concluded with a stern warning about the situation today. Science and technology advance at a tremendous pace. People believe in UFOs and extraterrestrial civilizations more than in deities or the karmic law of cause and effect. We worship science and forget morality. Just as extraterrestrials (hypothetically) might not dare contact Earth because they see humanity as too violent and lacking in morality, we are pushing ourselves into the risk of self-annihilation.

**The Meaning of the Story**

The story reminds us of the danger of sweet praise from malevolent forces (Mara), which often hides the intention to destroy the truth. At the same time, it affirms the role of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's vow to "request the Buddha to remain in the world": to protect and maintain the lamp of the Dharma, to resist the delusion of pursuing science and technology while neglecting morality. The core lesson is: Science without morality leads to destruction. We must remain clear-headed so we are not swept away by superficial material values, and instead, firmly maintain our faith in spirituality and the karmic law of cause and effect.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang