1 (1) Māra

At Sāvatthi. Then the Venerable Rādha approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Venerable sir, it is said, ‘Māra, Māra.’ In what way, venerable sir, might Māra be?”

“When there is form, Rādha, there might be Māra, or the killer, or the one who is killed. Therefore, Rādha, see form as Māra, see it as the killer, see it as the one who is killed. See it as a disease, as a tumour, as a dart, as misery, as real misery. Those who see it thus see rightly.

“When there is feeling … When there is perception … When there are volitional formations … When there is consciousness, Rādha, there might be Māra, or the killer, or the one who is killed. Therefore, Rādha, see consciousness as Māra, see it as the killer, see it as the one who is killed. See it as a disease, as a tumour, as a dart, as misery, as real misery. Those who see it thus see rightly.”

“What, venerable sir, is the purpose of seeing rightly?” “The purpose of seeing rightly, Rādha, is revulsion.” “And what, venerable sir, is the purpose of revulsion?” “The purpose of revulsion is dispassion.”

“And what, venerable sir, is the purpose of dispassion?” “The purpose of dispassion is liberation.”

“And what, venerable sir, is the purpose of liberation?” “The purpose of liberation is Nibbāna.”

“And what, venerable sir, is the purpose of Nibbāna?”

“You have gone beyond the range of questioning, Rādha. You weren’t able to grasp the limit to questioning. For, Rādha, the holy life is lived with Nibbāna as its ground, Nibbāna as its destination, Nibbāna as its final goal.”

2 (2) A Being

At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Rādha said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, it is said, ‘a being, a being.’ In what way, venerable sir, is one called a being?”

“One is stuck, Rādha, tightly stuck, in desire, lust, delight, and craving for form; therefore one is called a being. One is stuck, tightly stuck, in desire, lust, delight, and craving for feeling … for perception … for volitional formations … for consciousness; therefore one is called a being.

“Suppose, Rādha, some little boys or girls are playing with sand castles. So long as they are not devoid of lust, desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for those sand castles, they cherish them, play with them, treasure them, and treat them possessively. But when those little boys or girls lose their lust, desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for those sand castles, then they scatter them with their hands and feet, demolish them, shatter them, and put them out of play.

“So too, Rādha, scatter form, demolish it, shatter it, put it out of play; practise for the destruction of craving. Scatter feeling … Scatter perception … Scatter volitional formations … Scatter consciousness, demolish it, shatter it, put it out of play; practise for the destruction of craving. For the destruction of craving, Rādha, is Nibbāna.”

3 (3) The Conduit to Existence

At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Rādha said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, it is said, ‘the conduit to existence, the conduit to existence.’ What, venerable sir, is the conduit to existence, and what is the cessation of the conduit to existence?”

“Rādha, the desire, lust, delight, craving, engagement and clinging, mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies regarding form: this is called the conduit to existence. Their cessation is the cessation of the conduit to existence.

“The desire, lust, delight, craving, engagement and clinging, mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies regarding feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness: this is called the conduit to existence. Their cessation is the cessation of the conduit to existence.”

4 (4)–10 (10) To Be Fully Understood, Etc.

(These seven suttas are identical with 22:106–12, but addressed to Rādha.)