Appropriate

SN 4.14 · Patirūpasutta

Tiny green shoots emerging beside weathered charcoal in a forest.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans near the brahmin village of Ekasālā.

Now, at that time the Buddha was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople.

Then Māra thought, “The ascetic Gotama is teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople. Why don’t I go and pull the wool over their eyes?”

Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

“It’s not appropriate for you to instruct others. As you engage in this, don’t get caught up in favoring and opposing.”
“The Buddha instructs others out of compassion for their welfare. The Realized One is liberated from favoring and opposing.”

Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.