MN 49:5.1–5.12

Atha kho, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā aññataraṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ anvāvisitvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘bhikkhu bhikkhu, metamāsado metamāsado, eso hi, bhikkhu, brahmā mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī issaro kattā nimmātā seṭṭho sajitā vasī pitā bhūtabhabyānaṁ. Ahesuṁ kho ye, bhikkhu, tayā pubbe samaṇabrāhmaṇā lokasmiṁ pathavīgarahakā pathavījigucchakā, āpagarahakā āpajigucchakā, tejagarahakā tejajigucchakā, vāyagarahakā vāyajigucchakā, bhūtagarahakā bhūtajigucchakā, devagarahakā devajigucchakā, pajāpatigarahakā pajāpatijigucchakā, brahmagarahakā brahmajigucchakā— te kāyassa bhedā pāṇupacchedā hīne kāye patiṭṭhitā ahesuṁ. Ye pana, bhikkhu, tayā pubbe samaṇabrāhmaṇā lokasmiṁ pathavīpasaṁsakā pathavābhinandino, āpapasaṁsakā āpābhinandino, tejapasaṁsakā tejābhinandino, vāyapasaṁsakā vāyābhinandino, bhūtapasaṁsakā bhūtābhinandino, devapasaṁsakā devābhinandino, pajāpatipasaṁsakā pajāpatābhinandino, brahmapasaṁsakā brahmābhinandino— te kāyassa bhedā pāṇupacchedā paṇīte kāye patiṭṭhitā. Taṁ tāhaṁ, bhikkhu, evaṁ vadāmi: “iṅgha tvaṁ, mārisa, yadeva te brahmā āha tadeva tvaṁ karohi, mā tvaṁ brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattittho”. Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattissasi, seyyathāpi nāma puriso siriṁ āgacchantiṁ daṇḍena paṭippaṇāmeyya, seyyathāpi vā pana, bhikkhu, puriso narakappapāte papatanto hatthehi ca pādehi ca pathaviṁ virādheyya, evaṁ sampadamidaṁ, bhikkhu, tuyhaṁ bhavissati. Iṅgha tvaṁ, mārisa, yadeva te brahmā āha tadeva tvaṁ karohi, mā tvaṁ brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattittho. Nanu tvaṁ, bhikkhu, passasi brahmaparisaṁ sannipatitan’ti? Iti kho maṁ, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā brahmaparisaṁ upanesi.

Then Māra the Wicked took possession of a member of the retinue of Divinity and said this to me, ‘Mendicant, mendicant! Don’t attack this one! Don’t attack this one! For this is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who criticized and loathed earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a lower realm. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who praised and approved earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a higher realm. So, mendicant, I tell you this: please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don’t go beyond the word of the Divinity. If you do, then you’ll end up like a person who, when approached by Lady Luck, would fend her off with a staff; or who, as they are falling over a cliff, would push away the ground with their hands and feet. Please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don’t go beyond the word of the Divinity. Do you not see the assembly of the Divinity gathered here?’ And so Māra the Wicked presented the assembly of the Divinity to me.